Producer guide
How an independent life or annuity producer should choose an IMO
Choose an IMO on the things you can check before you sign: whether it will release you when you ask, who actually helps you on a real case, and whether its promises about leads hold up when you talk to producers who bought them. Commission levels matter, but they are easy to compare. False promises about lead quality and support are where producers get burned.
SecureProspective is an independent marketing organization in Montgomery, Texas, run by producing agent Christopher Campbell. It is one option. This page is meant to help you judge any IMO, including this one.
What does an IMO actually do?
An IMO holds contracts with carriers and gives independent producers access to them. The useful ones do the work between you and the carrier: contracting, product access, case design, underwriting help, training, and the paperwork that keeps a case moving.
The IMO is usually paid by the carrier. What you are paid depends on the contract level it gives you, which is why the level belongs in writing.
What should you ask before signing with an IMO?
Will you release me when I ask?
Ask for the release policy in writing. Ask whether a release depends on production, time served, or anything else. An IMO that hesitates here is telling you how leaving will go.
Who helps me on a real case, and how fast?
Support is the second most common broken promise. Ask who you will call when a case gets complicated, whether that person has written business themselves, and how long a response takes. Better yet, bring a real case and see what comes back.
What exactly is a lead?
Lead quality is the most common broken promise. Ask how leads are generated, how old they are, whether they are exclusive, and what they cost. Then ask to speak with producers who bought them, and ask those producers what they closed.
What is my contract level with each carrier?
Get it in writing for every carrier you expect to use, and ask what it takes to move up.
Who owns my business?
Ask whether your commissions and renewals are vested to you, and what happens to them if you leave.
What are the red flags?
- Lead results you cannot confirm with a producer who bought them.
- A release policy that is verbal, vague, or tied to production.
- Support you only meet after you sign.
- Pressure to sign before you have seen the contract levels.
- Recruiting talk that outweighs talk about clients and cases.
Can you leave an IMO?
Yes. To move a carrier appointment, the carrier usually asks for a release from your current upline. If the upline refuses, many carriers let you move after a waiting period with no new business through that carrier, often six months or more. The rule differs by carrier, so check each one before you plan a move.
Where does SecureProspective fit?
SecureProspective will not hold anyone captive, ever. Any producer who asks for a release gets one. That includes producers who have installedSP+, the workstation we build, and then decide to leave. We will not hold them hostage either. We will also not do business with them again.
The work we do for producers is advanced case design, carrier and product positioning, producer development, and IMO infrastructure.
Who is it not for?
Being newly licensed is not a disqualifier. Producers looking for a lot of hand holding are a poor fit.
If that sounds right, start a conversation.
Questions producers ask
What does an IMO do for an independent insurance agent?
An independent marketing organization holds contracts with insurance carriers and gives independent producers access to them. In practice it handles carrier contracting, product access, case design help, marketing, training, and the back office work between the producer and the carrier.
Does an IMO take part of my commission?
The IMO is usually paid by the carrier, often as an override on business written through it. What you are paid depends on the contract level the IMO gives you with each carrier. Ask for your level in writing for every carrier you expect to use before you sign.
Can I leave an IMO?
Yes. To move a carrier appointment to a new IMO, the carrier usually asks for a release from your current upline. If the upline refuses, many carriers let you move after a waiting period with no new business through that carrier, often six months or more. The rule differs by carrier, so check each one.
Should a newly licensed agent join an IMO?
Most independent producers work through one, because carriers rarely contract a new independent agent directly. Being newly licensed is not the problem. Expecting the IMO to build the business for you is.
What is the difference between an IMO, an FMO, and a BGA?
The names overlap and are often used interchangeably. IMO and FMO usually describe organizations built around annuities and a broad product shelf. A BGA, a brokerage general agency, usually focuses on life insurance brokerage and underwriting support. What matters is what the organization actually does for your cases, not the label.