Insurance referral: which one you mean, and how to ask for one

Check which referral you mean. In US health insurance, a referral is a doctor's order to see a specialist, which some plans need before they'll pay. That's the other meaning, and most of what ranks for "insurance referral" is about it. This page covers the sales one.

For a financial advisor, a referral is a name that comes with an introduction. A client who's just been through a claim, a review or a first policy knows what you do and how you work, and a friend they send to you starts the first meeting already trusting you a little.

Most referrals come from asking. The usual moment is the end of a meeting that went well, such as a policy delivery or an annual review. Ask for one or two people with the same kind of need, like colleagues with young children, and ask the client to check with them before you call.

The rules change once money is involved. In Singapore, someone who's paid to introduce clients is an introducer under MAS Notice FAA-N02, and only your firm can appoint one, with a written agreement and a script. The introducer has to tell each client that they can't give advice, and whether they're paid for the introduction. So you can't set up that arrangement on your own. In the US, each state sets its own rules on referral fees, so check with your state's insurance department.

In Palby Sales Tracker, Referral is one of the nine starting tiles. Log it in one tap when you get a name, and it carries the points your team set.

A month with no referrals shows up later as a thin diary. The activity log records each referral in one tap, so you can see a quiet stretch before the names run out. The insurance prospecting guide has what to say when you ask for one.

• MAS Notice FAA-N02, Appointment and Use of Introducers by Financial Advisers, last revised 26 November 2010, read 2 November 2026