Insurance Affiliate Programs are in high demand and the competition amongst affiliates is minor in comparison to what it could be. While the revenue generated isn't what you'll find in other high value industries (visit www.dotaffiliate.com to learn about some of those industries) an affiliate can certainly make a comfortable living promoting the insurance industry. 

Insurance is a service that almost every individual in the USA uses. Very few people are happy with the amount of insurance that they are paying. Many of these dissatisfied customers look up information online on different companies, hoping to find one which will decrease monthly insurance premiums. As an affiliate you guide these visitors to resources that scout different insurance companies and provide these clients with the best insurance quotes. Health & life insurance is especially popular on the internet, and this is where you'll find most of the money is located.

There are also insurance programs that simply pay you for signing up a client. Neither type of program is better than the other, they simply have to be marketed differently. You can either recommend the absolute best insurance company (the one you would be promoting) or you can recommend a service that will find the best company.