The short answer is ‘no,’ but it does require some explanation, including cases when life insurance can become a downright pyramid scheme or contain unwanted elements of multi-level marketing.
Fifty-two percent of Americans own life insurance, and about 41 million are thinking about purchasing one. But rumor has it that selling life insurance is a pyramid scheme where insurance companies rely on the money of new clients to pay old debts.
So who’s right? Let’s explain the math behind life insurance.
There are about 750 life insurance companies in the United States, each one doing exactly the same – offering a death benefit to the beneficiaries upon the death of a policyholder at the expense of a lifetime premium paid by the policyholder.
The nuances may vary, but that’s beyond the point. You’ve got the gist of it.
And now to the second part of the puzzle: Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, and Multi-Level Marketing businesses.
Ponzi schemes pay investors with the money of newcomers. Unlike what they say, they do not make profits by running a business, as there’s no business in the first place. The biggest Ponzi scheme in the history of the United States screwed investors for more than $65 billion, which indicates that such schemes can live for decades before the stream of investors runs dry.
Just as fraudulent as Ponzis, pyramids are based on constant recruitment. Every participant is pushed to invite new members – the more, the better. Product? There’s no product. Most profits go to those at the top of the scheme, whereas new members make do with peanuts.
Unlike Ponzis and pyramids, multi-level marketing (MLM) is a legitimate business. It is frowned upon by experts and customers alike, but there are still lots of people willing to try their luck in this high-risk endeavor.
The difference between MLM and a pyramid scheme is that the former does have a product. In MLM, the participants are incentivized to sell services to their families, friends, and even strangers, giving away most of the profits to those at the top of the business. Two famous MLM companies are Amway and Herbalife.
Now, the real question is, do life insurance companies fall into one of the three categories: Ponzi, pyramids, or MLM?
Nope. Reputable life insurance companies:
Therefore, selling life insurance does not have any signs of a pyramid scheme.
How can an insurance company pay the beneficiary more than the total amount of premium paid by the policyholder during his or her lifespan? Isn’t it suspicious? At the end of the day, insurance companies won’t work at a loss, will they?
Here are a few things that you may overlook in your calculations:
Whether you like it or not, your insurance company makes an educated guess on how long you will live and then determines your premium accordingly. They just do the math based on the data they have.
Selling life insurance is hard, mainly because you have to acknowledge that your prospects are eventually going to die. This, of course, is not an excuse for the manipulation and fraud that some illegal companies resort to.
Insurance companies may or may not have elements of multi-level marketing. However, the very presence of MLM elements doesn’t make a company fraudulent. MLM can be a successful legitimate business if the revenue model is reasonable.
Family First Life is not a pyramid scheme, but it does have MLM elements (for example, a focus on acquiring new agents). Whether to tolerate this type of structure is up to you.
USHealth Advisors is neither a pyramid scheme nor an MLM scheme.
New York Life Insurance is neither a pyramid scheme nor an MLM scheme. It’s one of the most trustworthy insurance companies in the United States, ranked 67th on the 2021 Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S. companies by total revenue.
Transamerica is a possible pyramid scheme. Make sure to do your own research to protect yourself from fraud.
American Income Life is a possible pyramid scheme, although it claims otherwise. At the very least, research reviews on the Internet.
The signs that should raise suspicion are:
If you encounter any of the aforementioned suspicions, make sure to double-check the company – it may be MLM at best and a pyramid or Ponzi scheme at worst. Besides, you can work with a reliable insurance broker who will search for a life insurance policy for you.
A life insurance pyramid scheme is when a fake insurance company pays existing clients the money brought in by new clients. The main characteristic of a pyramid scheme is that such a company doesn’t have a product.
Theoretically, an unscrupulous insurance company can defraud you. But this can only happen if the company is illegal. To prevent fraud, check if your insurance company is licensed and has a spotless background.
Oleksandr is an expert in deep research. He covers various insurance topics across verticals, adopting to every local law.
