What it costs to work with me
The honest version is short: insurance help and the Social Security analysis are both free to you. That includes the Private Client insurance review. Here is how each part works, including who pays me.
Medicare plan comparison, enrollment and yearly reviews cost you nothing; the carrier pays me a commission that CMS caps at the same amount for every carrier, and your premium is identical whether you enroll through me, the carrier or medicare.gov. Auto, home, business and life insurance are the same: commission from the carrier, never a broker fee, and New York law would require a signed disclosure before any such fee could be charged. The Social Security claiming analysis is free as well, and it isn't tied to buying anything. Private Client, the yearly insurance review for households with several policies, is free as well.
The packages side by side, Private Client included, are on Pricing.
What each service costs
| Service | What you pay | Who pays me |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare — plan comparison, enrollment, Annual Enrollment reviews, questions all year | $0 | The carrier, a commission capped by Medicare at the same amount for every carrier |
| Auto, home, umbrella, business, life — quotes, placement, renewals, certificates, claims questions | $0 | The carrier, a commission built into the premium; no broker fee, ever |
| Social Security claiming analysis — your claiming scenarios side by side, written report, spousal and survivor sequencing | $0 | No one; I don't charge for it, and it isn't tied to buying any product |
| Private Client (optional) — one licensed agent across your household and business, a yearly review of every policy, a priority line | $0 | The carriers, through the commission built into each premium; no fee from you |
Medicare: why free to you really is free
When you enroll in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan through an agent, the plan pays the agent. Medicare sets the maximum every year and publishes it, one figure for a new Advantage enrollment and a smaller one (at most half) for each later year you stay enrolled, with separate, smaller caps for a stand-alone drug plan (Part D). Three things follow from that:
- Your premium doesn't change. The plan's premium is the plan's premium, filed with Medicare. Enrolling directly doesn't make it cheaper.
- Commission doesn't pick the plan. Medicare caps it at the same amount for every company, so the carrier makes almost no difference to what I earn. Where you see me steer is toward the plan whose directory lists your doctors.
- I'm paid to keep you, not to move you. The renewal is paid while you stay enrolled, which is the right incentive: a plan you leave in March is one I did badly.
Medigap works a little differently: the commission is a percentage of the premium and varies by carrier. That's the one place a commission could pull, so I put the DFS rate comparison in front of you with every carrier's price on it, and the standardized letters mean the plan is identical whichever name is on it.
Auto, home and business: no broker fee on any policy
New York lets a broker charge a fee, but only with a written memorandum, signed by you, stating the amount (Insurance Law §2119). I don't charge one on any policy I place, and Private Client has no fee either. The carrier pays a commission that's built into its filed rates, and I don't add anything on top. Carriers can also pay bonuses that depend on how much business I place with them or how it performs; you can ask me what I expect to earn on any policy I quote, and I'll tell you. What you get for it is someone who priced the coverage across carriers, reads the declarations page, and answers the phone when there's a claim. Certificates of insurance are free too.
Compensation disclosure (New York Insurance Regulation 194)
New York requires every insurance producer to tell you four things before you apply, whatever the policy. Here they are for anything you buy through me:
- My role. For Medicare, health and life insurance I act as an agent appointed by the insurers whose plans I offer. For auto, home and business insurance I act as an agent or as a broker, and I tell you which before you apply.
- Who pays me. The insurer pays me a commission when you buy a policy through me. You don't pay me anything for the policy.
- It can vary. What I'm paid can depend on the policy and insurer you choose, how much business I place with that insurer, and how that business performs. For Medicare Advantage and Part D, CMS caps it at the same amount for every carrier.
- You can ask. You can ask what I expect to be paid on the sale, and on any other quotes I showed you, and I'll answer in writing before the policy is issued.
Social Security: free as well
The claiming analysis isn't insurance, and no carrier pays for it. It starts with your my Social Security statement (and your spouse's) and a conversation about work, health and household, then a written report showing 62, full retirement age, 70 and the sequences in between, with a recommendation and the reasons. There is no fee for it, whether it's one record or two and whether spousal, survivor or divorced-spouse benefits are involved, and you don't have to buy anything to get it. Social Security's own services — benefit estimates, statements and applications — are free from Social Security at ssa.gov.
If you don't buy anything, you don't owe anything
A good share of my Medicare conversations end with "keep what you have." That costs you nothing and it's a result I'm happy with. None of it comes with an invoice, including the Social Security analysis and Private Client.
- 42 CFR §422.2274, agent and broker compensation limits (eCFR) — initial at or below fair market value; renewal at most 50%
- 42 CFR §423.2274, Part D agent and broker compensation limits (eCFR)
- New York Insurance Law §2119, broker fees require a written memorandum (NY Senate)
- 11 NYCRR §30.3, producer compensation disclosure (Insurance Regulation 194), via Cornell LII — role, who pays, that pay may vary, the right to ask
- Insurance Regulation 194, frequently asked questions (NY DFS)
- Comparison of 2026 Medicare Supplement premiums (NY DFS) — the same rate through any channel
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 10 organizations which offer 81 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Insurers' legal names and home offices: carriers page.
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask before they call.
Still have a question? Call (518) 902-8822 or book a call.
Is it more expensive to get a Medicare plan through an agent?
No. Medicare Advantage and Part D premiums are set by the plan and filed with Medicare; Medigap premiums are filed with the New York Department of Financial Services. The price is the same whether you enroll through me, call the carrier, or use medicare.gov. What changes is who checked your doctors and prescriptions first, and who you call next year.
How much commission do you get on a Medicare plan?
Medicare sets a national maximum each year, for a new Medicare Advantage or Part D enrollment and for each renewal year, and every carrier pays at or below it, so the amounts are close to identical across companies, and commission is not what decides which plan I recommend. Medigap commissions are a percentage of the premium and do vary by carrier, which is why I show you the DFS rate table with every company's price on it.
Do agents earn more for Advantage than Medigap?
There's no fixed answer, because the two are paid differently. A Medicare Advantage enrollment pays at most Medicare's national cap for the year, the same cap for every carrier. A Medigap commission isn't under that cap: it's a percentage of the premium that each carrier sets, so it depends on the carrier and the plan's price, and the Medigap route usually adds a stand-alone Part D plan, which has its own, smaller national cap. What you can check is the advice itself: ask any agent to show both routes side by side with total yearly cost, and ask how they're paid on each, which New York lets you do; I'll answer that question for any plan I recommend.
Do you charge a broker fee on auto, home or business insurance?
Not on any policy. The carrier pays a commission built into the premium you'd pay through any channel. In New York a broker may charge a fee only with a written, signed memorandum disclosing it (Insurance Law §2119), and I don't charge one on any policy or service, Private Client included.
Do I need to pay for Private Client to get your help?
No. Medicare, Social Security and insurance help cost you nothing, and questions about your policies are always free. Private Client is a free yearly insurance review for households with several policies; you don't need it to work with me.
What does the Social Security analysis cost?
Nothing. It's free whether it's one record or two, and whether or not spousal, survivor or divorced-spouse benefits are involved, and you don't have to buy anything to get it. Social Security's own services, such as benefit estimates, statements and applications, are free from Social Security at ssa.gov.
What if I don't enroll in anything?
Then nothing is owed. Plenty of conversations end with me telling someone their current coverage is the right fit; that's a fine outcome.
Start with a short call
Tell me which decision you're working on: Medicare, Social Security or another kind of insurance. There is no fee for any of them.