# Annuity, IUL and Career FAQ | Celestial Wealth Agency > Straight answers on how we are paid, whether annuities are worth it, and what a commission only financial services career actually involves. Canonical page: https://celestialwealthsolutions.com/faq Frequently asked # Straight answers, including the awkward ones How we are paid, what an annuity actually costs you, whether cash value life insurance is a scam, and what commission only really means. If a question is missing, call and ask it. ## Working with us ### What does Celestial Wealth Agency actually do? We are an independent financial services agency in Fremont, California. We help families and business owners with protection, tax-aware accumulation and retirement income, and we license and develop financial professionals who want to build an agency of their own. ### What happens in the first meeting? A conversation, roughly 45 minutes, about income, obligations, timeline and what you are worried about. No product is presented and no application is opened. You leave with a clearer picture of your own situation whether or not you ever work with us. ### Do you work with people outside California? Yes, subject to state licensing. Meetings are held in person in the Bay Area and by video everywhere else. Ask about your state on the first call and you will get a straight answer. ### How are you compensated? It depends on the product or account involved and it is disclosed in writing before you sign anything. You are entitled to ask exactly how a recommendation pays us, and asking that question early is a sign you are doing this correctly. ### Are you independent? Yes. We are not employed by a single carrier and there is no house product we are required to place. Recommendations come from a shelf of carriers and the reason for the recommendation is written down. ## Products and strategy ### Should I buy term or permanent life insurance? Usually both, for different jobs. Term efficiently covers a large obligation with an end date. Permanent covers what never expires and can do things term cannot. Anyone who answers this before asking about your situation is selling rather than advising. ### Are annuities worth it? For the specific job of turning a balance into income you cannot outlive, they are often the most direct tool available. As a general-purpose growth vehicle they usually are not. The contract terms decide it: surrender schedule, caps, participation rates and rider fees. ### What is an IUL and who is it for? Indexed universal life is permanent insurance whose cash value is credited based on index performance, with a floor that prevents a negative year and a cap that limits the upside. It suits someone with consistent surplus income who will fund it properly for the long term. It is a poor fit for anyone who might need to stop funding it early. ### Can I access money inside a policy? Through withdrawals or policy loans, subject to available cash value and the contract terms. Loans accrue interest and reduce the cash value and death benefit if not repaid. How much is available and how soon depends almost entirely on how the policy was funded. ### What is the difference between a broker and a captive agent? A captive agent represents one carrier's product shelf. An independent agency can place business with many carriers. Independence does not automatically make advice better, but it removes the structural reason to recommend one particular company's product. ## Joining the agency ### Do I need a license before I can start? No. Most people join without one. We provide the pre-licensing course, exam prep and scheduling, and the process typically takes two to six weeks depending on how much time you can give it. ### Do I have to quit my job? No, and we do not recommend it. Most people start part time alongside existing work and transition when the numbers justify it. Ten to fifteen focused hours a week is a realistic starting commitment. ### Is this commission only? Compensation is production based. There is no salary. What you earn is a function of activity, skill and time, which is the honest version of the answer, and it means income in the early months is genuinely uncertain. ### What does it cost to join? There are real costs: state pre-licensing coursework, the exam fee, fingerprinting and the state license fee. Those are paid to the state and the course provider, not to us. Ask for the current figures on your first call. ### Do I need a finance background? No. The two most useful traits are coachability and willingness to talk to people. Backgrounds that transfer well include healthcare, fitness, teaching, hospitality, military service and any commissioned sales role. ### What kind of support do new people get? Structured onboarding, product training, joint field work where a mentor sits in your appointments, and a written first-90-days plan with weekly checkpoints. You shadow live appointments before you run one on your own. ## Practical questions ### How quickly can we get started? The first conversation can usually be scheduled within a few business days. Send the booking form or call us directly and we will get you scheduled. ### Do you meet in person or by video? Both. In person throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, and by video anywhere we are licensed to do business. ### Is there a cost for the first meeting? No. The initial strategy session and the written summary that follows it are free. ### What do I need to bring? Recent statements for anything you own, current policy documents, and a rough sense of monthly cash flow. If you do not have those assembled, come anyway and we will start with what you know. ## Still have a question? Ask it on a call. Forty five minutes, no product presented, no application opened. Bring the awkward questions. Those are the useful ones. --- Celestial Wealth Agency, an independent financial services agency in Fremont, California. Investments and retirement, annuities, life insurance and IUL, free financial education, and licensing for new financial professionals. Zeena Carmona (510) 461-2496, Geancarlo Carmona (858) 405-6743, geancarloUWF@outlook.com. Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm PT. Evenings and weekends by appointment. Important disclosures: Celestial Wealth Agency provides financial education and insurance services. This website is for educational purposes only and is not financial, tax, legal or investment advice. Guarantees are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Policy loans and withdrawals reduce cash value and death benefits. Dividends are not guaranteed. Past performance does not indicate future results. Full set: https://celestialwealthsolutions.com/disclosures Powered by [Launch Automation](https://launchautomation.ai)