By Ed Hulse


Insurance education is required for applicants who wish to become agents. They must pass tests that show their knowledge is sufficient to help their clients. Each state has its own exam. It is a complicated industry, with many rules and regulations. Knowledge of all facets of it is essential to provide a valuable service to clients.

The industry was created to protect people from extreme financial losses. It is designed to get them back to the same financial position they were in before the accident. If a policy has a high deductible, it is less expensive than one that has a much lower deductible.

The money from the sale of all of the policies is put into a pool. When some of the customers have losses, money is pulled from that pull. If there are too many losses, the pool is diminished, so the rates must be raised. In extreme conditions, like in often-flooded coastal areas, the sale of flood insurance may be dropped by a company. There are strict regulations concerning when this can be done.

The only people who are legally authorized to sell insurance policies are licensed agents. Each type of policy that is available requires that the agent is tested and licensed to sell it. Any kind of policy, like for life and property policies, requires a test. The names of the tests are referred to by number, for example, Series 6 or Series 63.

For financial advisers who will be selling stocks and bonds, another test is required. The Series 7 is a detailed exam that covers all aspects of investing and risk management. It is a very difficult test. Most people study for it for several months before attempting it.

In addition to the initial licensing tests, agents are required to obtain continuing education credits to maintain licenses. For the most part, each state has its own requirements concerning the number of hours required. The courses are self-study and can be taken online to meet requirements. Your state regulations will let you know what is required.

The educational requirements that most companies look for in their prospective agents is, at minimum, a bachelor's degree. When completing the courses to get your degree, a concentration in business is very helpful. Coursework in public speaking is also very helpful, since you will be interacting with customers on a daily basis.

Take advantage of insurance education so you can continue to take care of your clients. It will help you to refresh your knowledge and help them even better. Check with your locality for the regulations that apply.




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