For many of us, deciding on life insurance is not only confusing, it's also rather creepy.
Insurance is a personalized sale.
He says that companies like InsWeb and QuoteSmith have very sophisticated systems that can go through thousands of applicants a day. But their engines are not aimed at people with special needs. The vast majority of people are going to get an uneasy feeling about making that kind of decision on their own. Then you find it, and you end up talking to a clerk who is not allowed to answer your question. Also, a lot of people will use the Net for information, then call their local agent anyway when they've come to the decision-making part of the process.