Insurance agents sell policies that provide financial protection in case of death, accidents, or acts of nature.

Insurance agents explain different insurance options and help customers choose the policies that are right for them. There are many different kinds of policies that cover different types of situations. These include:

• Car
• Dental
• Fire
• Life
• Medical
• Property

Agents discuss with customers how much protection they want and how much they are willing to pay. In some cases, they can put together customized insurance packages for customers. Agents regularly review their customers' files and suggest changes to policies. For example, customers may need to increase coverage or change the people on their insurance plan when their family situations change. Insurance agents may also offer financial planning services.

Insurance agents fill out forms about the items being insured. If a customer wants car insurance, the insurance agent finds out and records details about the car. These details, such as age and model of the car, affect how much protection the insurance company will offer if something happens to damage or destroy the car. 

Life and health insurance policies depend upon details about the customer's health and lifestyle. Customers may need to complete medical exams to figure out what policy fits them. Once these forms are filled out, agents forward them to insurance underwriters who analyze the risk of insuring customers.

Agents constantly search for new customers. They may contact current customers for the names of friends or family members who might need insurance. Agents often advertise their services in order to compete with agents from other companies.

Some insurance agents work as independents, selling policies from several different companies. Some agents sell policies from only one company. This difference can influence how much insurance agents earn and how they get paid. Some agents specialize in just one type of insurance.

In small offices, insurance agents may need additional knowledge such as accounting. They often manage their own bookkeeping. They also may do some basic clerical duties, such as:

• Typing
• Computer data entry
• Document filing