Today In 5 Minutes Or Less (TLDR):

• 🔒 Using Retention and Lifetime Value to Power You …

• Delayed Gratification and Wealth Building Lessons …

• Around The Web 🌎

🔒 Using Retention and Lifetime Value to Power Your Agency🔒

Hey Insurance Pros!

Ever feel like you’re hustling nonstop just to keep your agency treading water? What if we told you there’s a simple, proven formula to stop bleeding opportunities and start multiplying your income—without doubling your workload?

Here’s the reality: Growing your agency isn’t just about landing more sales. The real win is holding onto the clients you’ve already earned and understanding their lifetime value (LTV).

Let’s break down how you can unlock serious growth—without working harder than you already do.

The One Metric That Changes Everything: Retention

Most agents overlook retention because they’re laser-focused on new sales. But here’s the deal:

• For every client you keep, you spend zero on re-acquisition.

• More retention means higher LTV, which means you can spend more to acquire better clients, outpacing your competition.

• Even small upticks in retention rates can skyrocket your profits.

Quick Calculation: If your average client stays with you five years at $1,500 of annual premium, that client’s LTV is $7,500—not just their first-year premium.

Let that sink in: Every policy you retain is worth FIVE TIMES more than it looks at first glance.

Actionable Steps to Implement NOW

Ready to shift your agency into a higher gear? Here’s how you can put this profit-boosting principle to work today:

1. Calculate Your Actual LTV

• Average premium per client x number of years they stay (using your retention rate).

• Example: $1,500 x 5 years = $7,500 LTV.

2. Know Your Break-Even—and Beyond

• Figure out how much new business you need to replace lost clients and meet your growth targets.

• This helps you budget for client acquisition with confidence.

3. Segment Clients By LTV

• Not all clients are created equal. Some groups renew more, refer more, and buy more. Focus your marketing on these high-LTV clients.

4. Boost Retention with Steps That Actually Work

• Proactive communication: Reach out before renewal, not just at claim time.

• Personal touches: Birthday cards, policy reviews, local events invite—make them feel valued.

• Solve Pain Points FAST: Handle minor issues quickly so they don’t snowball into cancellations.

5. Track—Then Improve

• Measure your retention monthly.

• Apply one new retention tactic every quarter. Watch your LTV (and your commissions) climb.

Bonus: Data-Driven Wins

The smartest agencies obsess over these numbers and use them to make every decision—from how much to spend on leads to which service upgrades really pay off.

Don’t just guess. Use retention and LTV to confidently invest in your growth.

Retention isn’t just a “feel good” metric—it’s the fuel that drives serious, sustainable profit. Calculate it. Track it. Improve it. And watch your agency soar.

To your success and stay awesome,

Craig Pretzinger and Jason Feltman

The Insurance Dudes! 🚀

Delayed Gratification and Wealth Building Lessons From 20 Years in Insurance

Something people rarely talk about when building an insurance agency—or honestly, any business—is just how much you’re going to learn from your own mistakes, and how putting your money, time, and energy back into your business is the real game changer. When I started out as an independent agency owner, I didn’t have a financial cushion, a Rolodex of carrier appointments, or any built-in advantage. But what I did have was grit, a knack for delayed gratification, and zero hesitation about reinvesting pretty much everything I made back into the agency. Most folks want to take their profits out, live a little larger, maybe stash some away in stocks or something they can’t control. But I saw every dollar that came in as potential fuel for the fire.

I bought as many leads as I could. Seriously, if I wasn’t literally spending my last few bucks on net quote leads or a box of donuts to hand out to dealership GMs and finance managers, I was under-investing. Was it risky? Maybe. But you can’t build legacy, you can’t build real wealth, without this mindset of delayed gratification—knowing that if you put in the tough work and keep reinvesting, the payoff is down the line, not today. I didn’t move my money into someone else’s companies or the whims of the market. I knew my own work ethic, my own systems, and that gave me the confidence to bet on myself.

And here’s something that surprised me—the payoff for that hustle isn’t just financial. That grind at the beginning, where you’re doing everything from picking up the phone at 4am to figuring out where your next appointment is coming from, forces you to get creative and consistent. But it also teaches you to be way more intentional about the people you hire, the processes you build, and what actually matters for your clients. It taught me to see opportunity where other people just saw roadblocks—a hard market isn’t the end, it’s just a different race, and the ones who keep investing in themselves and their business are always the ones left standing.

If you’re building something from scratch, don’t let the temptation of instant rewards or doubts about reinvesting slow you down. Every ounce of effort you put in now, every dollar that goes back into your own agency, that’s where the real reward is hiding.

Around The Web 🌎

Instagram 📸

In a competitive industry, trust and visibility are everything. Content isn’t just marketing—it’s your bridge to stronger client relationships, increased authority, and consistent growth. Stop relying solely on cold outreach and let your expertise work for you. The more value you share, the more trust you build.

Are you using content to scale your insurance business?

The YouTube 🎥

Ben Bucher's journey is anything but ordinary - from auditioning on Broadway to managing a McDonald's, before building a $10M insurance agency in just seven years. His unorthodox path taught him how to adapt, scale, and build a thriving remote team across the U.S.

This Week On The Podcast 🎧

We put together a free book and checklist to grow your insurance agency 👉 Here