The person who sells you life insurance has more influence over your decision than almost any other financial product. Understanding the incentive structure behind the recommendation helps you evaluate it more critically — and make a better decision.
A tied agent (the most common type in India) is licensed to sell products from one insurer only. When an LIC agent sells you a policy, they can only show you LIC products. When a Kotak agent recommends a plan, it will always be a Kotak plan. The recommendation is genuine, often knowledgeable, but structurally limited to one product shelf.
A corporate agent or insurance broker can represent multiple insurers. They theoretically can recommend the best plan across companies. In practice, the quality of this recommendation depends heavily on the advisor's knowledge, the breadth of their empanelment, and their commission structures — which can still create incentives toward higher-commission products.
An independent financial advisor who handles insurance alongside mutual funds, tax planning, and other financial products can give the most holistic recommendation — placing life insurance within the context of your complete financial picture. However, these advisors are less common for insurance-specific conversations.
GetCovered.in operates as an authorised affiliate of Kotak Life — we're transparent about that. What differentiates us is the advisory approach: we start with your needs (via the quiz), recommend the Kotak plan that genuinely fits, and tell you when a plan isn't right for you rather than pushing the sale. Our business depends on your satisfaction and referrals, not on volume.