American Income Life Insurance review: fraud & cheating! 76

The posts on this board are ridiculous. AIL is clearly a legitimate company that has over 4800 unions backing them up. The insurance benefits offered through American Income are one of a kind and have been designed to work for union members and their families. If anyone actually attempted to learn a little bit more they would realize that this job is not a scam. The fact of the matter is some people just can't handle doing a 100% commission job - it is too nerve racking. Plus, once you've been working for a while, you also get paid on previous commissions and anyone's commissions that you have hired. So when some people say they do not get paid on just their commission, they are not lying. Its true, the child safe kit is a great tool to get new members to sign up for AIL benefits, but if I was a parent of 5 children, I probably wouldn't mind sitting down with a representative for 45 minutes being explained how to help protect all of my children and financially protect my family. In addition, all of the employees of AIL that I met have never once tried to pressure anyone into buying their product. Besides, as long as your good at your job you never have to. So everyone please stop bad mouthing AIL because they are truely a great company.

I was in an interview class of at least 40 people for American Income Life Insurance ( Steve Hartmans ) office in Phoenix, I was the ONLY one out of all the 40 people who actually got their insurance license.

All I can tell you, is have never worked for anyone in my life who didn't appreciate my work ethic. Until I attempted to work for Steve Hartman, I paid somewhere around $500 to get my lic. I went through 4 weeks of unpaid training, and I was completely broke at the time. All to just go knocking door to door, asking for food donations, just to get my foot in the door to get my sales pitch out. Believe it or not I got 1 sale and 1 gun pulled on me, after a week long of knocking on strangers doors in the dead of summer.

So it was nice to have made somewhere around $800 after my first week in the field. Without using a single union lead from the company. All to have Steve pull me in his office and tell me how much he hates me... literally... All I did was work and produce, all on my own and he had nothing but hatred for me, for some reason that's beyond me. Who knows.

Also I did see them sell/offer their elderly clients (numerous times), a $10, 000 policy for their grand child. With the understanding if the Payee dies the policy is paid in full. Which is not true, the policy is pro-rated for the amount paid into the policy. I didn't stay around to see much more.

I'll never forget when I first walked into Steve Hartmans office, he has this etched (what seems to be biblical) passage about how he wants other people to share in the financial success that he has found. What I can say for a fact and without a doubt, it's completely false, all he wants to do is have complete control of his office and the people that work in it. But please don't take my word for it, go look for yourself, you'll see.

One of his employees had actually gone 0 for 80, on his companys union leads. And I came in, in my first week and sold 2 policies, all on my own with no help from anyone, and he had nothing but hate for me. I can't speak for any of their other offices, I'm sure AIL is a great company. I can only tell you what I experienced for the brief moment I almost worked there. Another life insurance co. hired me the same day I left American Income and it was (needless to say) the best move I've ever made.

Good Luck Everyone and Happy Selling

No product integrity, it's just about a paycheck and hiring people!

My husband and I had our own New York Life business for 10 years, and then my husband decide to transfer to a brokerage firm. I know the insurance industry and how it works and currently I'm looking to get back in it. I know that it normal and common in that industry to pay for everything, all types of licenses, leads, office, car and gas. I went for an interview last week with AIL, made it through all 3 interview. I told the head guy that my only concern was the leads not being a good as they said. He reassured me they would be; they also told me they were the only AIL in my area. Also, found out that I can't begin my training until I memorize word for word an 8 page script. I came back into the office a few days later after memorizing the first page, and I brought along my life insurance and error and omission certificates. I thought it was extremely weird when I handed him my E&O certificate, I was told they didn't need it and it wasn't required to have one. In the insurance industry this is always required to have, it didn't make sense to me why they didn't require this. With all my training and classes I've always thought it was required by the state.
When I was there, I met 3 new producers that been there for about 5 weeks. I asked one girl how she like it, and she said she really liked it and told me she made $2, 100 ALP each of the 5 weeks, and said the lead were good. The one guy, it was his first week; I sat there and watched him filed out the paperwork from his sales that week. I saw the check attached to the applications. He said he made $2, 700 ALP his first week. I was so pumped when got home, so excited to memorize the rest of the script. Next day I spent all day memorizing.
I took a few minutes to look up this wonderful new company on the internet, and boy did I get an ear full. Some of the stuff that people were complaining about is common in the insurance industry, and they are no different then any other insurance company. A lot of people said they lie, and I have caught them in a few lies. I was told they were the only AIL in town, but they're not. Also, I'm having problems with some of the wording of the script. They say that they're giving them a good insurance rate, because they're in the union and their rates are cheaper than non-union companies, this is not true. They're selling a $15, 000 burial policy for $60 a month for life, no cash value; you have nothing if you stop paying. It seem they like bundling different types of accidental death benefits (which these types of AD policies are design to rarely pay out) to make the deal seem like a great value. I brought an $100, 000 WL policy from NYL for $70 dollars a month, I don't have to pay on it all my life and soon the policy will start paying for itself, it makes dividends and builds cash value. So, if I quit paying I get a lot of my money back. Another thing is, they say they only sell to union members, I found out they sell to everybody. I'm also wondering about the clientele and retention rates of the policies. The one girl told me about one of her appointments, the people were so poor, the lady teeth were rotten and the house was falling down. Makes me wonder why AIL sets you up with a bucket, most insurance companies don't set aside part of your pay just in case someone stops paying their premiums. Makes me wonder if they get a lot of charge backs and the policies don't stay on the books. One guys blog that I read, said that he owed AIL money when he left because of the charged backs. Also another flag was the company’s retention and renewal bonuses are a lot lower than most companies. Makes we wonder how much business stays on the books.
I'm schedule to go back tomorrow with my script memorized so I can start my training. The worst thing to me is I don't like to lie, it goes against my beliefs. It’s much more important to me to have my integrity than money. I can loose all my money, but I will always have my integrity. I think there's a lot of brainwashing they do to the new people that have never been in this industry, they don't know what's right in selling life insurances, they don't know anything about life insurances just what they are being told to sell, it's all about a paycheck.

My name is Anthony Osborne, CFO of American Income Life and Regional Manager in Southeastern TN. Need help learning how to work your way up in this company? shoot me an email: anthony-osborne@utc.edu... I collect a salary of over a million per year and I can teach you the tricks!

I do work for AIL as a CAREER AGENT! not management. I do drive a NICE car. MY CHECKS ARE GREAT but I do work my butt off for them. This isn't a get quick job it requires work but I am paid VERY well for my work and time away! It is amazing that people are complaining about a job they didn't even ATTEMPT to do.

Stop these ### I encourage all of you to stand up for yourselves. Check the state laws where you live but most states are single party states. Use your cell phones in the interview if you still have it set up. The iPhone and the droid phone both have powerful recording abilities. Record what these jerks say and then take the recordings to the beter business bureau. Turn these evil people in and see to it that they don't prey on innocent people any longer. In tough economic times we owe it to eachother as Americans to help one another out. This does that by wiping out these guys it saves others from falling into their trap and sends a message that we won't put up with that kind of garbage anymore.

I would say working for them for their child safety kits is a mistake. My best friend and I did and our Team leader sexually harrassed us from the beginning and even stripped down to a pair of womens thongs at the side of the rode when taking us home. We have been told it wasn't the first time he has done this.

I would say that working for them at all is a mistake, my best friend and I did, and our Team Leader pulled over to the side of the rode while driving us home and stripped for us. He was wearing only a woman's thong. We have been told he has done this before.

I worked for ail for a grand total of two and a half months. This is actually the night I and another agent have parted ways with this company. When I was hired I was told there would be a base salary as well as benefits. Come to find out AFTER I've spent the money and time in acquiring a license to sell insurance that the base pay I was promised did not exist, that it was 100% commission, training was unpaid until I was permitted to start writing business myself. Which took more than a month, but I was still required to follow someone around for more than 40 hours a week at my expense for 'training'. I was also required to give them a check for $75 for office fees when I started. I'm quite sure people do make a good amount of money doing this but I never made back my expenses of starting this job. The 'free leads' they give you are off of cards that were sent in as long as 3 years ago. They use the information on the cards to get in the door than pressure the people to buy the insurance. No agents at the location I worked for held insurance with AIL, the company they were representing. There are weekly 'meetings' and 'classes' that are essentially the upper management telling you to force people into buying, how to make it so people feel like crap if they don't buy. Management makes money off the lower people so they push you to schedule appointments when they want you to so they make more money. It is my sincerest hope that this company who lists their people as 1099 and treats them as employees is brought down, they hire people by deceitful means and sell to their policy holders by those same means. I sincerely apologies to anyone I sold a policy too. If you have a policy cancel it, change your number, they NEVER allow their people to give up calling you, they will knock on your door for months. All for the money they can make off you if they can manage to guilt you into buying.

It's not as if they are FORCING you to buy anything... really... Life insurance is a necessity.

There are 2 times you'll even think about buying life insurance. When a sales person asks you to buy it, and WHEN not IF someone close to you passes away. Like it or not, we are all mortal and having coverage is a must.

Yes, telling you about the Child Safety kit because you have children is their way of being able tell you about other benefits that you can take advantage of. What is wrong with that? That's just good business to GIVE you something that you might need one day. It's not like they're selling you something you don't need. Everyone will die, but no one knows when. You're family should be protected financially so they can have time to grieve and not spend time working their butts off to pay for your final expenses. Or you having to pay for someone else's final expenses.

I just want to point out that AIL is completely legit... and the kits are free and could one day save your childs life... keep in mind.. 1. they do not advertise. Simply because they insure union employees/families. 2. They do not purchase leads.. the leads are simply given to them via union. 3. American Income simply does not need to go door to door trying to sell insurance.. they gladly finger print your children for you and help you understand the child safety kit along with showing you other products which you would not see advertised. Its a one chance deal which you would be lucky to get... folks are always looking for negativity... look at the positives

To "k.shneyder" above,
You are the exact type of individual AIL preys on. Young, naive, lacking an original thought in your head, and so hopelessly drinking the cool-aid that you bought their lies 100% without ACTUALLY checking. All SGA's for AIL pay for their leads with the unions. There is no way around it. They pay between $20-$40 per union, credit union, association leads. This is one reason why you always find leads that are 3 plus years old that they insist be called on still. This is why they also push referrals as those are free. Do us a favor, ask a manager that's been there longer than a year (if you can find one) and see what they say.

Does everyone just suck at doing research? Did you just google AIL devote 30 seconds to scrolling and give up? I received a call for an interview with American Income Life, and here is what my research drummed up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Income_Life_Insurance_Company
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130822/OPINION/308220333
http://www.bbb.org/dallas/business-reviews/insurance-companies/american-income-life-insurance-company-in-mckinney-tx-90390426
http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/American-Income-Life-Reviews-E107579.htm
http://www.careerbuilder.com/Jobs/Company/C8C4G66QM7KBVNTJRK9/American-Income-Life-Insurance/

This is just a short list of what I read before going to my interview. Normally, I would not bother with gig like this, because I hate sales. However, I had just moved and I needed a job a.s.a.p. I got the job and completed my training in just under 2 weeks. There is no hourly pay, so, I was in a hurry to get to the money. I hit bonus my first week making just shy of $1000.00. As I became more comfortable with the program the better I did and the more money I made. I only worked for AIL for about a year and half. I must admit that I did see allot of people come and go. As well as, have some tough weeks myself. However, all in all, it was a good job. It will not fit into what most people can handle for a job, (i.e. long hours, no guaranteed pay, and lots of travel.) But, at the same time, it is perfect for others. The key for me was to not be a salesperson. I mean I have a B.S. in psychology, a B.A. in philosophy and a M.A. in philosophy, which spells out me not having the stomach for unethical practice. I just worked to get people the life insurance that suited them best for the best price that I could. After which, I would just leave it up to them to make their decision like the adults they are. It was my experience that the agents who operated in this manner excelled. While those who acted like used car salesmen mostly lost money. Keep in mind people, that depending one which state you are in that you have anywhere from the federal minimum of 15 days to return a policy with full refund to 60 days. which means lying to a customer will most likely end up with the agent having to pay back his/hers commission.

I may not have experience in AIL but I am a LNL agent and I can say that it is not a scam nor is it's lie. I can say, though, that whatever these experiences may have brought to all of you is just another guy or girl trying to get quick money because it isn't the company's job to make sure you receive anything but the agents themselves and the hiring is the agency directors. Let's not blame an organization for the foot soldier's greed.

Also we give away child safe kits and we are told to just leave them to the customer, check or not. At least it's what I do.

I am currently employed with American Income Life. Honestly, the child safety I.d. Kits are amazing. They are there in the event your child goes missing then you would have this complete kit to provide to your authorities. Regardless if you want to say the kits are to get our foot through the door to sell life insurance, or that they are not legit? The kit is solely is to help your family not hinder . There are other kits in the community of course. Some through the schools as well as the hospitals.Every last one of them will help your child to be found however not all of them are as detailed with all 10 finger prints, updated pictures, dna, etc. It's free .. Why not accept it. Now I am proud of the agency I work for based out of Atlanta Georgia. We are very humble and aware of what our community needs. Our goal is to then educate families on what is out their for coverage regardless if they decide to go with AIL. Most insurance company's don't educate you at all. We do it face to face making sure if you do take advantage of the benefits you will understand what you are getting. Obviously I am speaking on the agents that I am surrounded by. We all know that one bad apple can spoil them all in regards to a company stand point so just consider that. And with compensation it is very simple. The harder you work the better the compensation. Very simple. A numbers game. Do your research people. You can focus on all of the negative but there is much more positive out there.

Ok. So let me just say this is not an easy job/career. If it was easy everyone and their mother would be life insurance agents. You can check the history and turn over rate for any life insurance company and the numbers will tell you just that. To be able to succeed in this business it takes self motivation support ambition and goals. You work for yourself . Many people cannot manage themselves because they are so used to a "boss" telling them what time they need to be at work, what time to take their lunch break and what time to clock out. It takes a world class thinker, an entrepreneur for lack of better words to succeed in this business. I've only been a life insurance agent for 6 months so I haven't seen all. But what I do see is the bigger picture. Residual income, number one factor for me. I'ill be retired in 10 years. I've become a career agent. Let's be logical here. Everyone knows about that glass ceiling I would hope. So with that being said you have to look at the job..(just..over..broke) that you are employed at now. If you can move up and make it to the top without selling your soul than that's great. But if it's a dead end job and your seeking unlimited opportunity than look for something like insurance. I just find it so crazy that I work for a company that many believe is a scam. I pay my bills with the money I generate from selling AIL ' s products lol. You all who think it's a scam need to be your own person and stop following behind the next fool. Do your research. Be Your own person. Try it out.

Once again, notice the words "unlimited opportunity", "Residual Income", "Retired in 10 years" being thrown about. Other posts by AIL supporters in this thread are using the giveaway bold script and/or derogatory language. I suppose, however, if you make at least $200, 000.00 per year diligently working for AIL as most surely must do, you too will be able to retire in 10 years? Right? Oh, and by the way, isn't "Residual Income" and "unlimited" the whole selling point and/or catchphrases of a MLM company or Ponzi Scheme? AIL employees should spend less time trolling around the Internet looking for complaints, and more time focusing on becoming a decent corporate citizen (and company).

www.ailife.com They are A+rated by AM Best and traded on NYSE Tourchmark not for everyone but legitimate company with millions of members. I am sorry some of you have had bad experiences or skeptical about the Company. No insurance company goes to your home and delivers no cost benefits and provides a needs based analysis life the AIL Agent. Our main objective is to deliver the no cost benefits to Union members, Associations, Credit Unions(not all of them) and friends n family that they want to sponsor. The child safety kit is the one way the general public can request the benefits as well. Each person will receive a $2, 000 accidental policy, medical discount card, child safety kit and a needs based analysis. We want to educate the members of the groups and deliver the no cost benefits on an annual basis because each year the circumstances may change from home to home. I hope this helps and those of you reading do not have anything else negative to say.

I have been working for American Income Life for over a year. With how many people we see on a daily basis, there are bound to be a handful of people that have complaints about our company. Also, we are one of the top hiring companies in the U.S. which means that many people have experienced working with us, and naturally not all of them are satisfied either.

The truth about being an insurance agent is that it is a very challenging job. Sure, there is no heavy lifting or physical labor involved, but it can be very mentally taxing.

The job that we do is 100% commission-based. We get paid for our results not for our time. That being said, working as an insurance agent can either be extremely rewarding, or extremely disappointing; so it's not going to be a job for everyone.

Because this job requires a strong commitment, sometimes long work hours, persistence, and dedication, many people find they do not have the discipline and fortitude to really make life insurance a career.

Luckily, those few who do possess those qualities will have a very successful career at American Income and will experience success beyond their wildest imaginings.

Our agents, and more importantly our management team, continues to strive to have a positive impact on the communities we serve and to help make our clients' lives better. Although just like with any other company that hires a lot of people, despite our best efforts, not every agent that we hire and train always uses the best business practices.

For example, there are scripts that are issued by our home office which guide us in what we ought to be saying and should be followed at all times to ensure that we are representing ourselves correctly and conducting ourselves professionally. Not all agents use the script approved by the home office and therefore use deceptive tactics to sell insurance to families. Unfortunately, that is something that cannot be helped.

We have 3 main ways in which we will see a family:
1. They are part of a union, credit union, or association that has contracted with American Income.
These folks are our bread and butter and our #1 priority. They are very reliable consumers, and it's our job to make sure that we explain everything to them and help them understand both their group benefits and the additional benefits if they qualify.

2. You are a friend, family member, or coworker of a union member.
One of the best parts of our job is that we make sure that all of your friends and family members have an opportunity to be protected as well! With the permission of our union members or existing clients, we will extend the opportunity for their loved ones to receive the same excellent benefits that we provide for their group. We give our members time to contact their loved ones and tell them about the great benefits, and then we follow up with a quick phone call to find out if they would like to set an appointment.

3. We provide No-Cost Child Safe Kits to families.
While our main focus is on seeing our union members and the sponsored family members, AIL has made an effort to extend their benefits even further by offering child safe kits at no cost. This is not meant to be deceptive in any way!

If you encounter a box where you request these kits, our logo is clearly indicated on the box, the card that is to be filled out, and explains that there are additional benefits being offered. People sometimes feel scammed by this because they don't read what they are filling out and the agent they spoke to wasn't using the approved phone script which both: identifies our company as being "American Income Life Insurance Company" and explaining that our job is to "drop them off and explain how they work and go over other available benefits, " which in addition to the free kits we are providing includes free life insurance for a year and discounts on some of your medical, as well as a needs based analysis to see if you can qualify for additional life insurance. I think that's fantastic because non-union families almost never get to see these benefits!

In conclusion, the career opportunity at American Income is real, but it is not a job well-suited for just anyone. You must be able to be self-motivated, disciplined, organized, and goal-oriented. Also, American Income is a great company to do business with. While it can be difficult to ensure that every client has the same experience because of how agents implement their business practices, the Management, PR, and the Company are constantly dedicated to ensuring a positive experience with our company and to ensure that we help families understand the benefits being offered so that they can properly protect their families.

If you have any questions or concerns, check out our website: ailife.com. There are plenty of links to help consumers and future job applicants make the best decisions. If you're still not satisfied, you can try contacting the company (customer service line is at the bottom of the page) or even just contact a local agent and find out more right from the horses mouth.

Those of us who work for AIL love what we do and are proud to help protect so many families. Maybe it's something that is right for you too.

I came home from work to find two young gentlemen talking to my wife and her friend, taking our kids fingerprints. As soon as I walked in the gentlemen introduced themselves and were very friendly. I came to find out that our friend's sister referred her to AIL and they came to provide the Child Safe Kits. They were also here to try to sell insurance. HOWEVER, they were very low pressure and more informative. My family already has insurance through my employer and I simply said I don't want it - and that was it. Our friend did not. She took them up on the offer of one year free $2000 of AD & D insurance. After the first year it will cost $2 per year or up to $10 per year for $10000 of coverage. They very honestly said that they would like to get her to sign up for a larger individual policy sometime down the road, but there was no pressure to do so. The whole deal with their visit was to inform us about the insurance policies, but it was low pressure and fine to deal with. Additionally, they helped our families fill out the Child Safe Kit and they did NOT take any of our kid's information with them, only our (Adult's) names. I did not have a problem with them and I'm grateful that we now have the Child Safety Kit filled out. Naturally, I'm still a bit skeptical but I don't see any reason to be overly concerned.

So many negative comments about a GREAT COMPANY! "pressured into buying insurance" I wonder what that same person would be saying when someone dies I bet it will be "i hope they had life insurance".

Another get rich scheme by Jessica Piccirillo looking for some one to sue and all you dorks fell for it. the company is real the benefits are real so get real.

The only reason someone from AIL would contact you is if you were referred by a member (someone who knows you personally), you requested the information online, or you already have a policy or discount card. We work with over 20, 000 unions and associations including firefighters and police officers. Get your information straight before you go bash a company that provides service and helps protect the families of the working class. AIL is a life insurance company that provides free services like the child safety kits if you are referred. These agents spend their own gas money and take their own time to come out and do this without the guarantee of a sale. I'm sorry if anyone has dealt with a shady agent and I encourage you to report that person to the home office in Waco, TX. You are never obligated, however we are only able to make it out to see families once per year so you are encouraged to take advantage at that time IF YOU NEED THE COVERAGE. We wouldn't have contracts with the presidents of over 20, 000 unions and growing if this company were a "scam". Also, our PR rep just picked up a load of canned foods last week from my office in OKC, we are one of the largest contributors of food and that information can be researched.

I was contacted by an agent about the child safety kit. Which I had completely forgot about ordering. The agent who came to my home was very friendly and told me how to fill out the form. Which I could have done on my own! This kind of annoyed me, because I am disabled and had asked him several times if he could just mail it to me. He always answered "no because I have to show you how to fill out the forms and there is a questionnaire about how I did that you have to fill out." So, after the child paperwork, he brought out others, like the discount program, the free $1000 insurance, and a paper to list where all your valuables are for when you die. Then what really made me mad was he demanded I give him 5 other people's phone numbers, and how I knew them. It couldn't be 3 or 4, it had to be 5. First, he said (I forget how he said it exactly) it was for if my child ever got abducted the police would have numbers of people close to her, because they work with the police with the forms. Then he said, who can you think of that has little kids that would want the child abduction form, or who doesn't have insurance, that could use the discount product. Maybe someone who wears glasses? So, I gave him numbers, and told him that only one of them would be interested, and that I would have to call and tell them he would be calling. Then he took a picture with his cell phone. Which was weird! He never tried to sell me anything else! Thank goodness!
Like I said, he was nice. He also called from his cell phone, but working on the go, I guess you have to. Also, like I said, it annoyed me he couldn't/ wouldn't mail all of it to me! Because, I could have just mailed him back what he needed!

More than 90% of Americans do not have Life Insurance. They think that someone else is going to take care of thier Final Expenses for them. Truth be told. If you die, and do not have EVERYTHING already paid for, or a Life Insurance Policy in place, the burden of paying for your funeral gets passed onto your family and friends.
Most people try to get Insurance advise from thier friends, who know very little about the topic to begin with. Unless you sit down with a Licensed Insurance Professional, you are talking to the WRONG PERSON. Would you sit with your plumber and ask questions about your heart? Would you sit with an electrician and ask questions about your nervous system? Would you sit with a carpenter and ask questions about your skeletal structure? Then why do you ask those people, who are not licensed in, and educated about, LIfe Insurance questions? Don't set yourself up to fail and them blame it on the industry that you did not give a chance too. You are shown options. Nothing more. If you are forced into buying Life Insurance, then that is something that you allowed to happen, and is no one's fault but your own. No one can force you to buy life insurance.
Be smarter than this list of complaints is being. This is a list of those that like to complain about most everything in life that they do not take the time to understand. And because they don't understand it, they are affraid of it. This site is just a message board for people that want to complain about something that they have very little understanding of. For every 1 complaint, there is 100 affirmations as to how good something is. Be an intelegent consumer and look at creditable sites that show facts and not feelings.