Course Title

Course Description

This course covers the very basic forms of annuities. Chapters include discussion of split-funded, lifetime benefit, vested, trust enshrined and traditional plans. Who is a candidate for an annuity purchase? Who is the beneficiary? What are the tax implications? What are the penalties for early withdrawal? A successful student will have a basic knowledge of the intricacies of annuities.

For years, fixed annuities have not only become quite popular but have proved to be a ·safe· and reasonably rewarding investment for many people. However, one of the major concerns with investors is that fixed annuities don't tend to mirror inflation and as interest rates rise all fixed income investments tend to be less in demand. Along came variable annuities, which invest in the stock market through mutual funds. However, there are many investors who have a great fear of investing in anything that is related to the stock market and the performance of individual equities. The variable annuities also tend to draw bad ·press· from various consumer magazines. The may articles written center on the ·high expenses· of the variable annuity and associated risks. Now we have the all-new Equity Index Annuity in which the rate of return is determined as a defined share in the appreciation of a chosen outside index, with a guaranteed minimum return. As this product is new, there are many states that have conducted numerous hearings and investigations as to how they work and if clients can benefit. This text will first review the basic fixed annuity, then the variable annuity and finally details and information on the equity index annuity

This advanced course helps the candidate review the latest strategies and approaches guiding variable annuity policies. Risk exposure profiles and the inter-relatedness of markets and macro-economies are considered. Various approaches within sub-accounts are described in terms of their ability to hedge against these risks. The variable annuity strategy is then placed within the context of an overall investment campaign for people in different stages of their life. . Rating criteria of the various services are outlined and compared in terms of their relationship to the insurance industry.

This course covers some of the various types of trusts, as well as other ways of holding title to property. It includes a discussion on charitable contributions, relative to a trust, as well as the types of contributions that can be made. Valuation via the internet is reviewed, and there is a module on difficult assets to value. Some tax implications relative to trusts and life insurance are outlined at the end of the course.

The Employee Benefit Plans Unit discusses the origins, mechanics, and the philosophical justification for employee benefit plans. The relationships among private employee benefit plans and Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are considered in a comparative manner. The various components of employee benefit plans are analyzed in terms of their relative merits as well as in terms of their role as response mechanisms to evolving social conditions.

In today’s world, most of us are concentrating and devoting our time and attention to the acquisition of all types of property, both tangible and intangible.  What helps provoke this concentrated activity is the marketing by various investment firms who concentrate on the importance of wealth accumulation. The problem that ultimately will confront all of us is the lack of appropriate planning and preparation for the disposition of property after death. Common sense tells us that we will not be around after death to make sure that our property goes where we want it to go. Therefore, it is so very important to adequately plan for this time in the future. Some of our goals should be to ensure that the property we acquire during our lifetime passes to the ones we intend to benefit with the least possible delay and is received by our loved ones with the lowest possible death taxes.  Of equal importance is to make sure that property is passed quickly so as to become monetarily efficient in providing our beneficiaries with the income needed to make their lives more comfortable.

This course covers the broad topic of Ethics, including basic guiding principles, importance of acting in an ethical manner, and how to test to determine whether or not an action is ethical or not. Although the course was written for the national Association of Health Underwriters, it has applicability to all insurance professionals and is eligible for CE credit.

The course has two broad divisions, The Practical Foundations for Insurance Ethics, and the Professional Foundation for Insurance Ethics. Under practical foundations, we will look at the agent's fiduciary responsibility to clients, the agent's obligations to the insurer/employer; and regulatory agencies. Under the professional foundation, we will look at the aspects of professionalism referred to in this introduction. It is our wish that upon completion of this course, you will have a thorough understanding of what professional ethics are as related to the field of insurance, how they operate, why they are important, and what they mean to the individual who adheres to them.

Have you ever been angry at someone who seems to lack integrity dealing with people. This topic discusses why Ethics are important and essential in life. Why are Ethics important? How can I promote ethical behavior in my family, my colleagues and myself? How can I deal with simple, day-to-day, ethical issues? What are the advantages and goals of ethical behavior? These issues are outlined as they relate to a professional career

This basic course gives an introduction to health and life insurance concepts, outlining words, phrases and terms, relative to each product. A successful candidate will understand the terminology needed to deal with Health and Life Insurance issues.

An in depth review of different types of policies offered to the public, including whole life, variable contracts, term and universal policies. Topics of interest include taxable consequences of investment and surrender, tax advantages of life policies and second to die strategies. In depth discussion of all types of investment is also included. Underwriting strategy and mortality tables are highlighted, as well as a brief explanation of basic life terms. 

Currently, one in eight Americans is over 65 years old. Grandparents outnumber teenagers, and the population is growing older by the day. For any number of reasons, the aged are getting older while the number of Americans over 65 is growing rapidly, and the over 75 group will be growing even faster. By the turn of the twentieth century, half of the population over 65 will be over 75, and one in three senior citizens will be over 80 years old.

This course will explain the alternatives to traditional nursing facilities. It also covers alternatives to costly in-patient services, which are reviewed in the light of changes in provider reimbursement. We will identify and compare the approaches to paying for long-term care, namely, reliance on government programs, out of pocket payment and, of course, long-term care insurance. Other topics will involve, remove will revolve planning, caring, market analyzing, and the role that agents play in administering long-term care insurance plans

The Managed Health Care Unit discusses the origins, operations and philosophical justifications for managed health care. The reasons behind the dramatic growth of these services in the 1980’s and 1990’s are considered in a cause and effect format. The distinguishing characteristics of a managed care program are analyzed in terms of the relationship between cost and quality and the rating systems that measure this balance. The response of managed care plans and of traditional plans to the relationship between costs and needs is described. The Unit also includes a detailed inquiry into enrollment procedures and the crucial topic of coverage. The Unit concludes with a discussion of the recent developments in the managed health care field.

The agent of the 21st century deals with stiff competition, fast-paced decisions and some very unpredictable insurance markets. To aggravate this condition, we live in an era where courts are very sympathetic to consumers. People seem to feel entitled to seek complete and generous compensation for the smallest problems, even when they are contributors or the discovered source. Furthermore, the consumer of our time has lost all respect for the status of the professional, any professional. This includes doctors, lawyers, teachers, clergy, real estate brokers, stockbrokers and insurance agents. Few would think twice about suing any one of these professionals to receive satisfaction for an honest mistake, let alone one leading to a financial loss or injury. Understanding this, it is easy to see that the selling of insurance can lead to conflicts and legal disputes.

Before discussing Medigap and the other types of private insurance available to supplement Medicare, it will be helpful to review Medicare itself. Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people age 65 or older, people of any age with permanent kidney failure, and certain disabled people under the age of 65. Medicare is probably the largest and most expensive single program that the federal government runs.  Medicare sort of got its beginning back in the early 1960s when new society programs were being started by President John Kennedy and later continued by President Lyndon Johnson.  In 1965 Senator Hubert Humphrey argued for the passage of Medicare laws on the floor of the senate. 

This course is written with not only the financial services industry in mind but also for those persons who are outside the industry and trying to get a handle on investments. It is recognized that not every person has an extensive background in either financial services academics or experience. The text assumes that the reader has a desire to tackle a fascinating subject that may have real impact on his or her well-being. Thus, while the presentation may be at an elementary level, some of the concepts are very sophisticated. No attempt is made to make the material unnecessarily difficult, but the very nature of evaluating investments and choosing among competing uses for the saver’s funds is not easy, nor should it be.
Investing requires an ability to forecast future events, or at least to anticipate them. If one knew what was going to happen, investing would be easy. But no one can predict the future as the future is made up of expectations, and these expectations in many cases are not fulfilled. Certainly, the large decline in the stock market in October 1987 caught many investors by surprise. It is a primary aim of this text to make investing a little less difficult by explaining the terms and techniques used by professionals.

The insurance industry is cyclical by nature and we are now in another cycle of rapidly rising group health premiums. This in turn has caused many agents and brokers to place business with so called ERISA and MEWA plans. This action by many agents has often put consumers at risk, raised the attention of state regulators, and jeopardized their own insurance licenses. This course will explore some hands-on specifics and responsibilities of agents and brokers in the sale of self-insured and ERISA business. The course also spells out why MEWA plans are always under the regulation of you state’s Department of Insurance (DOI). Seller Beware illustrates how agents can best protect citizens of America, themselves, and their licenses when selling these lines of business. From due diligence, to sales calls, to plan document delivery, this course is built from experienced advice.

This course will explain the alternatives to traditional nursing facilities. It also covers alternatives to costly in-patient services, which are reviewed in the light of changes in provider reimbursement. We will identify and compare the approaches to paying for long-term care, namely, reliance on government programs, out of pocket payment and, of course, long-term care insurance. Other topics will involve, remove will revolve planning, caring, market analyzing, and the role that agents play in administering long-term care insurance plans

One of the newest forms of life insurance deals with a contract that builds value based on stock and bond market performance. The owner of the policy is asked to select from a group of fund choices and a portion of the insurance premium is invested on behalf of the policyholder. This course helps the successful candidate determine the proper coverage, investment strategy and mortality need of a client.