Learning as much as you can about long term care insurance will help you separate the hype from the genuine reasons for buying long term care insurance. Some agents will pull out all the stops in an effort to sell you coverage. Other agents make a sincere effort to educate you on how to buy the best policy that will meet your needs. It's extremely important to find an agent you're comfortable with and can trust.

There are many good ways to choose an agent. Word of mouth is one good way to make your selection. Ask friends, relatives, and colleagues for recommendations. If your current insurance agent doesn't sell long term care policies, ask him or her for a recommendation. Always check with your state's insurance department before choosing an agent.

True insurance professionals know their business will benefit from selling the best product for the money, not the one that pays the highest commission.

Look for credentials that show your agent is committed to the business. Professional designations such as CLU (Chartered Life Underwriter), CFP (Certified Financial Planner), or ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant) are very important for agents selling long term care insurance.

Above all, don't swing at the first salesperson's pitch without seeing what the others have to offer!

No. 1: You should buy a long-term care policy because it's a write-off!

No. 2 : The state insurance department approved this policy!

No. 3: With the policy you have now, you're going to be really sorry someday!

No. 4: If you buy now, you'll lock in the price forever!

No. 5: Don't worry about the financial rating of the company!