Brian Barber Bio
Brian Barber would not trade a thing.
From Wall Street trader to a Florida hedge fund to the owner of an insurance agency laser-focused on the senior insurance market, Brian has traveled the country and found a home in Michigan and the senior insurance industry.
When he notes that “our plans are based on yours,” Brian means just that. A call from Brian is never just a sales call—it is a chance to discuss current and future plans, to share ideas and concerns, and to consult on an affordable plan when it comes to no-pressure insurance.
The founder of Horizon Senior Benefits, an independent and online insurance agency focusing on final expense life insurance and Medicare, Brian has been a licensed insurance agent since 2006 and holds an active life and health license in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
While recognized as an expert across the industry where he has piloted new platforms as a leader in final expense telesales, Brian particularly enjoys helping seniors on a fixed income secure the best available cost-effective life insurance and Medicare coverage.
He shares, “I love this niche market and the folks we serve. I consider it a blessing that I can offer a life-changing peace-of-mind product to every single person I speak with that has no fine print.”
As he notes, it is a big shift from his early days.
After business school, Brian launched his career with Bear Stearns, the former New York-based global investment bank, as an Institutional Equities Sales Trader. He quickly realized that this high-stakes world might be exciting for a 20-year-old, but it wasn’t the place he wanted to raise a family—and he knew he wanted a life outside the chaos of the trading floor.
He later moved to Palm Beach, Fla., to work for a hedge fund, but that experience, too, fell short of what he really wanted to do with his life.
After getting married and moving to Michigan, Brian wrestled with what to do next: “My career was at a crossroads, primarily because I only had formal training to trade stocks and those jobs were not readily available near me.”
Several college friends had moved into the insurance world and Brian was intrigued.
Brian launched his insurance career with Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance, where he quickly learned that he could make intentional, meaningful connections over the phone. His new clients valued his no-pressure, hassle-free approach and appreciated his honest, reliable and transparent support in finding an affordable burial insurance policy.
“A phone call gives people the time and space they need to digest information and to give careful thought to what amount of life insurance makes sense for their budget and lifestyle. My approach has always been a consultative, service-oriented focus where my plans are based entirely on my clients’ plans. In the end, this is exactly what people want—a no-pressure opportunity to find the most affordable burial insurance.”
Realizing that he could make an even greater difference for his clients and expand beyond the single product he was limited to offering, Brian founded Horizon Senior Benefits in 2012 as an independent insurance agency representing the top carriers in the business so that he could offer the best coverage and support for every client, no matter their situation.
His clients couldn’t be more grateful:
“I had no knowledge of what I wanted other than life insurance. Brian found me the best policy for my needs at a lower rate than I expected. He is honest, easy to talk to, and kept me up to date while I was waiting to be approved,” raved Carol Savickas.
Brian earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance from University of Georgia (go Bulldogs!) and an associate’s degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Paul Smith’s College in New York.
When he’s not helping others with their insurance needs, Brian is the Head Trustee at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Hartland, Mich., and a volunteer for ConnectUS, a nonprofit that creates quality programming for individuals with severe multiple disabilities. He also enjoys cooking, traveling, fishing and family time—including lots of travel sports—with his wife Jeanne and children Charles, Austin, Grant and Maren.