The year is quickly coming to a close, and many of you must complete your continuing education (CE) credits by the end of the calendar year in order to maintain licensure -- and online CE courses are becoming more popular among insurance professionals. According to a recent study conducted by Agent Media (publisher of the Agent's Sales Journal and Insurance Marketing magazine) and NAILBA (National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies), 59 percent of agents surveyed said they prefer to obtain their CE credits online rather than in a live classroom setting. But before you dive into the convenience of a self-study CE course, there are some basics to take care of.
For some of you, the first step is to confirm when your insurance CE period expires and how many credits you have on file. Most state insurance departments can answer this question, though many jurisdictions require you to file and keep your own record of CE completion certificates from approved providers.
Additionally, pay attention to any special requirements such as mandates to attain a specific number of hours in ethics instruction. For example, California has a new four-hour annuity CE requirement for licensed resident or non-resident agents who wish to sell annuities. Numerous Web resources will provide summaries of various state requirements.
Next, find the best resource for insurance CE content approved to meet your state's requirements. Self-study learning paths tend to come in the form of published books or online programs available via the Internet.
"Find an educational provider that offers enough credits to support current certification needs with the convenience of online accessibility," says Jay Gregory, CLU, ChFC, vice president of operations for Financial Campus. "Time comes at a premium for most insurance professionals, so the benefits of online learning are very valuable."
Online courses provide the convenience of 24/7 access and are accepted by an increasing number of state regulators. And approved educational providers are slowly catching up with this trend, says Gregory. By selecting a provider that has enough courses approved to meet consecutive CE period requirements, you won't find yourself having to shop for another alternative to avoid repeating classes, which most states will not allow.
Once you've completed a self-study course, pay special attention to the exam instructions. Some states have very specific proctoring requirements. You also will be given information about how the credit will be processed, which will often be handled by the educational provider. Whether you report your own credit or not, file a note away or keep a log of your CE credits, including the credit hours, course title and course number, course completion date, who the educational provider was, and whether the CE credit counted toward any of the special state requirements. This will save you time later when you want to verify your CE status and will also help if the state has a discrepancy over your CE status.
Learning for most professionals is optional. Not so for licensed insurance agents, who must meet mandatory education requirements. So do whatever you can to make the most of your educational experience by minimizing the impact on your productive time. By finding an approved educational provider that suits your learning style and covers your CE needs, you can remain productive while meeting your state licensure requirements.
Melissa Ondo is senior manager of project marketing for Learning Resources SBU. For more information, visit www.financialcampus.com.
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