Course Title

Course Description

This course is a primer for the agent who wishes to focus primarily on the Personal Automobile line of coverage, including the underlying principles of negligence and social responsibility, the different coverages, general provisions, and responsibilities of the insured after a loss.

This course is a primer for the agent who wishes to review the basics of commercial auto coverage. The Candidate will review all aspects of Automobile insurance, from the basics of who needs coverage, what the different policies offer, when purchasing a policy is recommended, which insurance is the most appropriate, and how will someone benefit from the coverage. Topics will include collision, comprehensive, liability, fire, theft and bodily injury. Underwriting and premium strategies are also included.

This course supplements our basic Errors and Omissions course and goes over case studies of real life circumstances and events where insurance was properly or improperly used to mitigate risk. Court cases are sited and discussed in great detail and special attention is given to common circumstances that can be routinely overlooked when reviewing client needs.

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.

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.

The workers compensation unit introduces the historical evolution of the idea of the employer’s responsibility for the well being of the worker. The principles underlying workers’ compensation are presented and relevant legislation is considered in light of these principles. The role of the Social Security System is discussed as well as the evolving dimensions of that system. Definitions of pertinent terms such as "accident" are offered and the relationship between randomness and economic insecurity is discussed at some length. Finally, illustrative tables of data provide comparative context throughout the unit.

Although the most basic of insurance plans, this topic can become complicated by virtue of all the various nuances associated with proper and complete coverage. Covered in the course are dwelling protection from fire and property protection from fire, theft and vandalism. Terms are explained in depth and the latest strategies are outlined. Flood, renters and common risk factors are also reviewed in-depth. Premium reduction strategies are explored.

Although the most basic of insurance plans, this topic can become complicated by virtue of all the various nuances associated with proper and complete coverage. Covered in the course are dwelling protection from fire and property protection from fire, theft and vandalism. Terms are explained in depth and the latest strategies are outlined. Flood, renters and common risk factors are also reviewed in-depth. Premium reduction strategies are explored.

The purpose of this course is to help you become aware of the difference between the legitimate and fraudulent uses of insurance across the various fields, Fraud can occur during the application period, and it can occur when loss claims are filed. A vigilant agent should be alert for the possibility of fraud, and should be careful to be thorough in gathering information to support an application or a loss claim.

Errors and omissions and professional liability insurance provide important liability protection to professionals. It covers claims for damages that are not covered by other liability forms. Through the purchase of errors and omissions insurance, the professional is protected from the risk of financial loss due to errors, acts, omissions or negligence in the rendering of professional services. The liability insurance environment is rooted in our litigation system. The course begins by discussing the current liability environment. Liability litigation has multiplied over the past few decades. Reasons for the increase in lawsuits and the legal doctrines behind liability suits are covered in this part of the course. Next, the process of managing the risk of liability is examined. This examination reveals that the purchase of insurance is an important part of liability risk management, but there are other steps a professional may take to reduce the potential for loss due to liability.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is the term, which identifies a group of processes through which disputes, conflicts and cases are resolved outside of formal litigation procedures. These processes were developed as an adjunct to our legal system. At the basis of ADR is the negotiation process. But, for a number of reasons, direct negotiations do not always result in satisfactory settlements. Often, when direct negotiations fail to produce a resolution, a neutral third party can provide assistance in reaching a resolution to a dispute.

As an item of concern for underwriters, mold is a fairly recent visitor to the risk management arena. The trend in increasing claims was disturbing enough to cause ISO to file new endorsements clarifying or restricting coverage for damage from mold. In this course, we will examine the causes of mold and means of dealing with it, both insurance and non-insurance methods. We will explore the extent of coverage provided under the Commercial Property and Homeowners forms and the effect of the new ISO endorsements on that coverage and we will discuss the legal basis for both property and liability mold claims.

This course is a primer for the agent who wishes to review the basics of auto coverage. The Candidate will review all aspects of Automobile insurance, from the basics of who needs coverage, what the different policies offer, when purchasing a policy is recommended, which insurance is the most appropriate, and how will someone benefit from the coverage. Topics will include collision, comprehensive, liability, fire, theft and bodily injury. Underwriting and premium strategies are also included.

The product liability unit introduces the origins of product liability as well as the legal evolution of its concept. Significant terms are defined as the relevant legislation is introduced. Theories of recovery, such as negligence and breach of warranty are discussed along with their origins and their respective requirements for evidentiary proof. Standards of responsibility for manufacturers and sellers are enumerated in terms of the legal definition of care. The concepts of proximate cause and privity of contract are considered in some detail. Court examples are given.

How do you insure your building against fire? How do you know the value of inventory? Do you insure a fleet of automobiles at their current or replacement value? This course helps the successful candidate evaluate the risk of owning and operating a business and helps identify the real risk of a fire, flood or other unforeseen disaster. A significant amount of time is spent discussing the potential losses a business can incur during the interruption of business rather than just the loss of property.

Topics covered by this course include Employee Benefits such as Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Dental, Short-term Disability, Long-term Disability and dependent benefits. In-depth instruction covers risk evaluation, census gathering, HIPAA, COBRA, fully insured plans, self-insured plans and Flexible benefit programs. Property and Casualty issues are also covered by discussion of personal liability, auto and building coverage, errors and omissions, director’s liability, harassment and government compliance.

The sale of any type of unlicensed insurance product in any state is a serious offense. Each state has its own method of punishing the agent or broker who sold the unlicensed insurance product. Some states may fine the agent/broker; others may suspend or revoke the agent’s license. Some states may force the agent/broker to pay the claims of the consumer who bought the unlicensed insurance product. And some states have recently changed their laws to put the agent or broker firmly in the hot seat. Do you know your state’s statutes? Can you afford not knowing? This course is focused on preparing agents and brokers to recognize unlicensed insurance products in any state. The course is also a cautionary tale, seller beware.

The Terrorist Risk Insurance Act of 2002 attempted to more clearly define what is meant by "terrorism", at least for the purposes of the law. Since this is, after all, an insurance course, we will use that definition here, the core of which is, an act that has "been committed by an individual or individuals acting on behalf of any foreign person or foreign interest, as part of an effort to coerce the civilian population of the United States or to influence the policy or affect the conduct of the United States Government by coercion." While the law goes on to include several other criteria that further narrow the scope of the definition, it nevertheless leaves some questions unanswered, questions we will discuss in this course.

The umbrella insurance unit introduces definitions and approaches to excess liability insurance as well as the evolution and purposes of these specialized policies. Significant reasons for seeking umbrella insurance policies are discussed in the context of public opinion and the nature of jury awards. The characteristics and structure of liability claims involving both property and people are distinguished and the meaning of "a prudent and reasonable man" is offered. The nature of risk and its various categories are explored, as are the methods of pricing risk. Common themes found in liability cases and in liability policies are explored. Finally, exemplary forms and charts provide illustrative context throughout the unit and a glossary of terms is provided at the end of the last module as a tool for reference and review.

This course is designed to help the successful candidate advise a client as to what the risks of business ownership are. Chapters discuss the significant risk that can be insured against concerning personal and corporate liabilities, ranging from fire and flood to malfeasance, embezzlement, and sexual harassment.

Underwriting is a critically important function and is performed each time an insurance application is taken. Its purpose is to determine if applications represent risks acceptable to the insurer to determine whether or not the insurer will issue a policy to an applicant. Underwriting is based on a variety of criteria, established by each insurer and regulated by state and federal law. Each underwriting decision involves balancing the insurer’s desire to earn premium with the insurer’s ability to cover claims and remain in compliance with regulatory financial requirements while making a profit.
This course discusses each important facet of underwriting. It begins by answering the question "What is Underwriting?" in Chapter One. Factors in underwriting, including key components used in underwriting when the application insures people, property, a business or business operations, are delineated. Then, the various types of underwriters are discussed and how their responsibilities differ depending upon the line of insurance they underwrite. The four basic underwriting decisions, whether to reject an application, issue the application as substandard, issue the application as standard, or issued the application as preferred, are taken up next. Finally, the monitoring of underwriting decisions is explained.

The workers compensation unit introduces the historical evolution of the idea of the employer’s responsibility for the well being of the worker. This responsibility is then placed in the context of social responsibility in general. The principles underlying workers’ compensation are presented and relevant legislation is considered in light of these principles. The role of the Social Security System is discussed as well as the evolving dimensions of that system. Definitions of pertinent terms such as "accident" are offered and the relationship between randomness and economic insecurity is discussed at some length. Finally, illustrative tables of data provide comparative context throughout the unit.