The debate rages on regarding whether Main Street independent insurance agencies that take more of a traditionalist approach to business will be able survive alongside both direct writers that are commoditizing insurance and agencies that focus on niche markets.

Personal lines direct writers insurance continue to spend billions of dollars on advertising messages that proclaim insurance is a simple transaction that can be performed in a matter of minutes. Of course, the fact that drivers are required to purchase auto insurance means direct writers can focus on selling it instead of convincing the public to purchase it in the first place (although the societal need for drivers to purchase responsible coverage limits is enormous).

More than 20 years ago, direct life insurance writers began offering consumers the opportunity to purchase coverage online. Many pundits felt this would not only marginalize agents but also lead to a whole lot of online term life insurance. This was also the era of falling insurance rates, when carriers were trimming the number of "career" life insurance agents.

So just what is the net result of the increase in Internet-based life insurance portals and a decrease in life insurance agents?

The Wall Street Journal reports that MetLife, the second largest life insurance company, posted an individual life insurance premium volume of $409 million in 2013—marking a 26% decline from $553 million in 2005. And industry sales of individual life insurance policies declined 45% since the mid-1980s, according to LIMRA.

The most telling statistic for independent agents is that 30% of all American households have no life insurance at all—up from just 19% 30 years ago. That means one out of every three households doesn’t have any life insurance—an alarming and sobering statistic.

Independent agents have ample opportunities to offer life insurance, from individual insurance policies to group and payroll-deducted voluntary life insurance. For a typical independent insurance agency that has hundreds or even thousands of personal and commercial lines clients, this presents a great opportunity to generate additional revenue, solidify client relationships and avoid a situation in which it’s necessary to tell a decedent's survivors that you neglected to have a conversation with them about life insurance until it was too late.

Don't be the agent that fails your clients. The numbers are in your favor.

Dave Evans is a certified financial planner and an IA contributor.