Top Questions to Ask an Insurance Broker

The most useful questions to ask an insurance broker are less about products and more about how the broker works: who pays them, whose interests they represent, and what happens after you sign. A good broker should welcome these questions and answer them plainly. If the answers are vague or defensive, that tells you something too.

The questions below are grouped by the stage of the relationship they relate to, with a note on why each one matters. They apply whether you are arranging family protection in Dubai, a policy in Beirut, or cover for a business elsewhere in the GCC.

How is the broker paid, and does it affect the advice?

Brokers are usually paid by commission from the insurer, by a fee from the client, or a combination of both. None of these is wrong in itself, but you should know which applies to you and whether commission differs between the options they might put in front of you. Ask directly: how are you paid on this recommendation, and would you be paid differently if I chose the alternative? A broker who is comfortable with the answer will give it without hesitation.

It is also reasonable to ask how the broker is authorised to operate and by whom, and to check that on the relevant authority’s public records where they exist.

Which insurers will the broker compare for you?

Some brokers work across a broad panel of insurers; others place most business with a few. Ask how many insurers they will approach for your case, why those ones, and whether any are unsuitable for your situation. Labels such as independent or tied mean different things in different markets, so focus on the substance: how many genuine options will you see side by side?

For cross-border households — a family living in Dubai with obligations in Lebanon, say — ask which insurers can write cover in the currency and territory you need, and how a future move would be handled under each policy.

What should you ask before you sign an application?

This is the stage where clear answers save the most trouble later:

• How will you calculate the amount of cover I need, and what information do you need from me?
• Which exclusions and definitions in this policy are most likely to matter for someone in my position?
• What must I disclose on the application, and what happens if something is missed?
• Is this replacing existing cover, and what would I lose by cancelling the old policy?
• Which currency are premiums and benefits in, and can premiums change over time?

The disclosure question deserves extra weight. An insurer’s decision on a claim depends on the policy wording and on the information given at application. A broker should explain what counts as material, help you complete the forms accurately, and never suggest leaving something out to secure better terms.

What happens at claim time, and who helps?

This is where brokers differ most, and it is the question people most often forget. Ask: if my family needed to claim, who would they call? Would you help gather documents, deal with the insurer and explain the outcome? Have you handled claims in both the UAE and Lebanon? The insurer, not the broker, decides the claim, but a broker who knows the process can make a hard period more manageable for the people left to deal with it.

Once you have chosen a broker, make sure your beneficiaries know their name and how to reach them. A policy nobody knows exists is hard to claim on.

How will your cover be reviewed over the years?

Ask whether reviews are scheduled or only on request, who your named contact will be, and what happens if that person moves on. Cover that fitted at the start can drift as income, family and location change. A broker who proposes regular reviews, and who will tell you when no change is needed, is working in your interest rather than looking for the next sale.

Take this list into your next broker meeting — including one with us. A first conversation with an advisor at ONE Insurance Brokers in Dubai or Beirut is complimentary, and every question here is fair game.

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Related reading

• How to Choose an Insurance Broker in Dubai — A strong Dubai broker explains whether they are independent, how commissions work at a high level, and what a financial review includes before any illustration.
• What an Insurance Broker Does in the UAE — In the UAE, brokers help clients navigate personal and corporate cover options and access insurers; they do not replace the insurer’s underwriting or claims authority.
• Insurance Planning for Small Businesses in the GCC — Small GCC businesses should prioritise risks that threaten survival: key people, partner exits, and basic liability exposures.

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