Continuing Education for Your Insurance License: What You Need to Know
Posted on: 13 July 2021
Working in the insurance industry is a rewarding and lucrative career. However, when you obtain your insurance license, you'll also be bound by the continuing education requirements in order to maintain your licensure. For those who are new to the industry and its continuing education requirements, there are some things that you should know. Here's a look at a few of the things to keep in mind as you start looking at your continuing education needs to meet those requirements.
Know Your Credit Requirement
Perhaps the most important part of the continuing education process is knowing exactly what your credit requirement is. Every state has its own regulations about how many credits you're required to have. In New York, for example, you must have 15 hours of continuing education credits. These credits are often required after your insurance license has been active for at least two years, and will be mandatory for every license renewal thereafter.
Consider The Format Options
Many people in the insurance industry automatically think of live, in-person classes when they think about their continuing education options. While that used to be the sole option available, recent times have changed drastically. Now, you have a variety of choices regarding how you obtain your credits. You can still choose to attend those live classes in person, but that's not the only choice you have. With technology becoming a bigger priority each year, continuing education classes are making the transition as well.
You can attend virtual sessions of live training from home using teleconferencing platforms. This is an ideal choice if you still prefer the opportunity to interact with the instructor, engage with other classmates, and maintain active discussion. However, there are also self-paced, individual courses available online and by mail if you wish to obtain some of your credits in a more personalized, self-focused approach.
Choose Your Focus
Since every state requires multiple credits of continuing education, one course per licensing period isn't going to be sufficient. That's actually a good thing, though. Having to take multiple courses for your continuing education requirement gives you the opportunity to explore multiple areas of focus to help better your career. Look for something that's focused on the type of insurance you specialize in first. These courses often focus on the latest coverage options, risk factors, and other changes that need to be taken into account as you continue to write new policies and maintain your existing ones. You should also consider adding an ethics course in each continuing education term. These courses are beneficial refreshers that can even provide new and updated information as perceptions and times change.
These are a few of the things you need to know as you pursue your continuing education requirements to maintain your insurance license. Look for a continuing education provider near you today for more details.
Keep these details in mind when looking for New York insurance CE options.
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