The elderly are often targets of scammers who believe older people are more vulnerable. And the criminals are savvy, thinking of new and creative ways to target seniors. But you can help your elderly clients avoid insurance scams.
Read on to learn more about how seniors can avoid insurance scams then reach out to us at American Senior Benefits for more information.
How Elderly Clients Can Avoid Insurance Scams
Help your elderly clients and their families avoid life insurance scams with these helpful tips:
Create an insurance plan with your clients. Work with your elderly clients and their families or caregivers to create an insurance plan — and do not deviate from it. This means helping your clients with their life insurance needs and purchases and helping them understand when they may no longer need life insurance. If your clients have a solid insurance plan in place they have helped to create, it may make them less vulnerable to life insurance sales solicitations they receive by phone or mail.
Communicate regularly with your elderly clients. As their agent, you should have a solid communications plan in place for all of your clients, but your elderly ones may need even more focused attention. Be sure to talk with them about any changes they make or questions they have. And ask your clients to call you first before making any new insurance purchases. This could help protect them from a scammer who tries to sell them a policy they do not need.
Talk with clients about trusted insurance partners. Not all insurance companies are created equal. Spend time discussing trusted insurance partners with your clients – and share who you work with since the companies you partner with are already vetted. Talk with them about companies with poor reputations for customer service or paying claims and what this could mean to them in the future. Remind your clients when they purchase their life insurance policies through you, they will have your help at every step of the way. Other insurance companies that solicit their business may not offer the same personalized support.
Discuss how much life insurance is necessary. Life insurance can be a frightening topic for some people. But if you talk with them about how much life insurance they need based on their individual circumstances, they will start to feel more comfortable with insurance. And once your client is secure knowing they have enough coverage, they will be less likely to fall for insurance scams offering them more coverage. Talk with them as their life changes since their insurance needs also change. For example, when minor children graduate college and start their adult lives or when a spouse retires life insurance needs may change. A recent study showed that 106 million adults do not have enough life insurance, so make sure to talk about this important topic with your clients.
Explain common scams to your clients. Talk with your elderly clients about common scams and how they are perpetuated. If your clients know what to look for, they may recognize the signs when someone tries to scam them. And the more often you talk about these types of scams, the more likely it is your client will avoid them. Stay current on trending topics within the insurance industry and share the news with your teammates and clients.
How Do I Learn More?
To learn more about how to help your elderly clients avoid insurance scams, contact us at American Senior Benefits. Our affiliated experts will be happy to answer any questions you have.
