Personal History Interview

What is a personal history interview?

After the insurance company receives your formal application, they will want to verify the information. The verification process is called a personal history interview.

The personal history interview is useful in expediting your application in the event of accidental error when you completed it.

What information is checked?

The interviewer will check that you did, indeed, apply for life insurance. He'll make sure the application is completed in full. And he may double-check certain questions by asking you to repeat your answers, verbally.

You'll be asked nothing more than what was already asked on the application. So, please keep a copy of your application handy and be ready to answer any questions. For example, you may be asked again for your medical history and your doctors' names.

Who will conduct the interview?

Sometimes, the insurance company will assign the interview task to internal staff members.

Other times, the interview is outsourced to companies that specialize in life insurance application processes. Two of the more common firms are EMSI and Teledex.

When will I be interviewed?

The interviewer will call you within 1-2 business days after the insurance company's home office receives your application.

The interview typically takes only 10-15 minutes, and you may want to complete the interview as soon as the interviewer calls you.

However, it can happen that you're unable to answer the phone when the interviewer calls. Or you may simply not be available to conduct the interview at that time. In that case, the interviewer will provide instructions on how to contact them so that the interview can be completed.