About A. A. Friss Insurance Services, Inc.

An independent family agency built on patience, plain language, and the conviction that every household deserves a sound plan it can understand.

Our Founder

A. A. Friss Insurance Services, Inc. was founded by Albert Alan Friss, a man whose name still appears on our door and whose values still guide our work. Albert grew up in a household where money was discussed honestly but cautiously. His parents worked hard, saved carefully, and worried often — not because they were careless, but because no one had ever sat down with them to explain how the pieces of a financial life were supposed to fit together. That experience left a lasting impression on him.

After several years working within the financial services industry in the early 1980s, Albert became frustrated by what he saw. Too many advisors, he felt, were measured by what they sold rather than by how well they served. Families were sometimes sold products that looked impressive on paper but bore little relationship to their actual lives. He believed there was a better way to practice, and he decided to build it himself.

How the Agency Began

On January 29, 1986, Albert Alan Friss established A. A. Friss Insurance Services, Inc. The first office was modest — a small suite, a single telephone line, a filing cabinet, and a coffee pot that was almost always on. There was no marketing budget and no grand opening. There was simply a promise: that anyone who walked through the door would be treated the way Albert wished his own parents had been treated.

The early clients came slowly, mostly by word of mouth. A schoolteacher sent her brother. A small-business owner sent his accountant. A young widow, helped through one of the hardest seasons of her life, sent nearly everyone she knew. This is how the agency grew — one satisfied family at a time, each one becoming a quiet advocate for the kind of service they had received. Decades later, referrals remain the way most of our new clients find us.

Our Mission

Our mission is straightforward, and we have never felt the need to dress it up: to help families and business owners protect what matters to them through clear guidance, suitable products, and lasting relationships. We measure our success not by the size of a policy but by the peace of mind of the people we serve. When a client tells us they finally feel they understand their own plan, we consider that a job well done.

We hold ourselves to a few principles that have not changed since 1986:

• Educate before recommending. We will not propose a solution until we are confident you understand the problem it is meant to solve.
• Recommend only what fits. We would rather lose a sale than place a family in coverage that does not suit their needs or budget.
• Stay independent.As an independent agency, we can compare options from multiple reputable carriers rather than being limited to a single company's shelf.
• Be there afterward. The sale is the beginning of the relationship, not the end. We review, we adjust, and we answer the phone when life changes.

How We Work With Clients

Most relationships begin with a simple conversation. We ask questions and, more importantly, we listen. We want to understand who depends on you, what you are trying to build or protect, what keeps you up at night, and what you hope to leave behind. Only then do we begin to discuss specific strategies. Because every family is different, we do not believe in one-size-fits-all packages.

Once a plan is in place, we stay in touch. Lives change — children are born, businesses grow, mortgages are paid off, health shifts, and priorities evolve. A plan that was perfect five years ago may need adjustment today. We encourage every client to review their coverage periodically with us, and we reach out when we believe a review is warranted. You can learn more about that process on our Frequently Asked Questions page.

The Communities We Serve

From our office in Woodland Hills, CA, we have had the privilege of working with a broad cross-section of clients: young families just starting out, established professionals, retirees, and the owners of the small businesses that hold our local economy together. Some of our relationships now span three generations. We do not take that trust for granted, and we work every day to deserve it.

A Word About Independence

Being independent is more than a label to us. It means that when we sit down with you, we are free to look at the whole landscape and recommend what genuinely fits — not what a single company needs us to sell this quarter. It also means we are accountable to you and you alone. If we ever recommend something, you can be confident it is because we believe it serves your interests.

A. A. Friss Insurance Services, Inc. was established January 29, 1986 by Albert Alan Friss. 4229 Rosario Rd, Woodland Hills, CA 91364.