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Welcome to the family! We are so excited and grateful that you have chosen to be an agent with CRM Group! We're here to help you become the most successful agent you can be!
Below you will find the steps you need to get started and ready to sell.
Before you begin your journey as an insurance agent, it’s important to lay a strong foundation for your new career. Setting up your business first allows you to immediately start taking advantage of tax deductions for the expenses you’ll incur during licensing, training, and beyond. The best way to do this is by forming an LLC (Limited Liability Company), which protects your personal assets, establishes credibility with clients and carriers, and can provide tax benefits. Each state has its own process for creating an LLC—usually done through the Secretary of State’s website—where you’ll file basic paperwork, pay a registration fee, and choose a unique business name. Once your LLC is approved, open a business bank account (and consider a business credit card) to keep your finances cleanly separated from personal spending. Finally, partner with a knowledgeable CPA who can help you take advantage of available write-offs, stay compliant with tax laws, and build a smart financial strategy as you grow. Starting here ensures you’re not just becoming an agent—you’re building a real business.
Your first step is diving into pre-licensing education. This is where you’ll take state-approved courses that cover the insurance basics and prepare you for the licensing exam. These courses are designed to give you the knowledge and confidence you’ll need to succeed, so treat this stage as the foundation for your career. We recommend the company ExamFX to purchase your training courses. Please click on the course link below corresponding to your desired license.
*NOTE: You MUST complete the training within 60 DAYS or else you will have to pay for the course again!
Requirements will vary in each state, but generally you have the option to select one of two options for your insurance license: Health and Life & Health. To sell Medicare and Health Insurance, you are only required to have a Health license. However, we strongly recommend getting the life portion as well. You'll find that you may come across opportunities to sell life insurance, final expense, and even some fixed annuities to your clients.
Once you’ve completed your pre-licensing courses, it’s time to schedule and pass your state licensing exam. After passing, you’ll be issued a National Producer Number (NPN)—your official ID as a licensed insurance agent. Think of it as your ticket into the industry: with your NPN, you’re recognized by state and national regulators and ready to move forward in contracting with carriers.
To register for your licensing exam, you’ll typically go through your state’s designated testing provider, such as Pearson VUE or Prometric. Registration is usually done online, where you’ll choose your exam type, location, and date. Most states also require a background check and fingerprinting as part of the process, so be prepared to schedule those steps as well. Completing these requirements ensures your exam results and license application can be processed smoothly once you pass. To find your state’s specific requirements, visit your state Department of Insurance website, which will provide detailed instructions and direct links to approved testing vendors.
Don’t skip protection—Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance is your safeguard against mistakes or oversights that could lead to costly client claims or lawsuits. This professional liability coverage helps cover defense costs, settlements, and legal counsel if an error occurs during your services—protecting your business, personal assets, and peace of mind. It’s a critical layer of defense that keeps your career secure, plus it's required to contract and appoint with carriers.
We recommend purchasing your policy through NAPA. NAPA (National Association of Professional Agents) makes getting E&O insurance simple and reliable, with quick online enrollment and instant proof of coverage. When you purchase your policy through NAPA, you also receive a membership that comes with valuable perks—like free continuing education vouchers, industry resources, and access to nationwide discounts on travel, office supplies, and in many other areas.
*Note: They have a variety of policies catering to different lines of business, even within the Medicare space. Be sure to get the policy that covers the products you plan to sell! If you have any concerns about which one to get, reach out to Keaton at 208-922-0168.
AHIP (America’s Health Insurance Plans) certification is an annual requirement for agents who want to sell Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans. This training ensures you’re up to date on compliance standards, CMS guidelines, and ethical sales practices—protecting both you and your clients. Because it must be renewed each year, it’s important to complete it promptly and retain a copy of your certificate. You’ll need to provide this to carriers and your upline FMO so they can verify your eligibility to market Medicare products.
The cost of certification is $175 each year, however most carriers, including our upline Agent Boost Marketing, offer a $50 discount by using their link. By using our link through Agent Boost below, it should give you the $50 discount. Please click the link and register on the AHIP site using your NPN number, then complete the AHIP certification course. Plan on about 4 hours to complete your AHIP certification. The course is open note, and you'll take practice exams throughout the course that will have most of the same questions on the final exam of 50 questions. We've also included a link to download a study guide that includes the outlines for every slide in the course. You can use your computers "Find" feature (ctrl + F [Windows], Command + F [Mac]) to search for the answers to the questions. You'll have three attempts to pass with a 90% or higher.
*Note: Before you take the final exam, you'll have the option to pay an additional $25 to earn 6 Continuing Education (CE) Credits for your license. Your license will require you to take a certain number of CE credits in order to renew it before it expires. Since you will take AHIP every year, that can provide CE Credits without any additional work.
A Field Marketing Organization (FMO) is a partner that connects agents with insurance carriers and provides the support needed to grow your business. By contracting through an FMO, you gain access to multiple carriers under one relationship, rather than applying to each company individually. FMOs also offer resources like training, technology, back-office support, and marketing tools to help you succeed. In short, they act as the bridge between you and the carriers, making it easier to expand your product offerings and better serve your clients.
WHENEVER YOU REQUEST A NEW CARRIER TO CONTRACT WITH, YOU MUST MENTION THAT YOU NEED THE CONTRACT UNDER CRM GROUP!
Agent Boost Marketing is our primary FMO where we have the majority of our major contracts. To contract, please complete the embedded form below. It will ask you to upload your license(s) and your AHIP certificate. For contracting questions and updates, you can call 1 (855) 378-1451 and press Option 1, or email them at contracts@agentboost.com.
Plan Advisors is our secondary FMO that is a part of Integrity, a large national brokerage. We use Plan Advisors to contract with carriers we cannot have through Agent Boost. They have a very large variety of carriers in every state across the country. To contract with Plan Advisors, simply download their contracting Excel sheet by clicking the link below, complete it with the desired carriers, and then email it to info@myplanadvisors.com.
*Note: Plan Advisors has specific representatives for each carrier contract. The corresponding person will reach out to you regarding your requested contract. Emailing the above email will ensure you get directed to the proper representative when you have questions regarding contracts.
In addition to AHIP, each insurance carrier requires you to complete their own product-specific certifications before you can begin selling their plans. These trainings cover the details of their Medicare Advantage, Prescription Drug, and Medicare Supplement products, along with compliance guidelines unique to that carrier. Completing them ensures you’re equipped with accurate knowledge to represent their plans and keeps you in good standing to receive commissions. Like AHIP, carriers require this certification annually. The more carriers you offer, the more certifications you will need to complete each year. However these certifications are much easier and shorter than the AHIP course. As part of each certification, the carriers will also ask for a copy of your AHIP certificate. When Agent Boost and/or Plan Advisors initiates a contract request, you'll receive an email from the carrier(s) with instructions to complete each certification.
Sunfire Matrix is an all-in-one enrollment platform designed specifically for Medicare agents. It allows you to compare plans side by side, run drug and provider searches, quote premiums, and submit applications electronically—all in one place.
Once your contracting is complete and your carrier appointments are in place, (meaning you're ready to sell,) then you can request access to SunFire Matrix. You can reach out to Nicko Pickard with Agent Boost to have him set you up. You can contact him by calling 1 (855) 378-1451 and selecting Option 2, or by email at nicko@agentboost.com.
Now that your contracting is complete and you are ready to sell, it's time to get you set up with all of the CRM Group Agency services and resources we offer. You can schedule an appointment with Keaton who will assist you with all of this by clicking the button below. Please be sure to bring your laptop and tablet (if you have one) to the appointment.
Once you’re licensed, most states require you to complete ongoing Continuing Education (CE) credits to keep your license active. These courses ensure you stay up to date on industry regulations, ethics, and product knowledge, helping you better serve your clients while staying compliant with state laws. Although it is not required immediately, it can be good to get some additional training while you're starting out. You will only need to complete your CE credit requirements sometime before your license expires and you need to renew it. We recommend WebCE as a trusted vendor because they make it easy to complete your CE requirements online with flexible, affordable courses and quick reporting to your state Department of Insurance. You can access their site and create an account through the link below.
Once you’ve completed your training, certifications, and contracting, you’re officially ready to sell—but success doesn’t stop there. The next step is to create a simple business plan that outlines your goals, marketing strategy, and daily activities. Decide how you’ll generate leads, track appointments, and manage follow-ups so you can stay consistent and focused. With a clear plan and steady effort, you’ll build momentum and turn your license into a thriving business. To help you get started, you’ll also have the opportunity to sit down with Chad McDonald to review your business plan, discuss proven strategies, and map out the steps to long-term success.
Please download the Business Plan template below, complete it, and then schedule a time to meet with Chad through his assistant, Rauni.
