People ask this carefully, and I understand why — nobody wants to discover a fee halfway through. So here's the whole picture.
The carrier pays, not you
When a policy is placed, the insurance company pays the agent a commission. That cost is already built into the product's pricing structure. It is not added on top of your premium because you used an agent.
The price is the same either way
This is the part that surprises people. If you call the carrier directly and buy the identical policy, you pay the identical premium. Life insurance rates are filed with state regulators; a company cannot quietly charge you less for skipping the agent.
So the choice isn't between paying more or less. It's between having someone compare the market for you or doing it yourself.
What independence actually changes
A captive agent works for one company and can offer you that company's products. An independent agent can place business with many carriers, which matters because carriers differ enormously in who they price well and who they decline.
It also means that if the best answer for you is a company I'd earn less from, I can still recommend it. That's the point of independence.
What you get after the sale
The commission isn't only for the paperwork. It's what makes it viable for me to still be your agent in five years: annual reviews, questions about a bill, help when something changes, and someone who picks up when your family needs to make a claim.
Quotes, comparisons, and the conversation itself are free, with no obligation. If we talk and you decide to do nothing, that's a legitimate outcome — and you'll still have learned what your options were.