Would it be better to buy insurance policy from an agent or ownself through online portals? I have sorted out my priorities, just wanting to find out if I get more discounts (promo or credit card etc)?

Hi Anon! I think it is better to buy from an agent since they would know the policies better than you do. However, I do understand that some may be overly pushy, and appear to look like they do not have your best interests at heart. I think most agents are based on referrals nowadays especially during this pandemic, try asking your friends if they have anyone good to recommend and what was their experience like. They should give you honest reviews about them and you can judge from there. Also, some agents (especially the millenials) are more present on social media, so check their space out as well for their credibility and trustworthiness. Good luck!

Buying online (DPI: Direct Purchase Insurance) have products that a quite different from the ones that are offered by agents (in terms of features).

Buying from an agent will have an additional benefit of servicing and help you out with claims if ever. But the difficulty comes where you need to find a good agent.

Maybe you can ask for "discounts" from an agent?

Okay, all the answers below are answered because they are either a insurance agent or a financial advisor, hence biased. I am going to give you my non biased opinion here. I think that if you are getting an insurance plan, there are alot of information online where you can find which insurance plans you need (AKA seedly). Almost everything you need like whole life plan, term plan can be bought online too, unless you are looking for coverage of more than 400k.

Also, you can head on to this website called comparefirst where you can key in your details and check out which company provides the cheapest premiums.

If you are not sure about financial planning, best to engage an agent to help. This is especially if you have any preexisting medical conditions and an agent can advise on this and help push the coverage through. Agent will be good to have during times of claims as well.

That said, it doesn't mean that you should just look out for any Tom, Dick or Harry. He/she should showcase product knowledge and be attentive to your needs and suggest products that fit your requirements. Not just be pushy with endowment / ILPs / whole life products for the sake of it.

A good agent will also be open to suggesting products outside of what he/she can offer.

I'll say only DIY if you know what you are doing, are in good health and the coverage you are seeking is within the limits available for direct insurance.