 Such companies at times describe themselves as insurance companies or as providers of financial services, but are better described as insurance retailers or insurance distributors.Such companies are generally not exposed to any insurance risks, but receive a commission (generally 10-20%) on the sale of these insurance products.Behind this apparent array of insurance providers and products, there are only a small number of companies that actually provide insurance, sometimes referred to as underwriters, some of which offer insurance products directly to the public.