Completing health and life insurance continuing education for insurance agents is something we all face when the time comes to licensure renewal. 99% of your credit hours can be achieved using online courses listed below which are classroom equivalent.
How to Complete Insurance Continuing Education
- Browse the various training courses below, or click any of them to access the full course catalog.
- Click and Read the description.
- Click “Order This Course”.
Below you’ll find nearly 100 individual courses for health and life (you can use the links below to access property & Casualty and other license type courses as well) insurance continuing education course topics you can take to renew your insurance license. Please note that once you choose your desired topic, you will then be directed to the state specific version to ensure you are taking the correct CE course that matches the requirements of your resident state department of insurance (doi). If you’re still not sure where to start, check out our FAQ.
If you’re looking for CE credits for other approved courses for licenses such as home or auto / other property & casualty licenses, please click here.
All of these courses are webinar style and completed online.
Health and Life Insurance Continuing Education Topics and Courses
ACA and Health Insurance Exchange Basics
Continuing Education Credits: 4
This health insurance continuing course provides an overview of federal and state health insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act and how they function and operate. The course includes the following chapters:
- Exchange Basics
- Exchange Functions and Operations
- Coverage Available Through an Exchange
- Financial Assistance Available through an Exchange
- Shopping on the Exchanges
- Appendix: State-by-state exchange models; family exchange sample application form (as developed by HHS)
This is an intermediate level course. Upon conclusion, students will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the purpose and functions of a health insurance exchange
- describe the kinds of health plans and other coverage that exchanges offer
- describe the financial assistance available through an exchange to certain low- and moderate-income individuals and their dependents
- explain how individuals and small businesses can enroll in exchange plans
- demonstrate an understanding of the types of consumer assistance available through the exchanges, and the role the law envisions for agents and brokers in federally facilitated and partnership exchanges
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ACA, Small Businesses, and SHOPs
Estimated CE Hours: 4
This health insurance continuing course provides an overview of the changes that the Affordable Care Act brought about for businesses and the small group health market. The provisions of the law that most directly affect businesses are the employer shared responsibility and its penalty for not offering coverage to employees, the small business health care tax credit, and the establishments of SHOPs—Small Business Health Options Programs—in every state. The course also provides a general overview of the role of agents and brokers in the federally facilitated SHOP, which currently is the model that the majority of states elected.
The course includes the following chapters:
- Overview of ACA
- ACA’s Effect on Businesses
- SHOPs
- Agents, Brokers and SHOPs
This is an intermediate level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- explain the major market reforms and consumer protection measures that ACA brought about
- explain ACA’s shared responsibility provision for employers and its attending penalties: to whom the responsibility applies and when penalties may be assessed
- demonstrate an understanding of the small business health care tax credit
- list the requirements that apply to grandfathered health plans and contrast them to those that apply to new (non-grandfathered) plans
- explain the basics of SHOPs: their purpose and function
- describe how licensed insurance agents can work with small business owners through the federally facilitated SHOP
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AML: Understanding the Rules for Insurance Agents and Employees
Estimated Insurance CE Credits: 2
This interactive, audio-based course provides a thorough study of anti-money laundering rules and requirements for insurance companies, insurance agents, and insurance employees.
The course covers the following topics:
- AML Background and Basics
- Regulatory Basis for Anti-Money Laundering
- AML Rules for Insurance Companies
- SAR Rules and Requirements
- AML Red Flags
This is an intermediate level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- Define money laundering and describe the phases of the money laundering process
- Explain how insurance products can be used for money laundering
- Describe the basic elements of an insurance company AML program and suspicious activity reporting requirements
- Identify and describe suspicious activity red flags and transactions
- Demonstrate an understanding of a agent’s personal responsibilities with respect to a company’s AML program
Annuities: Definitions, Suitability and Riders
Estimated CE Hours: 7
Annuities: Definitions, Suitability and Riders examines the annuity concept and thoroughly explores what an annuity is and how it works. The course explains the distinctions between fixed, indexed, and variable annuities and describes the mechanics of the various products’ accumulation and payout phases. The course discusses annuity settlement options and tax treatment and offers a review of the suitability issues and standards that apply to these unique products. Also included in the course are a number of important reference and planning aids, including “Decisional Factors in Variable Annuity Suitability” and “1035 Exchange Considerations.”
The course includes the following chapters:
- Introduction to Annuities and Annuity Buyers
- Characteristics of Annuities
- Variable Annuities
- Types of Fixed Annuity Contracts
- Annuity Taxation
This is an intermediate level course. Upon successful completion, students will be able to:
- Explain the demographics of annuity buyers
- Cite the reasons why most annuity owners buy annuity contracts
- Explain the characteristics of annuities in general and the benefits of tax deferral
- Describe how variable annuities work
- Explain the tools available to a variable annuity contract owner for managing cash value volatility
- Demonstrate an understanding of the requirements for variable annuity suitability
- Demonstrate how interest is credited under specific fixed annuity contracts, including bonus annuities, multi-year guarantee annuities and interest indexed annuities
- Explain how equity indexed annuities work
- Discuss annuity taxation with respect to cash values, withdrawals and periodic payments
Order This Annuities Basics Course Now!
Anti-Money Laundering for the Insurance Industry
Estimated CE Hours: 4
This life insurance continuing education course provides a thorough review of the anti-money laundering (AML) rules and guidelines as they pertain to insurance companies and insurance agentss. Using case studies and real-life examples, the course explores how life insurance products can be used in money laundering activities and explains how the AML rules apply. The course describes the specific measures that insurance companies must take to detect and prevent money laundering, including why and when SAR-IC reports must be filed, and devotes a chapter to licensed agent responsibilities. The course presents a number of “red flags” that agentss should be on the alert for in helping their company’s AML efforts. The course covers the following topics:
- money laundering and anti-money laundering
- AML rules for insurers
- SAR rules and requirements
- producer and employee AML responsibilities
Upon completion, you can expect to…
- demonstrate an understanding of money laundering, including the three phases of the money laundering process
- offer examples of how financial products can be used in a money laundering process and identify the specific types of products that are most likely to be used
- describe the basics of the USA PATRIOT Act and FinCEN’s final rules as they pertain to an insurance company’s AML program
- demonstrate an understanding of the agent and employee’s personal responsibilities with respect to the company’s AML policy, especially how to report suspicious activities
- explain the insurance company’s procedure for escalating suspicious activity through the AML review and reporting process
Critical Illness Insurance
Estimated CE Hours: 4
This course offers an overview of critical illness insurance. A relatively new product, critical illness insurance is intended to provide benefits that can fill the financial gaps that traditional health or medical expense insurance does not cover when a serious or life-threatening condition strikes. Available as both individual coverage and group coverage, critical illness insurance is becoming more and more popular as employers rework their health insurance benefit plans, as consumers bear ever greater amounts of their health care and health insurance costs, and as the rates of surviving life-threatening illnesses continue to rise. When an individual or family’s financial security is threatened because of a serious illness, critical illness insurance can provide support to help keep a financial future on track.
The course includes the following chapters:
- What Is Critical Illness Insurance?
- The Appeal of Critical Illness Insurance
- Critical Illness Insurance Policies
- The Business of Critical Illness Insurance
Order This Critical Illness CE Course Now!
Cybersecurity: Protecting Your Clients and Your Practice
Estimated CE Hours: 2
Every day insurance agensts are entrusted with their clients’ personal and sensitive information. The benefits of conducting business in the digital age are innumerable, but as technology continues to evolve and grow, so too do the risks. This course examines common types of cyber risks and offers guidelines and best practices agents and advisors can follow to protect clients’ information—and their businesses—from cyber criminals and unintended data disclosure. The course covers:
- cyber incidents, data breach and cyber crime
- risk assessment and cyber security basics
- costs of data breach
- cyber insurance options
- prevention
- legal, regulatory and customer expectations
This is an intermediate-level course. Upon completing this course, you will:
- have an awareness and basic understanding of cyber risks and the potential harm that can result from cyber breaches
- understand how you—as a business person—can best protect your clients’ data and your own business enterprises against cyber risks and breaches
- have a basic understanding of stand-alone cybersecurity insurance and how it can protect businesses
- know the type of data that, by law, must be protected and the steps you can take to ensure compliance
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Deferred Income Annuities and QLACs
Estimated CE Hours: 3
This life insurance continuing education course provides a clear overview of two unique retirement planning tools now available to insurance agents: deferred income annuities (DIAs) and qualified longevity annuity contracts, or QLACs. The course fully explores DIAs: what they are, how they are designed, and how they work. Features that are commonly available with these products are examined as are the limitations and requirements they impose on buyers. The second part of the course explains the QLAC rules and how deferred income annuities can be used to generate a guaranteed income stream for IRA, 401(k) and 403(b) participants, exempting the funds used to purchase the QLAC from the age 70½ minimum distribution calculation. The course concludes with a discussion of annuity placement and suitability issues, explaining how deferred income annuities and guaranteed income can be positioned as part of a balanced retirement income plan.
The course covers the following topics:
- purpose of deferred income annuities
- how DIAs work and common DIA features
- RMD requirements and QLACs
- QLAC requirements
- using DIAs in a balanced retirement income plan
- annuity suitability requirements
This is an intermediate-level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of deferred income annuities: their purpose, design and function
- cite features and limitations that are common to today’s DIAs
- show an understanding of DIA payout structures
- explain the rules that allow QLACs to be purchased with funds in an IRA or a defined contribution plan
- show how QLACs can lower required distributions and generate a guaranteed income stream
Order This Deferred Income Annuity and QLAC CE Course Now!
Disability Income Insurance CE
Estimated CE Hours:5
Disability income insurance is an invaluable tool to provide income when an insured becomes disabled. To help defray the costs that result from becoming disabled, many different types of disability insurance are available as well as government programs. The information in this course will help you to educate your clients on the features of these various types of disability insurance and programs. Specifically, this course analyzes individual disability insurance, employer-provided disability insurance, government programs that pay disability benefits, and the taxes insureds can expect to pay on these benefits. Also provided in the course is a discussion of the disability-related expenses these programs do not cover.
The course includes the following chapters:
- Introduction to Disability Income Insurance
- Disability Insurance for Businesses
- Individual Disability Insurance
- Other Types of Disability Insurance
- Disability and Social Security
- Workers’ Compensation Insurance
- Other Government Disability Programs
- Disability Insurance and Taxes
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Distribution Planning
Estimated CE Hours: 13
Study Level: Advanced
Delivery Method: Online Self-Study
Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge/Personal Financial Planning
Prerequisites: There is no formal prerequisite for the course; however, an understanding of qualified plans and financial products would be beneficial.
This health and life insurance continuing education course presents an in-depth look at distribution planning for retirement and provides a clear understanding of the complex rules that govern distributions from qualified plans and IRAs. It provides a review of the basics of qualified employer plans, traditional IRAs, and Roth IRAs and then explains in detail the requirements that apply to premature distributions, required distributions, and distributions at death. The course explores various distribution options, including lump-sum, periodic withdrawals, and annuitization. The course covers other distribution options (loans and hardship withdrawals) and explains the rules for rollovers and conversions. It also explores strategies for multi-generational wealth planning and distribution, including the use of life insurance trusts and stretch IRAs.
This is an advanced level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics of today’s retirees and why distribution planning is critically important
- differentiate between the types of distributions that may be taken from defined benefit plans, defined contribution plans, and IRAs
- recognize how distributions from retirement plans are taxed
- pinpoint when the penalty tax will apply to distributions before age 59 ½ and the exceptions to this rule
- demonstrate an understanding of the required minimum distribution rules that apply to qualified employer plans and traditional IRAs
- distinguish between the distribution at death rules that spousal and nonspousal beneficiaries must follow
- identify the types of retirement plans that allow loans and hardship withdrawals and the rules that apply to these distributions
- articulate the rules that apply to rollovers from retirement plans
- demonstrate an understanding of how irrevocable life insurance trusts and the stretch IRA technique can be used to maximize the amount of retirement plan assets left to heirs
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Elder Financial Abuse CE
Estimated CE Hours: 1
Financial abuse and exploitation of the elderly is not new and, unfortunately, is not uncommon. Financial advisors who serve the senior market have the responsibility not only to recognize and understand the issue, but to advocate for their senior clients with knowledge and skills that can help keep their clients from falling victim to such abuse or exploitation. This course provides an understanding of the nature of elder financial abuse: why it is so prevalent, the factors that contribute to the risk, common perpetrators and common schemes and scams. The course then reviews a number of ways in which advisors can fight to recognize and prevent the abuse to safeguard elders’ futures.
Learning Objectives:
This is an intermediate level course. Upon conclusion, students will be able to:
- understand the meaning of “elder financial abuse” and why older people are so often victims
- describe forms of elder financial abuse and cite common risk factors
- understand why and how cognitive impairment is one of the leading risk factors for financial abuse
- describe the different schemes that fraudsters may use to financially exploit seniors and the effects the abuse can inflict on victims and their families
- identify common red flags that often signal elder financial abuse
- develop plans and protocols for their own business model that can help older clients understand and prevent financial abuse
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Estate Planning Techniques for Small Business Owners
Estimated CE Hours: 5
Life insurance has long been considered one of the primary tools for both estate planning and succession planning. For small business owners, these two planning challenges are thoroughly intertwined.
This life insurance continuing education course offers a comprehensive overview of estate and succession planning. It explains how life insurance and other financial tools can be used to meet a business owner’s planning needs by providing liquidity, equalizing inheritances, funding trusts, preventing estate shrinkage, and creating wealth and income for survivors. It also discusses other planning techniques that estate owners can use to prepare for the passing of property—including a business—at the owner’s death.
This course includes the following chapters:
- The Importance of Estate Planning
- Wills: The Foundation of Estate Planning
- Planning for the Biggest Asset in the Estate
- Providing for Retirement, Spouse, and Heirs
- Using Trusts to Meet Unique Needs
- Summing it All Up
This is an advanced level course. Upon conclusion, students will be able to:
- apply the use of wills and income in respect of a decedent to estate planning
- describe different types of property ownership
- explain the benefits of making lifetime gifts, and how clients can do so in a tax-favored manner
- demonstrate understanding of how the federal estate tax can impact an estate, and how to minimize that impact
- apply ways in which a spouse can plan to pass assets to a surviving spouse
- describe how the generation skipping transfer tax works
- interpret the value of irrevocable life insurance trusts and other trusts available as estate planning tools
- explain how to pass assets to children
- compare and contrast family limited partnerships—how they work and their advantages in estate planning
- devise ways to help clients plan for incapacity and incompetence
Order This Estate Planning for Small Business Owners CE Course Now!
Final Expense Insurance CE
Estimated CE Hours: 4
This course provides a comprehensive look at final expense insurance: what it is, the purpose it serves, the needs it addresses, and the consumers who buy it. The course describes the most common types of final expense policies and their provisions, and explains the underwriting standards that apply to each. It explores the market for these types of plans, and provides an understanding of typical buyers, their needs, and their motivations. The course concludes with a chapter on how agentss can best present and explain these policies to their prospects, in an ethical, suitable manner that will help them grow their final expense business.
The course includes the following chapters:
- The Need for Final Expense Insurance
- Basics of Final Expense Insurance Policies
- The Business of Final Expense Insurance
- Ethical and Suitable Agent Practices
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Financial Planning for Today’s Consumer
Estimated CE Hours: 12
Financial Planning for Today’s Consumer explores financial planning in general and identifies what financial advisors should consider when helping clients develop a sound financial plan. Each chapter covers a major phase of the financial planning process and describes what the advisor should know to advance a client’s goals and objectives. You will learn the process of analyzing a client’s financial and nonfinancial needs and how to match assets, income, expenses, and liabilities to the client’s stated goals. The course highlights how insurance can address the issue of risk management and how it can be used to meet meet college, retirement, and estate planning needs.
The course includes the following chapters:
- Components of Financial Planning
- Gathering Data
- Analyzing the Data
- Creating Impact Scenarios for Managing Risk
- Projecting Values of Current Assets
- Using Insurance to Manage Risk
- Planning for College
- Planning for Retirement
- Planning for the Estate
This is an intermediate level course. Upon completion, the student will be able to:
- describe the various components of financial planning
- enumerate the pieces of personal and financial information to gather from your client to prepare a comprehensive financial plan
- analyze and categorize the data collected and pair the factual information with the client’s goals and objectives
- develop worst case scenarios and determine their effects on the financial plan
- project asset values
- explain the uses of life insurance in the managing of personal risk
- list the important steps and tools used in funding a college education
- describe what is involved in planning for retirement, including the roles of qualified and nonqualified plans and annuities
- summarize the issues surrounding the transfer of property at death
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Fixed Annuities CE
Estimated CE Hours: 8
This life insurance continuing education course offers a comprehensive look at fixed annuities, both traditional and indexed. It explains the basics of annuity products, and discusses the various features, provisions, benefits and limitations of these unique products. It explains how fixed annuities are designed, how they function, how their values grow and how those values can be distributed, through annuitization and/or withdrawals. The course examines many common index-linked interest crediting methods associated with indexed annuities, as well as how insurers invest for both traditional and index-linked interest crediting. The course also includes a discussion of annuity taxation as it pertains to withdrawals, annuitization, and Section 1035 exchanges. Concluding the course is a chapter on annuity suitability, which offers guidelines on how agentss can ensure that the annuity products they recommend for their clients are suitable and appropriate.
The course includes the following chapters:
- Overview of Annuities
- Traditional Fixed Annuities
- Indexed Annuities
- Using the Annuity for Income
- Taxation of Annuities
- Annuity Suitability and Disclosure Practices
This is an intermediate level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- Explain the purpose and function of annuities, immediate and deferred
- Describe the differences between traditional fixed annuities and indexed annuities
- Explain how fixed and indexed annuity values grow
- Outline how annuities can be used for tax-deferred accumulation and lifetime income
- Demonstrate an understanding of the tax treatment of annuities at all phases: during accumulation, during payout, and at death
- Describe the benefits and drawbacks of fixed annuities, and when they may—and may not—be suitable for consumers
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Fundamentals of Estate Planning CE
Estimated CE Hours: 14
Estate planning involves ordering an individual’s affairs to promote effective protection and management of assets, with a view to their eventual transfer to members of succeeding generations. Life insurance agents and other financial practitioners are often called upon to provide products and services that will help clients achieve these objectives for large and small estates. The purpose of this course is to offer a comprehensive overview and understanding of estate planning, the first step for practitioners who want to transition into this advanced field of practice.
The course covers the following topics:
- wills and income in respect of a decedent
- types of property ownership
- lifetime gifts
- the federal estate tax
- how an estate owner can plan to pass assets to a surviving spouse
- the generation-skipping transfer tax
- irrevocable life insurance trusts
- how to pass assets to children
- family limited partnerships—how they work and their advantages in estate planning
- planning for incapacity or incompetence
This is an advanced level course. Upon conclusion, the student will be able to:
- apply the use of wills and income in respect of a decedent to estate planning
- describe different types of property ownership
- explain the benefits of making lifetime gifts, and how clients can do so in a tax-favored manner
- demonstrate understanding of how the federal estate tax can impact an estate, and how to minimize that impact
- apply ways in which a spouse can plan to pass assets to a surviving spouse
- describe how the generation skipping transfer tax works
- interpret the value of irrevocable life insurance trusts and other trusts available as estate planning tools
- explain how to pass assets to children
- compare and contrast family limited partnerships—how they work and their advantages in estate planning
- devise ways to help clients plan for incapacity and incompetence
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Life Insurance Continuing Education: Group Life Insurance
Estimated CE Hours: 3
Group life insurance has become the primary—and often the only—source of life insurance protection for many people today. Employers commonly provide life insurance to employees at no cost, and many employees choose to supplement this basic coverage with supplemental group term life insurance.
This life insurance continuing education course examines the reasons why employers and other groups offer life insurance as well as the different components of a group plan, including eligibility requirements, benefit maximums, premiums, and dependent coverage. It also explores important life insurance concepts that are common to all types of group life insurance plans, such as beneficiary designations, settlement options, and taxation issues. While the course focuses on group term life insurance—which is the most common type of group life insurance—it also discusses the characteristics of group whole life and universal life insurance, two additional types of coverage that may be offered by group sponsors.
The course includes the following chapters:
- Overview of Group Life Insurance
- Group Term Life Insurance
- Additional Group Life Insurance Provisions and Coverage
- Taxation of Group Term Life Insurance
- Group Permanent Life Insurance
Course Objectives:
This is an intermediate-level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- identify the common characteristics of group life insurance plans
- describe the advantages and disadvantages of group life insurance to both employers and employees
- understand group term life insurance plans’ eligibility requirements, benefit schedules, conversion rights, and portability provisions
- understand why employers offer supplemental group term life insurance
- describe the types of ancillary benefits that group life insurance plans may offer, including accelerated benefits and accidental death and dismemberment provisions
- identify the requirements a group term life insurance plan must meet to qualify for tax benefits under Internal Revenue Code § 79
- explain the tax treatment of group term life insurance to employers and plan participants
- understand why employers offer group carve-out plans
- describe the characteristics of group permanent life insurance policies, including portability, lower premiums, tax deferral, and favorable tax treatment of death benefits
- compare and contrast group whole life insurance with group universal life insurance plans
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Guaranteed Living Benefits for Variable Annuities Continuing Education
Estimated CE Hours: 8
This life insurance continuing education course provides a thorough look at guaranteed living benefits (GLBs) for variable annuities. It explains in detail the four most common GLBs: the guaranteed minimum accumulation benefit, the guaranteed minimum income benefit, the guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefit, and the guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit. The course covers the characteristics and features of these benefits, how they work, and how they provide a measure of protection for variable annuity owners. The reader will become familiar with the needs each GLB is designed to meet as well as the suitability issues that arise in connection with their recommendation. The course concludes with three case studies that illustrate the suitable application of these unique benefits.
Guaranteed Living Benefits for Variable Annuities covers the following topics:
- The Growth of Variable Annuities
- Guaranteed Minimum Accumulation Benefit
- Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit
- Guaranteed Withdrawal Benefits
- Suitability of Guaranteed Living Benefits
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Health and Accident Insurance Continuing Education
Estimated CE Hours: 8
Health and Accident Insurance provides a comprehensive study of health insurance. It explains the many and varied types of health insurance policies, including basic and major medical expense, disability, long-term care, AD&D and workers’ compensation, as well as Medicare and Medigap. It explores how health insurance is provided and how it is utilized. The course covers individual policies, managed care options, group coverage, and government-sponsored coverage. It explores the regulation of health insurance and highlights significant regulatory requirements brought about by COBRA and HIPAA and the Affordable Care Act. The course also covers the taxation of health insurance premiums and benefits and explains the various means of paying for medical expenses on a tax-advantaged basis, including health savings accounts and health reimbursement accounts. The course includes the following chapters:
- Sources of Health Insurance
- Private Medical Insurance
- Managed Care
- Other Forms of Health Insurance
- Health Insurance Regulation
- Government Health Insurance Programs
- Health Care and Taxes
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Health Insurance Programs for Seniors
Estimated CE Hours: 6
Health Insurance Programs for Seniors provides a comprehensive overview of the different types of health insurance programs and products designed specifically for seniors. The course begins by describing the size, overall financial profile, and general health insurance needs of the senior market, and explains why health care expenses are likely to increase as a person ages. Financial professionals will also learn about the different parts of Medicare and the types of coverage each offers, as well as how Medicare supplement insurance can help fill the many gaps in Medicare’s coverage.
The course also examines the various options that seniors have for paying for long-term care and describes how long-term care insurance can provide protection from one of the greatest expenses that individuals face as they get older. Finally, the course explains the eligibility rules for Medicaid and the limitations of this program in covering seniors’ long-term care needs. Throughout the course, financial professionals will learn about the important role they play in serving the senior market and making suitable health care product recommendations.
The course includes the following chapters:
- The Senior Market
- Medicare
- Medicare Supplement Insurance
- Long-Term Care Insurance
- Medicaid
This is an intermediate level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- describe the size, overall financial profile, and general health insurance needs of the senior market
- define the types of health care coverage provided by Medicare
- explain how Medicare supplement insurance can help pay health care expenses not covered by Medicare
- demonstrate an understanding of how long-term care insurance can meet the growing need for long-term care in the senior market
- cite the eligibility requirements for Medicaid and describe how it provides health care to those in financial need
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Health Savings Accounts CE
Estimated CE Hours: 3
Study Level: Intermediate
Delivery Method: Online Self-Study
Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge/Personal Financial Planning
Prerequisites: There is no formal prerequisite for this course; however, an understanding of basic forms of personal and group health insurance coverage would be beneficial.
This course explores health savings accounts: a unique vehicle that helps consumers meet their health care needs. Used in conjunction with high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), health saving accounts, or HSAs, allow individuals to save for current and future medical expenses on a tax-advantaged basis. The course explains HSAs in detail, including how they are established, how they are maintained, who is eligible, how accounts are funded, and how the funds may be used. The course covers the following topics:
- the nature, purpose and benefits of HSAs
- eligibility for an HSA
- high-deductible health plans that are used in conjunction with an HSA
- allowable contributions and distributions
- qualified medical expenses
This is an intermediate level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- demonstrate understanding of health savings accounts, their uses, and their tax-advantaged nature
- identify the requirements for HSA eligibility
- recognize the characteristics of the two parts of HSAs—the high-deductible health plan and the savings account itself
- demonstrate an understanding of the contribution rules that pertain to HSAs, including limits, catch-up provisions, and the special rules for married people
- articulate the tax issues surrounding HSAs
- differentiate between permitted and nonpermitted HSA investments
- recognize the difference between qualified and nonqualified medical expenses
Healthcare Options: HSAs, FSAs, HDHPs, QSEHRAs
Estimated CE Hours: 4
Over the past few decades, employer-provided health care coverage has been subject to numerous changes. As this field continues to evolve—and as the cost of health care continues to increase at a rate greater than inflation—one change has become a constant: the shift in costs from insurers to employers and to employees. Today, employees must assume greater financial responsibility for their healthcare coverage. Fortunately, there are options that can help individuals manage these costs: high-deductible health plans (HDHPs); health savings accounts (HSAs), which are used in conjunction with HDHPs; flexible health care savings accounts (FSAs); and qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements (QSEHRAs)
Agents who understand these plans will be able to help their business clients not only with advice but with a solution that could stretch the client’s benefit dollars.
This is an intermediate level course. Upon conclusion, students will be able to:
- cite the forces that drive the costs of health care
- describe how insurers and employers shift the costs of health care coverage to employees
- explain the purpose and function of high-deductible health care plans (HDHPs)
- explain the purpose and function of health savings accounts (HSAs), flexible health care spending accounts (FSAs), and qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements (QSEHRAs)
- compare and contrast the features and benefits of all of these plans, citing the similarities and the differences
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How to Structure an Annuity Contract
Estimated CE Hours: 4
Study Level: Advanced
Delivery Method: Online self-study
Provider of Record: WebCE
Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge, Financial Planning
Prerequisites: A basic understanding of annuities and their purpose
One of the challenges for financial professionals who sell or give advice about annuities is understanding the impact of properly structuring the contract: designating the contract’s owner, annuitant, and beneficiary in a way that supports a client’s objectives. This course provides that understanding. It covers the unique features of annuities that may be affected by contract structure, and details the differences between simple and complex structures and owner-driven vs. annuitant-driven contracts. The effects of an annuity’s structure on a contract’s death benefit are explored, as are common mishaps that may occur if annuities are not structured properly. The last section of the course considers the advantages and disadvantages of trust ownership of an annuity.
The life insurance continuing education course includes the following chapters:
- Unique Features of Annuity Contracts
- Tax Treatment of Annuity Distributions
- Elements of Annuity Structuring
- Effect of Annuity Structure on the Death Benefit
- Annuity Structure Mishaps
- Trusts as Annuity Owners
Learning Objectives
Upon conclusion of this course, students will be able to:
- demonstrate understanding of the core annuity features that may be affected by annuity contract structure
- describe the tax treatment of amounts received when a contract is annuitized versus other types of withdrawals from annuities
- identify the elements that affect annuity structuring, including: the designation of the parties to the contract; whether the designation of the contract’s parties produces a simple or complex structure; whether the contract is owner-driven or annuitant-driven; and the contract’s provision for a death benefit and when it is payable
- demonstrate understanding of the effect of annuity structure and design on the payment of death benefits
- identify the consequences that may result from improper annuity structure
- demonstrate understanding of the factors to consider before recommending annuity ownership by a trust
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HRAs for Small Employers
Estimated CE Hours: 3
This health and life insurance continuing education course provides an overview of the new health benefit plans that certain small employers may offer to their employees: qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements, or QSEHRAs. The course explains the purpose, function, features, and benefits of these plans, as well as the requirements they impose on sponsoring employers and participating employees. Significantly, QSEHRAs allow employers to pay for their employees’ health insurance premiums on a tax-free basis. For this reason—and others—it is expected that these plans will be popular with the small employer market, notably for employers that find traditional group health plans unaffordable or ill-suited for their business and employees.
This is an intermediate level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the events that led up to QSEHRAs
- explain the conditions that must be met to implement a QSEHRA
- state the requirements that both sponsoring QSEHRA employers and participating QSEHRA employees must meet
- cite the benefits and limits of a QSEHRA plan
- describe how QSEHRA benefits are coordinated with premium tax credits for marketplace exchange plans
- demonstrate an understanding of other health reimbursement arrangements that may be suitable for small employers: health savings accounts with HDHPs and flexible health spending accounts
Hybrid Long-Term Care Insurance Products
Estimated CE Hours: 7
This course presents a comprehensive look at the new hybrid insurance products: specialized annuity and life insurance contracts that offer “linked” benefits for covered long-term care services. The course explains how changes to the tax laws have led to the development of this new generation of hybrids that can provide both long-term care benefits as well as annuity or life insurance benefits. The course describes the most common hybrid designs, illustrating how the products function when long-term care benefits are claimed as well as when they are not. Importantly, the course includes a discussion on the suitability of these new hybrid products and how agents can ensure that any recommendation they make is appropriate for the buyer’s needs and objectives.
The health and life insurance continuing education course includes the following chapters:
- The Nature of Long-Term Care
- The Cost and Risk of Long-Term Care
- Overview of Hybrid Products
- Annuity/LTC Hybrid Products
- Life Insurance/LTC Hybrid Products
This is an advanced level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- describe the nature of long-term care and the settings in which it is customarily provided
- demonstrate an understanding of the risks of needing long-term care and its costs in various settings
- explain the tax rules effective after 2009 applicable to distributions to pay for coverage under annuity and life insurance hybrid products
- describe the principal benefit designs and features of annuity/LTC hybrid products
- explain how long-term care benefits are delivered under life insurance/LTC hybrid products
- identify the suitability factors to consider when recommending annuity/LTC and life insurance/LTC hybrid products
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Indexed Annuities Continuing Education
Estimated Life Insurance Continuing Education Hours: 12
Indexed Annuities provides a thorough discussion of these unique instruments: how they are designed, how they are used, and how the many and varied interest crediting methods calculate and apply interest. The course covers the distinct features, benefits, and limitations of indexed annuities and explains the various indexing methods and the adjustments insurers commonly apply to their indexed crediting methods.
The life insurance continuing education course covers the following topics:
- What Are Annuities?
- How Deferred Annuities Work
- Basics of Fixed Annuities and Indexed Annuities
- Evaluating Various Indexes and Indexing Methods
- Evaluating Crediting Factors and Other Adjustments
- Benefits of Indexed Annuities
- Suitability
- Allocation of Assets
This is an intermediate level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- describe how indexed annuities are designed and how they compare to other types of annuities
- list the advantages and disadvantages of indexed annuities
- explain the taxation issues associated with indexed annuities
- identify the types of consumers for whom indexed annuities are suitable
- demonstrate an understanding of the suitability issues that apply to indexed annuities
- articulate the place indexed annuities may occupy in a client’s retirement portfolio
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Life Insurance Continuing Education: Individual Retirement Accounts
Estimated Life Insurance Continuing Education Hours: 5
Individual Retirement Accounts examines the fundamentals of the many and varied types of IRA plans: traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (formerly Education IRAs), simplified employee pension plans, and SIMPLE IRAs. The course explores the use and application of these plans, and explains the rules that apply to eligibility, contributions, deductions, and distributions. Examples are included throughout to illustrate these requirements. The course includes the following chapters:
- Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts
- Roth Individual Retirement Accounts
- Individual Retirement Account Funding
- Coverdell Education Savings Accounts
- Simplified Employee Pension IRAs
- Simple IRAs
- Glossary
This is an intermediate-level course. Upon conclusion, students should be able to:
- describe the different forms of IRAs
- explain how traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs can be used to help individuals fund their future retirement needs
- recite the basics of SEPs and SIMPLE IRAs
- outline for clients the IRA, SEP, and SIMPLE IRA contribution requirements and funding options
- describe the elements of Coverdell education savings accounts and how these plans can be used for funding educational expenses
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Inherited IRAs
Estimated CE Hours: 5
Study Level: Advanced
Delivery Method: Online Self-Study
Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge/Personal Financial Planning
Prerequisites: There is no prerequisite for this course; however, an understanding of IRAs and the required distribution rules would be beneficial.
This life insurance continuing education course provides a comprehensive study of inherited IRAs and the complex rules that apply to heirs and beneficiaries for taking required distributions upon the death of the IRA owner. The course explains the rules that pertain to spousal and nonspousal beneficiaries and the rules that apply according to when the IRA owner dies, whether before or after the required beginning date. The course also explores the planning opportunities that are available with stretch IRAs. Failing to advise clients appropriately or misapplying the complex IRA distribution requirements can end up costing clients and their families a great deal in taxes, penalties, and potential loss of continued tax deferral.
The course covers:
- Naming IRA Beneficiaries
- Distribution After Death Rules
- Stretch IRAs
This is an advanced level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of who can be an IRA designated beneficiary and the consequences of not having a designated beneficiary
- recognize the distribution options available to nonspouse beneficiaries at the death of an IRA owner
- identify the distribution options available to spousal beneficiaries at the death of an IRA owner
- differentiate how an IRA will be distributed at death of an owner when there are multiple beneficiaries and when there are no designated
- recognize how IRA distributions are taxed and how the “income in respect of a decedent” rule can minimize a beneficiary’s tax burden
- recognize the purpose of a stretch IRA and how it can maximize the tax-deferred growth potential of IRA assets
- identify the types of IRA owners for whom stretch IRAs would be suitable
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Insurance for Estate Planning
Estimated Life Insurance Continuing Education Hours: 4
Insurance for Estate Planning examines the various aspects of planning for the estate tax liability and the use of life insurance for this purpose. The course provides an overview of the issues associated with estate settlement and includes a discussion of the probate estate and the federal gross estate. The student is introduced to the subject of the federal estate tax and how it is calculated, as well as the role of trusts in minimizing the estate tax. Specifically, the course examines credit shelter trusts, QTIP trusts, and irrevocable life insurance trusts. State death taxes are also considered. Finally, the sources of estate tax payment are examined and compared.
The topics covered in this course include the following:
- The Estate and its Administration
- Federal Gift and Estate Taxes
- Common Estate Planning Trusts
- Calculating Federal Estate Taxes
- State Death Taxes
- Estate Tax Payment
This is an intermediate level course. Upon conclusion, students will be able to:
- explain the differences between an estate for tax purposes and a probate estate
- identify those assets that comprise the federal gross estate
- demonstrate an understanding of the difference between inheritance taxes and estate taxes
- explain the typical beneficiary classifications for state inheritance tax purposes
- explain how gifts are taxed under the federal gift tax system
- identify the deductions and credits allowed under the federal system of estate taxation
- describe the common trusts employed in estate tax planning
- perform an estate tax calculation
- identify the methods of estate tax payment and their cost consequences
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Insurance Fraud
Estimated CE Hours: 6
This health and life insurance continuing education course provides an in-depth look at insurance fraud. Appropriate for both life/health and property/casualty agentss, it explains the nature of insurance fraud, when and how it is committed, and the parties typically involved. The course explores the most common types of property, casualty, life, and health insurance fraud and the various technologies, both high tech and low tech, that are used to combat insurance fraud. The course concludes with a chapter on how to fight insurance fraud and presents numerous red flags that are common fraud indicators.
The course covers the following:
- Introduction to Insurance Fraud
- Property and Casualty Fraud
- Life and Health Insurance Fraud
- Fighting Insurance Fraud
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Introduction to Indexed Products
Estimated Life Insurance Continuing Education Hours: 6
The purpose of this course is to offer a comprehensive look at two of the most popular forms of life insurance products: indexed annuities and indexed life insurance. The course explains these unique products by comparing and contrasting them to traditional life and annuity products and explores the various interest crediting techniques insurers use to determine cash value growth and contract accumulations. It examines the features, benefits, and limitations these products offer and the needs they serve. Special consideration is paid to the suitability of these products.
The course covers the following topics:
- Types of Annuities
- Fixed Annuity Contract Provisions
- Indexed Annuity Contract Provisions
- Annuity Advantages and Disadvantages
- Indexed Life Products
- Suitability and Marketing Practices
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Life Insurance Continuing Education: Introduction to Life Insurance
Estimated Life Insurance Continuing Education Hours: 8
This course provides a comprehensive look at the many different types of life insurance coverages and their application to individual, family, and business needs. It covers term insurance and the many forms of permanent insurance and explains group life insurance in detail. It explores the many uses of life insurance, both personal and business. It explains the income and estate taxation of life insurance with respect to payout options, policy loans, premiums, withdrawals, dividends, cash surrenders, and qualified accelerated death benefits. It also explains how to compare the costs of life insurance policies.
The course includes the following chapters:
- Introduction to Life Insurance
- Reasons for and Uses of Life Insurance
- Individual Life Insurance
- Group Life Insurance
- Insurance and Taxation
- Comparing and Selecting Life Insurance Policies
- Concepts Affecting Insurer Liability
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IRA Rollovers
Estimated CE Hours: 6
Study Level: Intermediate
Delivery Method: Online Self-Study
Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge/Personal Financial Planning
Prerequisites: There is no prerequisite for this course; however, basic knowledge of IRAs would be beneficial.
Rollovers account for the largest source of contributions to IRAs. Ensuring that consumers receive accurate, and unbiased information regarding their distribution and rollover options is critically important to making informed decisions. That is the purpose of this course: to provide in-depth information about IRA rollovers as well as practical guidance that will enable financial professionals to help their clients make appropriate decisions regarding their retirement plan assets. Of equal importance, this course explains important rules governing the ongoing management of IRA rollovers to ensure that clients do not inadvertently subject their prized asset to unintended penalties and taxes.
The course covers:
- Distributions, rollovers, and rollover options
- Conversions
- Section 1035 Exchanges
- Inherited IRAs
This is an intermediate level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- compare and contrast the characteristics of traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs
- recognize the types of investments that can be utilized for IRA accounts
- identify what types of retirement plan accounts can be rolled into an IRA
- differentiate between the direct and indirect rollover methods, including the tax implications and timing rules that affect each method
- distinguish how trustee-to-trustee transfers differ from rollovers
- recognize how the one-rollover-per-year rule works
- recognize how IRAs and retirement plans can be converted to Roth IRAs
- determine what distribution and rollover options a beneficiary has after inheriting an IRA
- demonstrate an understanding of how Section 1035 exchanges work
- identify the role a financial professional plays in the rollover process
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Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts
Estimated Life Insurance Continuing Education Hours: 6
Study Level: Advanced
Delivery Method: Online Self-Study
Field of Study: Specialized knowledge – Life Insurance and Estate Planning
Prerequisites: There is no formal prerequisite for the course; however, an understanding of life insurance and basic estate planning techniques would be beneficial.
The irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT) is one of the most widely used estate planning tools. Those who work in the estate planning field—or any professional who wants to extend his or her practice into this arena—should become knowledgeable about ILITs, and how and why they are used. The purpose of this course is to provide a general understanding of trusts and how they work, with a specific focus on irrevocable life insurance trusts. Along with an exploration of the basic features of ILITs, the course explains collateral issues that might arise in the creation and operation of ILITs, including a number of important tax-related issues.
The life insurance continuing education course examines a number of ways in which an ILIT can be used to achieve estate planning goals.
The course includes the following chapters:
- Trust Background and Basics
- Tax Issues Affecting the Creation of a Trust
- Unfunded Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts
- ILITs That Address Specific Estate Planning Needs
This is an advanced level course. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the basic nature of trusts and the various ways in which they can be described
- identify the parties to a trust, as well as their roles and responsibilities
- outline how to fund an ILIT with a new life insurance policy and describe the kind of life insurance policy that should be used as a funding vehicle
- recognize the tax issues that arise when funding an ILIT with an existing life insurance policy
- demonstrate an understanding of the basic estate planning benefits that can be derived from utilizing an ILIT and what must be done to secure them
- compare the potential advantages and disadvantages of utilizing an ILIT for estate-planning purposes
- recall how the grantor trust rules, the kiddie tax, the generation-skipping transfer tax, and the rule against perpetuities, among others, may affect an ILIT
- recognize how an ILIT can be used to achieve various estate-planning goals
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Life Insurance Essentials
Estimated Life Insurance Continuing Education Hours: 16
This life insurance continuing education course provides a comprehensive, in-depth study of life and health insurance principles and coverages.
Its for insurance agents who have a basic understanding of these topics and want to delve deeper into the policies and practices that constitute the foundation of their industry and profession.
The course begins by examining the fundamental principles around which the life and health insurance industry developed and includes a discussion of three important topics:
- Risk and its selection by an insurer
- The contractual nature of insurance products
- The concept of agency.
Having established a general foundation, the course then considers various specific topics designed to familiarize you with a range of insurance products and insurance-related concepts. The course concludes with an in-depth discussion of professional ethics applying to life and health insurance agents.
The course includes the following:
- Identify the contractual nature of insurance products and the concept of agency
- Explain how insurers and agents are regulated at the state and federal level
- Recognize the basic characteristics and benefits of various types of life insurance, health insurance, and annuities
- Describe the tax treatment of life insurance, health insurance, and annuity contracts
- Compare the basic types of life insurance companies
- Calculate an individual’s personal life insurance needs
- Cite the primary business uses of life and health insurance
- Summarize the principal similarities and differences among the various types of tax-advantaged retirement plans
- Compare the features and eligibility requirements of insurance programs that are designed for seniors
- Recognize the ethical principles that should guide every insurance agent’s professional activities
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Life & Health Insurance Principles
Estimated CE Hours: 9
Life and Health Insurance Principles is a broad survey of the key aspects of life and health insurance. Many chapters of the course are devoted to characteristics of life insurance specifically. Other chapters address key aspects of health insurance, such as the various types of health insurance plans available (including government health insurance), health insurance for seniors, and group health insurance. Also explained are the various types of retirement plans and the legal and professional issues related to the insurance industry as a whole. The course concludes with a discussion of premiums and dividends as well as the claims process as it relates to life insurance.
The course covers the following:
- Types of Life Insurance
- Underwriting
- The Life Insurance Contract
- Need for and Uses of Life Insurance
- Life Insurance Beneficiaries
- Life Insurance Policies and Policy Provisions
- Annuities
- Group Insurance
- Health Insurance
- Business Insurance
- Insurance for Seniors
- Life Insurance Companies
- Retirement Planning
- Other Government Insurance Programs
- Legal and Professional Issues
- Premiums and Dividends
- Insurance Claims
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Life Insurance Concepts
Estimated Life Insurance Continuing Education Hours: 8
Life Insurance Concepts examines the important concepts affecting life insurance and its application. The course explains the fundamental purposes of life insurance, including its use in the personal family market as a tool for income replacement, estate creation and conservation, and charitable gifting. The course examines the use of life insurance in the business market as a funding vehicle for buy-sell agreements, key executive benefits, and split-dollar plans. Methods of determining life insurance needs in both the personal family market and business market are considered. The course concludes with an explanation of the tax treatment of life insurance.
The life insurance continuing education course covers the following topics:
- Introduction to Life Insurance
- Reasons for and Uses of Life Insurance
- Life Insurance Concepts
- Features of Life Insurance
- Methods for Determining Life Insurance Needs
- Concepts Affecting Life Insurance Taxation
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Life Insurance for Businesses
Estimated Life Insurance Continuing Education Hours: 12
Course Description
Life Insurance for Businesses explains the application of life insurance in the business market as a method of solving many complex issues that business owners commonly face. Business life insurance is always associated with how that business entity has been structured: is the business a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a corporation, or a limited liability company? The answer to this question dictates how the company manages risks in terms of human capital, or what will and may happen to the business, to the investors, to the employees, and to the families of the employees in the event of death. In light of these considerations, this course thoroughly analyzes the problems common to all of these business structures and compares the specific problems they encounter.
Course Objectives
This is an intermediate-level course. Upon conclusion, the student will understand:
- the advantages and disadvantages of the various business structures that exist today
- the need to be familiar with the complexities of business ownership in its various styles and operational activities.
- the purpose for business continuation and succession planning and the vital role played by the use of life insurance
- how risk management solutions are tailored to fit a particular business structure
- the impact of tax considerations in preparing a plan
- various planning strategies that will protect and enhance the business owner’s ability to obtain, retain, and promote the relationships of key personnel
- the value of keeping businesses in a vibrant role of continuation through solutions that are beneficial to owners, employees, and heirs
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Life Insurance Ownership and Beneficiary Designations
Estimated Life Insurance Continuing Education Hours: 9
This course provides an in-depth look at life insurance ownership and beneficiary designations. It details a life insurance owner’s rights and responsibilities and examines the role of life insurance beneficiaries and their standing with respect to the contract. The course explains how life insurance contracts are formed, who may own life insurance contracts, third-party ownership arrangements (including viatical and life settlements), how beneficiaries can and should be designated, and the estate and income tax treatment of life insurance to both owners and beneficiaries.
The course covers the following topics:
- Life Insurance Ownership
- Ownership Rights in Life Insurance
- Third-Party Ownership: Viaticals and Life Settlements
- Life Insurance Beneficiaries
- Taxation of Life Insurance Owners and Beneficiaries
This is an intermediate-level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- explain how life insurance contracts are formed
- articulate who may own life insurance policies
- describe the rights and responsibilities associated with life insurance policy ownership
- demonstrate understanding of third-party ownership arrangements, including viaticals, life settlements, and STOLI transactions
- describe the role and rights of life insurance beneficiaries
- design proper beneficiary designations
- recognize unique and problematic beneficiary designations
- demonstrate an understanding of the income and estate tax treatment of life insurance to owners and beneficiaries
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Life Insurance Policies
Estimated Life Insurance Continuing Education Hours: 9
Life Insurance Policies provides a thorough study of the many and varied forms of life insurance. The course covers the features, benefits, and provisions of the most common types of policies and explains their application for both personal and business uses. The structure of each policy form is examined in detail, with emphasis on the relationship between a policy’s features and its benefits. The course also addresses the important topic of life insurance taxation and explains the distinction between life insurance policies and modified endowment contracts.
The course covers the following:
- Primary Purposes of Life Insurance
- Whole Life Insurance
- Term Life Insurance
- Single Premium Life Insurance
- Universal Life Insurance
- Variable Life Insurance
- Survivorship Life Insurance
- Life Insurance Tax Treatment
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Life Insurance Strategies for Small Businesses
Estimated Life Insurance Continuing Education Hours: 12
This course examines the role of life insurance in enabling small business organizations to meet various objectives. Principal among these objectives are ensuring the financial health of the organization and providing funding for various nonqualified benefit plans. Accordingly, the course examines the use of life insurance to provide:
- Compensation to a business organization upon the loss, through death or disability, of a key executive;
- Cash to fulfill the contractual promises made in buy-sell agreements; and
- Funding for various nonqualified plans.
The course includes the following chapters:
- How Life Insurance Meets Small Business Needs
- Key Executive Life and Disability Insurance Plans
- Business Continuation
- Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans
- Section 162 Bonus Plans
- Group Carve-Out Plans
- Split Dollar Plans
- Case Studies
This is an advanced level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- cite the characteristics common to small businesses and explain their common needs
- articulate the uses of life insurance in business organizations
- explain the role and application of life and disability insurance in key executive insurance plans and in ensuring the possible continuation of business organizations
- illustrate how life insurance may be effectively used to fund supplemental executive retirement plans (SERPs)
- explain the purpose, structure and application of IRC § 162 bonus insurance plans
- describe the basic design of a group life insurance carve out plan
- explain how life insurance can be purchased under a split dollar plan
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Life Insurance Underwriting
Estimated Life Insurance Continuing Education Hours: 5
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the life insurance underwriting process. It explains how different risk factors such as age, occupation, build, and personal habits affect the selection and classification of risks. The course also takes a detailed look at each stage of the underwriting process, from taking the application to delivering the policy. The course concludes with a review of the very important role the agent serves as a field underwriter.
The course covers the following topics:
- The Concept of Risk
- Common Risk Classifications
- Steps in the Underwriting Process
- Medical and Nonmedical Underwriting Criteria
- Automated Underwriting
- The Agent’s Role in Field Underwriting
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Living Benefits of Life Insurance
Estimated Life Insurance Continuing Education Hours: 6
This course provides an in-depth look at the many living benefits that life insurance offers. It examines the various ownership rights that policyowners have which allow them to access policy benefits during an insured’s lifetime. The course explains the source of most living benefits—a policy’s cash value—and illustrates how those values grow over time. The course then examines in detail the living benefits that those values can provide: dividends, nonforfeiture options, policy loans and withdrawals, policy assignments and sales, accelerated benefits and policy exchanges. As the course explains, the value and application of living benefits are enhanced by favorable tax treatment, which is characteristic of life insurance. However, the same favorable tax treatment does not extend to living benefits associated with modified endowment contracts, or MECs. The final chapter explains MECs and how the tax treatment of MEC values differs from that of non-MEC policies.
The content and explanations this course offers are enhanced by interactive exercises and videos throughout.
This is an intermediate level course. Upon conclusion, students will be able to:
- describe the rights that life insurance policyowners can exercise by virtue of policy ownership
- explain how permanent life insurance policies develop cash values, which are the source of most living benefits
- describe the options for taking policy dividends
- explain the different nonforfeiture options available to policyowners, and when each may be appropriate
- demonstrate an understanding of life insurance policy loans and their effect on policy values
- demonstrate an understanding of life insurance policy withdrawals and their effect on policy values
- explain the differences between collateral and absolute policy assignments
- define and compare viatical and life settlements
- explain the various ways insurance companies provide for acceleration of life insurance policy death benefits
- describe how life insurance policies can be exchanged, tax free, for similar products under Internal Revenue Code Section 1035
- explain why and how the tax treatment of living benefits from modified endowment policies differs from the tax treatment of living benefits from non-modified endowment policies
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Living Trusts and Avoiding Probate
Estimated Life Insurance Continuing Education Hours: 6
This course explains the concept of the revocable living trust and how it can serve as an estate planning tool for virtually all estates. The course explains when a client should implement a living trust, the benefits of a living trust, and how a living trust actually works. Understanding the use and value of living trusts enables agents to participate in the full scope of a client’s planning process. The course also explains how a living trust can be used to shelter the unified credit and explores other sophisticated estate-planning techniques. Lastly, the course looks at the asset transfer process that follows the death of an estate owner.
The topics covered in this course include:
- the purpose of estate planning
- probate and guardianships
- assets subject to probate
- avoiding probate with a living trust
- trust provisions
- funding a trust
- estate taxes and the AB trust
- estate administration
This is an intermediate level course. Upon conclusion, students will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the basics of probate and guardianships
- cite assets that are subject to probate and those that are not
- explain the advantages of a living trust
- describe when a living trust should be used
- articulate the basic provisions of a living trust
- apply basic estate planning techniques beyond the living trust
- recognize when more sophisticated estate planning techniques may save the client tax dollars
- explain how an estate is administered upon death
- explain estate planning and the use of living trusts with clients
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Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D
Estimated CE Hours: 4
The purpose of this course is to provide the professional agent with a thorough orientation to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. Medicare Advantage and Part D plans offer flexibility and options for today’s Medicare recipients as well as enhanced sales and service opportunities for agents who know how to appropriately and suitably represent them. The course explores the basics of the Medicare program and the details of MA and Part D plans. It also covers the standards associated with marketing these plans. The course describes in detail what a agent must do to clearly, accurately, and appropriately explain these plans to consumers so that they can make informed decisions about their health care.
The main topics the course covers are:
- the history of Medicare
- the basics of Medicare
- an overview of Medicare Advantage
- Medicare Advantage marketing guidelines
- Medicare Part D
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Medicare Part D: Prescription Drug Coverage
Estimated CE Hours: 4
This course provides a comprehensive study of Medicare Part D plans. The course orients the student to these plans by first providing a review of Original Medicare Parts A and B, and Medicare Part C. With that context, the course then introduces Part D and explains the basics: eligibility requirements, enrollment periods, and premiums. A full chapter is devoted to Part D standard coverage, including formularies, which are the foundation upon which all plans are based. A separate chapter is devoted to programs that help qualifying individuals pay for their Part D costs. The course concludes with a detailed chapter on how clients can evaluate and compare Part D plans and select the plan that is most appropriate for their needs.
The course includes the following chapters:
- Overview of Medicare Parts A, B, and C
- Medicare Part D Basics
- How Medicare Part D Works
- Programs That Help Pay Part D Costs
- Deciding on a Plan
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Medicare, Medicaid and Medicare Supplements
Estimated CE Hours: 8
This course provides a comprehensive study of Medicare, Medicare supplement insurance and Medicaid. It introduces each of these three topics, and then delves into their purpose, function, and mechanics. The course explains the four parts of Medicare – Part A, Part B, Part C (Medicare Advantage) and Part D, and how consumers can enroll and when they will be eligible for benefits. The course then looks at the Medicaid program in relation to Medicare and Medicare beneficiaries, covering this program’s basics and mechanics, including coverage, eligibility, and coordination with Medicare. The course also covers the basics of Medicare supplement plans and explains how the Affordable Care Act of 2010 affects all of these programs.
The course includes the following chapters:
- Introduction to Medicare
- Basics of Medicare
- Mechanics of Medicare
- Basics of Medicaid
- Mechanics of Medicaid
- Basics of Medicare Supplement Plans
- Basics of Medicare Advantage Plans
- Medicare in the New Millennium
- Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003
- Summary of Medicare, Medicaid and Medicare Supplement Plans
This is an intermediate level course. Upon conclusion, students will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the history and purpose of Medicare, Medicaid, and Medicare supplement insurance
- describe the eligibility criteria for each of these programs
- explain the mechanics of the four parts of Medicare
- distinguish the features, options and benefits associated with Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage (including Part D)
- demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between Medicare and Medicaid, and how they work together to provide medical coverage for eligible individuals
- describe the basic purpose, function and features of Medicare supplement (Medigap) policies
- explain the very different roles of Medicare and Medicaid in providing long-term care services and support
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Medigap Modernization: Today’s Medicare Supplement Policies
Estimated CE Hours: 4
This course explains today’s Medigap insurance plans and offers a practical understanding of how these plans can bolster a senior’s health insurance program by supplementing the coverage provided by Original Medicare. The course explains the basics of the Medicare program—Parts A, B, C, and D—and identifies the many program “gaps” in Original Medicare that can be covered with a private Medicare supplement plan. The course focuses on today’s standardized plans, comparing their benefits and provisions with the previous plans. The course covers the following:
- Original Medicare: Medicare Parts A and B
- Expanded Medicare Options: Medicare Parts C and D
- Filling the Gaps in Original Medicare: Medigap Insurance
- Legal and Ethical Aspects of Selling Medigap Insurance
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More About Medicare: Home Health, Skilled Nursing Facility, and Hospice Care Benefits new!
Estimated CE Hours: 2
Medicare is the nation’s largest provider of health care to individuals age 65 and older. Although Medicare does not pay for long-term care, it does provide varying amounts of coverage for hospice care, home health care, and short-term stays in Medicare-certified skilled nursing facilities. However, stringent requirements must be met in order to receive these benefits.
This course begins with a broad overview of the four parts of Medicare—Parts A, B, C, and D. It then takes a comprehensive look at three Medicare benefits—short-term skilled nursing facility care, home health care, and hospice care—that are critically important to individuals as they age. Benefit eligibility, out-of-pocket costs, and the various benefits that Medicare provides for these types of care are explained in detail.
The course includes the following chapters:
- Overview of Medicare
• Medicare’s Skilled Nursing Facility Care Benefit
• Medicare Home Health Care Benefits
• Medicare Hospice Care
Course Objectives:
This is an intermediate-level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the benefits provided by Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D
- describe the eligibility criteria to receive Medicare-covered skilled nursing facility care
- distinguish between skilled care and custodial care
- understand the eligibility requirements that must be met to receive Medicare-covered home health care
- describe the types of home health care services that Medicare will cover
- understand who is eligible to receive Medicare-covered hospice care
- list the types of hospice services that Medicare will cover
- describe the length of time that Medicare-covered hospice care can be provided
- describe how Medicare Advantage may differ in its approach from Original Medicare in providing health care benefits
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Mutual Funds
Estimated CE Hours: 5
This course presents a complete and comprehensive look at mutual funds. It begins with a thorough study of mutual fund characteristics, features and benefits and covers several major forms of investment management companies including Unit Investment Trusts (UITs), Open-end and Closed-end mutual funds, and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). Fund investment objectives, risks, fees and expenses and covered as are taxation issues. The course describes the structure of the fund, and how the fund’s team works together to serve investor needs. Also covered are the topics of application breakpoints and breakpoint abuse. The course concludes with a discussion of asset allocation and the role mutual funds play in helping investors meet their financial goals.
The course includes the following chapters:
- Basic Characteristics of Mutual Funds
- Mutual Fund Features and Benefits
- Types of Investment Companies
- Fund Investment Objectives
- Risks of Mutual Funds
- Taxation of Mutual Funds
- Fund Structure
- Fees and Expenses
- Mutual Fund Breakpoints
- Asset Allocation
- Glossary
This is an intermediate level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the features and benefits of mutual funds
- Describe types of funds and fund management structures
- Explain investment risks, fees and expenses
- Demonstrate an understanding of taxation principles that impact mutual fund shareholders
- Describe the fees and expenses related to management company operations
- Explain the availability and process of breakpoint discounts for investors
- Describe the process and benefits of asset allocation
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Personal Life Insurance Planning
Estimated CE Hours: 5
This course offers information and guidance to both agents and advisors who sell life insurance products and who assess the appropriateness of life insurance recommendations for clients. An understanding of the methods used to determine suitable life insurance amounts to meet survivors’ lump-sum cash needs and income needs will assist the agent and advisor to better serve consumers and help ensure that appropriate life insurance amounts are recommended and purchased when they are suitable to meet client needs.
The course includes the following chapters:
- Introduction to Human Life Value and Needs Analysis
- Gathering Client Information for Needs Analysis
- Identifying & Calculating Lump-Sum Needs at Death
- Social Security Survivor Benefits
- Identifying Survivor Income Needs at Death
- Calculating Survivor Income Needs at Death
This is an intermediate level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- describe the early attempt to calculate appropriate life insurance amounts known as the human life value method
- explain the importance of basing client insurance requirements on a thoroughgoing analysis of needs
- gather the appropriate client information required to perform an insurance needs analysis
- identify and calculate a client’s family’s lump-sum needs at the death of a breadwinner
- list the Social Security survivor benefits that need to be considered in analyzing survivors’ needs for life insurance to replace income
- identify and calculate survivors’ income needs during the dependency period, blackout period, and retirement period
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Pre-Need Planning
Estimated CE Hours: 4
This course explores the concept of pre-need planning. By pre-planning, individuals can be assured that their last wishes are carried out, thereby removing the guesswork for surviving family members and loved ones and relieving them of what could be a significant financial burden.
The pre-need industry offers several products to help people pay for funeral arrangements prior to death, notably, final expense insurance, pre-need insurance, and pre-need trusts. This course was written to help the pre-need professional—whether an insurance agent or a funeral director—understand the unique characteristics of each of these products and how they are suited for individuals whose estates would be significantly burdened by the cost of a funeral.
Students will also learn about the varying approaches states take to regulate pre-need contracts as well as the consumer protection standards with which pre-need professionals must comply. Students will also learn why it is important that their clients have a will and other legal documents in place before death or incapacity. Finally, the course concludes with a look at the professional’s role in helping clients address their final needs and the associated issue of ethics and appropriate practice standards.
The course covers the following topics:
- The Final Expense Dilemma
- Pre-Need Planning Considerations
- Funding Options
- Other Planning Considerations
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Principles of Wealth Management
Estimated CE Hours: 5
Principles of Wealth Management considers the important financial issues faced by all people but felt most acutely by individuals nearing retirement. It examines the critical issues of:
- maintaining one’s lifestyle despite the loss of, or reduction in, earned income;
- protecting assets against inflation and the high costs of long-term care; and
- transferring maximum assets to the next generation through the use of life insurance, trusts, and tax-efficient strategies.
Principles of Wealth Management covers the following:
- Critical Issues in Managing Wealth
- Annuities to Create and Distribute Wealth
- Long-Term Care Insurance to Protect Wealth
- Life Insurance to Facilitate Wealth Transfer
- Accumulating, Protecting, and Transferring Wealth
This is an intermediate level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the critical issues in managing wealth
- Define and differentiate the different types of long-term care
- Explain the nature and extent of long-term care costs and the sources of long-term care funding
- Demonstrate an understanding of the methods of minimizing estate transfer costs
- Explain the characteristics and tax treatment of fixed and variable annuities
- Explain the principal variations of fixed annuities
- Cite the basic characteristics of long term care insurance
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Retirement Planning Strategies
Estimated CE Hours: 9
Study Level: Intermediate
Delivery Method: Online Self-Study
Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge/Personal Financial Planning
Prerequisites: There is no formal prerequisite for this course; however, an understanding of qualified plans and financial products would be beneficial.
This course provides a thorough orientation to the concept of retirement planning and how the financial professional —through the products and services he or she offers—can help consumers plan for this vital stage of their lives. The course focuses on products and plans that are specifically designed to accumulate and distribute retirement funds and ensure financial security for late-life health care needs. The course covers the many plans that are available for accumulating retirement savings, and the types of investment products that can be used to fund a qualified retirement plan. Also addressed is the complex topic of retirement plan distributions and the many rules and regulations that surround this issue. Finally, the course addresses the subject of health care for the retiree, and the available plans that cover this need, including Medicare, Medicare supplement policies and long-term care insurance policies.
This is an intermediate level course. Upon completion, the student will be able to:
- concept a retirement income savings plan that specifies a targeted accumulation goal
- demonstrate an understanding of the basics of Social Security and how, for most, this program continues to be the foundation for retirement income
- differentiate among the various types of qualified plans available through an employer—their features, benefits, and limitations
- identify the types of qualified plans designed specifically for the small business owner
- articulate the distinctions between traditional and Roth IRAs and when (and how) they can be properly employed to accumulate retirement funds
- demonstrate an understanding of the basics of stocks, mutual funds, bonds, and annuities and how they can be used as funding vehicles for retirement plans
- demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental rules regarding early and required retirement plan distributions (and the associated penalties for noncompliance)
- outline the need to include health-care planning in a retirement plan and cite the various public and private plans available for this purpose
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Section 1035 Exchanges
Estimated CE Hours: 4
The purpose of this course is to provide a thorough presentation of IRC Section 1035 and an understanding of how life insurance, annuity, and long-term care contracts may be exchanged on a tax-free basis. Understanding Section 1035 is an essential part of the insurance producer’s responsibility to the client, because it offers flexibility and planning opportunities for insurance and annuity owners. However, Section 1035 rules are strict, and precise steps and procedures must be followed. Failure to properly transact a life insurance or annuity exchange in accordance with the rules of Section 1035 can have unexpected, and unnecessary, tax consequences for the contract owner, with obvious repercussions for the producer.
In addition, the course covers the important issue of suitability of policy exchanges as product replacements within the framework of NAIC model laws and regulations, state laws, and proper market conduct. The course reviews the documentation required for replacement transactions and explores questions and issues the producer must address before a replacement or exchange can be recommended.
The course covers:
- Insurance Tax Basics
- Qualifying 1035 Products
- The 1035 Exchange Process
- The Financial Professional’s Role
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Senior Needs Planning
Estimated CE Hours: 15
This health and life insurance continuing education course provides a comprehensive study of the financial needs, goals, products, and plans for today’s senior consumers. It is written for insurance professionals and financial practitioners to explain how they can help their senior clients plan for a financially secure and rewarding retirement, supported by appropriate and suitable financial products.
The course explores the various facets of a sound retirement plan: needs and income analyses, qualified savings, Social Security and Medicare, life insurance, long-term care insurance, annuities, estate planning, wealth transfer techniques, and final needs planning. The course explains the unique needs of senior clients and the specific areas that are of concern to them—income planning, healthcare planning, estate distribution, final needs planning—as well as the tools, techniques, and products that can be used to meet these needs. An entire section in this course is devoted to suitability and ethical practice standards that apply when working with seniors.
The course covers the following topics:
- The New Retiree
- The Retirement Income Planning Process
- Retirement Plan Distributions
- Understanding Social Security Retirement Benefits
- Using Life Insurance in Retirement
- Using Annuities in Retirement
- Meeting Seniors’ Healthcare Needs
- Estate Planning and Wealth Transitioning
- Final Needs Planning
This is an intermediate level course. Upon conclusion, students will be able to:
- describe the characteristics typical of today’s retirees and the financial challenges they face in retirement
- explain the goals of retirement income planning and the strategies that can be used to ensure that retirement funds last a lifetime
- explain how qualified plan participants can access funds during retirement and the required minimum distribution rules that apply to such plans and individual retirement accounts
- explain the benefits and limitations of Social Security
- demonstrate an understanding of how life insurance and annuities can be used in retirement to provide supplemental income and lifetime benefits
- demonstrate an understanding of the role of Medicare, Medicaid, and Medicare supplement insurance in covering the healthcare costs of retirees
- explain how long-term care insurance can protect against the cost of long-term custodial and nursing home care
- describe the basic goals of estate planning and understand why an estate plan is necessary to minimize taxes, ensure the intended disposition of assets, and protect the financial future of heirs and beneficiaries
- cite and explain the various tools that retirees commonly use to make and pre-pay funeral arrangements prior to death
- demonstrate an understanding of the general ethical duties that apply to financial practitioners and how the concept of suitability applies to the sale of financial products
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Social Security Disability Planning
Estimated CE Hours: 3
This health and life insurance continuing education course provides a detailed overview of the Social Security disability insurance program and explains the steps disabled workers must take to qualify for and maximize benefits. The course examines the factors the Social Security Administration considers when deciding if a person is disabled and describes how certain members of a disabled worker’s family may qualify for benefits based on that person’s work record. It also explains the various work incentives that can help disabled workers return to the workforce. And, because many individuals may also be covered by group or individual disability insurance policies as well as workers compensation, the course describes how benefits from these sources will be coordinated with Social Security.
This is an advanced level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- differentiate between the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs
- explain how the five-step sequential evaluation process is used to determine eligibility for disability benefits
- describe how the Quick Disability Determination Process, Compassionate Allowances Program, and the Terminal Illness Program can expedite the processing of claims that are likely to receive favorable determinations
- understand how the application date, disability onset date, and waiting period affect the start of benefits
- explain how the receipt of other disability income from workers compensation and group and individual disability insurance policies may affect a person’s Social Security disability benefit
- recognize when Social Security disability beneficiaries become eligible for Medicare
- describe the special rules that apply to applicants with vision problems, end-stage renal disease, and substance abuse problems
- understand when the spouse and dependent children of a disabled worker are eligible to receive benefits based on the worker’s earnings record
- state the purpose of the nine-month trial work period and the extended period of eligibility
- describe the incentives that the Ticket to Work Program provides to encourage disabled workers to return to the workforce
- list the events that will cause Social Security disability benefits to terminate
- understand when continuing disability reviews will be conducted
- describe the four steps in the appeals process
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Social Security Strategies
Estimated CE Hours: 5
At a time when many individuals are living well into their 80s and 90s and traditional pensions have largely disappeared, Social Security has become an important component of most retirees’ overall financial plans. More than ever, it is critically important that producers and advisors understand Social Security benefits and how to maximize those benefits for their clients. This course covers Social Security, focusing on claiming strategies and how to make the most of available benefits. Accordingly, the course provides numerous examples to illustrate the more complicated principles and strategies and clarify how the rules can be applied to a client’s benefit.
The life insurance continuing education course includes the following chapters:
- Social Security Overview
- When to Claim Social Security Retirement Benefits
- Strategies to Maximize Benefits for Married Couples
- Benefits for Surviving Spouses, Divorced Individuals and Dependents
- Taxes and Other Reductions to Benefits
- Appendix – Common Social Security Acronyms and Definitions
This is an advanced level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- explain how Social Security retirement benefits are calculated
- demonstrate understanding of the effect that claiming benefits early, at full retirement age, and beyond full retirement age has on the benefit amount
- explain how immediate income needs, the availability of other assets, risk tolerance, longevity, health, marital status, and continued work may affect the Social Security claiming decision
- explain how a spousal benefit is calculated and interacts with a working spouse’s benefit
- describe the different claiming strategies that married couples and survivors can use to maximize their benefits
- explain how Social Security benefits are taxed once income exceeds certain threshold levels
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Survey of Employee Benefits
Estimated CE Hours: 12
As businesses and producers who work the business market know, employee benefits are key to attracting and retaining employees and are central to increasing productivity. This course provides an in-depth look at the most common types of employee benefits that employers provide. It explains the way these plans operate and function and their often complex rules. Ideal for the practitioner who is considering entering the employee benefits market or for those who would like a review of the subject, the course also examines the role of financial advisors in educating clients and identifying the various types of insurance programs that meet clients’ needs.
The course includes the following chapters:
- Group Life Insurance
- Group Term Life Insurance
- Group Permanent Life Insurance
- Group Health Insurance
- ACA’s Effect on Businesses
- SHOPs
- Other Tax-Favored Health Plans
- Group Disability Coverage
- Voluntary Benefits
- Employer-Sponsored Qualified Retirement Plans
- Executive Benefits and Nonqualified Plans
- The Role of the Financial Advisor
This is an advanced level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- explain the characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of group life insurance
- describe the primary forms of group health insurance
- explain the impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on group health insurance
- demonstrate an understanding of employer options with SHOP coverage
- compare group short-term and long-term disability coverage
- identify the principal types of voluntary employee benefits available in the marketplace
- demonstrate understanding of the use, application, and appeal of nonqualified plans
- identify the employee and employer benefits normally associated with qualified retirement plans
- describe the role of the financial advisor in helping employers implement appropriate employee benefit plan solutions
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Taxation of Life Insurance and Annuities
Estimated CE Hours: 8
Study Level: Advanced
Delivery Method: Online Self-Study
Field of Study: Taxes
Prerequisites: There is no prerequisite for this course; however, an understanding of life insurance and annuity products would be beneficial.
This life insurance continuing education course provides a comprehensive study of the taxation of life insurance and annuities. It covers the basic rules of individual life insurance and annuity taxation, focusing on income tax, estate tax, and gift tax. Recognizing life insurance and annuities as valuable social tools, current tax law provides generally favorable treatment for these products. Practitioners who understand these rules can provide a valuable service for their clients by helping design and implement life insurance and annuity plans that take maximum advantage of the tax laws. Life insurance and annuities are frequently the tools of choice for planners and their clients because of the many tax benefits these products provide.
The course covers the following topics:
- Income Taxation of Life Insurance Death Benefits
- Income Taxation of Life Insurance Living Benefits
- Taxation of Viaticals and Life Settlements
- Income Taxation of Annuities
- Estate Taxation of Life Insurance and Annuities
- Gift Taxation of Life Insurance Transfers
This is an advanced level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the income, estate, and gift tax treatment of life insurance and annuities
- differentiate between the tax treatment of policies classified as life insurance and policies classified as modified endowment contracts
- demonstrate an understanding of how life insurance policies are taxed when they are sold under a viatical or settlement arrangement
- recognize how these products should be structured to take full advantage of their favorable tax treatment
- identify the common situations that may give rise to tax penalties
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Universal Life Insurance CE
Estimated CE Hours: 8
Universal Life Insurance describes the special characteristics and various applications of universal life and variable universal life policies. Before the introduction of universal life into the marketplace, life insurance policies were premium-dependent and had little, if any, flexibility. Universal life and variable universal life policies have expanded the use of insurance planning to include objectives of asset accumulation, tax planning, asset protection, retirement income, educational funding, and additional uses beyond the single focus on the death benefit.
At the end of this course, you will understand the fundamental and important characteristics that separate the old policy structures from those of the new policies; how and when the universal life policy is best suited for the client’s needs and objectives; responsibilities of designing premium strategies for specific policy goals; the guidance and purpose of regulatory parameters; and application of planning techniques with universal life policies.
The life insurance continuing education course begins by examining the various life insurance products that are currently available. By comparing these products’ characteristics with those of universal life and variable universal life, you will see the added flexibility that the new products offer.
The life insurance industry made a monumental shift in policy design when it created universal life insurance and variable universal life insurance. This course will
- describe the policy styles that were developed before universal life insurance and the ways in which universal life is a much more flexible policy structure.
- analyze the components of the universal life policy including premiums, cash value, costs, and loads.
- detail your role in planning universal life policy premiums to meet clients’ objectives.
- demonstrate the use of universal life insurance in financial planning for people and businesses.
- contrast variable universal life insurance with universal life insurance.
- highlight situations in which variable universal life is especially useful.
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Variable Annuities
Estimated CE Hours: 8
Variable Annuities provides a thorough orientation to the variable annuity and its application for long-term asset accumulation and income distribution. The course focuses on how these products are designed and how they function as well as their benefits, costs, limitations, and tax treatment. It examines the many investment options and techniques variable annuities offer and explores their application for retirement income distribution. The course explains the popular living benefit riders, which offer guarantees for the protection of principal and income. Finally, the course takes a critical look at the suitability of these products and examines the needs for which they are—and are not—appropriate.
The life insurance continuing education course includes the following chapters:
- Overview of Annuities
- The Design and Function of Variable Annuities
- Basic Features of the Variable Annuity
- Variable Annuity Investment Options
- Variable Annuity Income Options
- Variable Annuity GLB Riders
- Taxation of Variable Annuities
- Suitability of Variable Annuities
This is an intermediate level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- demonstrate a solid understanding of the variable annuity product
- describe how these products can fulfill the need for asset accumulation and income distribution
- outline the product’s features and benefits, as well as its restrictions and limitations
- describe the various investment options and investment strategies that these products offer
- guide clients toward an appropriate allocation of invested premiums
- demonstrate an understanding of the guaranteed living benefits that variable annuities offer
- articulate the tax treatment that applies to these products
- determine when and for what needs the product is suitable
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Variable Universal Life
Estimated CE Hours: 6
Variable Universal Life offers a thorough study of this unique life insurance policy type. The course explains the foundations for VUL insurance: universal life and variable life. It also reviews how these products function, how they are funded, and when they may be appropriate choices for insurance clients. The course explains in detail the product’s flexible premiums, its adjustable coverage, and how different death benefit options relate to the policy’s amount at risk. The issue of suitability is also discussed.
The life insurance continuing education course includes the following chapters:
- Universal Life Insurance
- Variable Life Insurance
- Variable Universal Life Insurance
- VUL Suitability
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401k Plans
Estimated CE Hours: 5
401(k) plans play a significant role in promoting the financial security of the U.S. workforce at retirement. This course provides a comprehensive look at 401(k) plans and explains how these plans are designed, the types of contributions that can be made, and the various investment vehicles available to participants. The course also covers technical issues related to 401(k) plans, such as eligibility requirements, nondiscrimination testing, vesting schedules, and the tax consequences of distributions. Financial professionals will also learn about the different types of 401(k) plans and the rules governing rollovers, participant loans, required minimum distributions, enrollment materials, plan reporting and disclosure requirements, and plan conversions.
The life insurance continuing education course covers:
- contributions and employer deductions
- eligibility and vesting requirements
- distributions and loans
- nondiscrimination testing
- types of 401(k) plans
- plan document, reporting, and disclosure requirements
- plan conversions
This is an advanced level course. Upon completion, students will be able to:
- cite the parties that are involved in establishing and maintaining a 401(k) plan
- demonstrate an understanding of the different contribution types and the annual limits that apply to contributions
- identify the investment vehicles available to 401(k) plans
- explain permissible eligibility and vesting requirements
- describe the forms that are needed to enroll an employee in a 401(k) plan
- understand when participant distributions are permitted or required and their tax consequences
- describe the participant loan rules
- demonstrate an understanding of the nondiscrimination testing required for 401(k) plans
- identify the characteristics of safe harbor 401(k) plans
- outline and describe the plan document requirements, including the summary plan description
- describe the purpose of Form 5500, its schedules, and the summary annual report
- explain the financial professional’s role during a plan conversion
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Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Initial Continuing Education Training?
Initial CE is what kicks in after you’re licensed.
It’s not pre-licensing. It’s the state-required education you complete during your first renewal cycle to keep your license active.
Typical structure:
- 24 total CE hours every 2 years (varies by state)
- 3–4 hours ethics required
- State-specific training (ex: flood, annuities, long term care)
- Carrier required product training (separate from state CE)
Important distinction:
Product certifications (like Medicare Advantage or annuity suitability) are not the same as state CE. Agents confuse this constantly.
How Do I Get My Insurance License Renewed?
Simple framework:
- Complete required CE credits before deadline
- Ensure credits are reported to the state
- Pay renewal fee
- Verify status on NIPR or state DOI website
Action step:
Always check your transcript on Sircon or NIPR 30 days before deadline. Don’t assume your CE provider reported correctly.
Mistake I see all the time:
Agents finish CE the day of expiration. System lag hits. License goes inactive. No commissions paid.
When Is the Insurance CE Deadline?
Depends on your state.
Usually:
- Every 2 years
- Based on your license issue date or birth month
Actionable advice:
Put a 90-day and 30-day calendar reminder in your CRM. Treat it like AEP prep.
If you’re multi-state:
Each state has its own clock. Track them or use a service like Sircon.
Which Insurance Continuing Education Courses Do I Need?
It depends on:
- Lines of authority (Life, Health, P&C)
- State mandates
- Products you sell (annuities, LTC, flood)
- Ethics requirement
Example:
If you sell annuities, many states require a one-time 4-hour annuity suitability training, plus ongoing CE.
If you sell Medicare:
You still need standard CE. AHIP does NOT replace state CE.
Action step:
Go to your state DOI website and download the CE requirements summary. It’s usually a PDF.
What Is Insurance License Renewal Training?
It’s the structured CE required to keep your license active.
It includes:
- Ethics training
- State-mandated topics
- Industry updates
- Product compliance
It is not:
- Sales training
- Carrier product webinars
- FMO boot camps
Those are business development. Not license compliance unless your FMO has filed and approved trainings in your specific state that provide credits.
Do You Own an Agency or Work Closely with Insurance Professionals?
From my seat, yes.
If you own an agency:
You need a system to track your agents’ CE.
If you’re an FMO:
You should:
- Monitor compliance status
- Send renewal reminders
- Offer discounted CE solutions
- Tie CE compliance into contracting workflows
Non-compliant agents = clawbacks + delayed commissions + risk exposure.
CE management is not optional at scale.
How Can I Find Approved Insurance Continuing Education Providers?
Go to:
Your state DOI website → Approved CE Providers list. Or, just use the Redbird short cut and browse any courses through our links above.
Most states maintain searchable databases.
You can also use:
- Sircon
- NIPR
- State licensing portals
Do not assume every online CE platform is approved in every state.
How Often Do Insurance Agents Need to Complete Continuing Education Classes?
Most states:
- 24 hours every 2 years
Some:
- 12–15 hours annually
- Higher requirements for P&C
Always confirm per state.
If you’re licensed in multiple states:
You must meet each state’s requirement independently.
How Many Continuing Education Credits Are Required for Insurance Agents?
Typical standard:
- 24 CE hours per renewal cycle
- 3–4 hours ethics included
- Some states require live classroom hours (less common now)
Special categories:
- Annuity training (often 4 hours initial + ongoing)
- LTC partnership training
- Flood training
What Are the Best Online Platforms for Insurance Continuing Education Classes?
Here are widely used providers in the industry:
- WebCE (This is who Redbird suggests)
- Very popular with independent agents
- Good pricing
- Easy reporting
- Kaplan Financial Education
- Strong compliance reputation
- State-specific bundles
- Higher price, reliable reporting
- ExamFX
- Good for pre-licensing + CE
- Used by agencies training new hires
- Success CE
- Lower cost
- Bulk options for agencies
What matters most:
- Is it approved in your state?
- Does it auto-report?
- Does it track multi-state licenses?
Insurance Continuing Education Advice Agents Shouldn’t Ignore
- Don’t wait until expiration month
- Don’t rely on carrier training to count
- Track CE like you track renewals
- If you run an agency, centralize CE compliance
