Self-Study Course Descriptions

Choose from a variety of courses available for state insurance CE credit. When you are ready to order, call (800) 345-5669 and ask to speak with a self-study representative. Prices start at $34.95 for pdf versions and $39.95 for hard copies, plus shipping and handling.

Course Title	Course Description
Advisors Guide to Medicare and Medicaid	Advisors Guide to Medicare and Medicaid provides a detailed study of Medicare, Medigap policies, and Medicaid. In each of these programs, the areas of eligibility, enrollment, benefits, deductibles, and co-payments are analyzed in great detail. This course also includes a chapter on Medicaid Planning discussing the issue of transferring assets during the “crisis stage,” use of Trusts, qualifying Medicaid Annuities and Promissory Notes. The new 2010 Medicare supplement plans are explained in detail as is how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 affect Medicare and Medicaid. View State Insurance credit hours.
Estate Planning	There is a widespread misconception that “estate planning” is of importance only to the wealthy. This is due, in part, to the emphasis of the financial service industry on planning for estate taxes, which only concern larger estate owners. The truth of the matter is, every person, young or old, who has a family or owns property, needs an estate plan. A good estate plan will allow a person to reach desired economic, legal, and personal objectives. Estate Planning is an educational tool to help financial advisors through the maze of programs, rules and regulations that affect many if not all of their clients, their spouses and dependents. The course is broken down into four sections. The first section will cover the basics, i.e. why planning is essential, and the fundamental elements; Property; Probate; Wills; as well as planning for Incapacitation. The second section continues by discussing estate taxation and analysis. The third section will review trust planning; introducing the various trusts available.Section four focuses on advanced strategies: GRATS, IDGTs, FLPs, Assets, U.S. Citizens, Resident Aliens, and Charitable Giving. View State Insurance credit hours.
Ethics for the Insurance Producer	In recognition of the growing ethical dilemmas that insurance producers are facing, many state lawmakers have taken a proactive approach to make ethics a mandatory requirement as part of their on-going continuing education requirements. This course has been designed to meet those state requirements as well as to help insurance producers identify possible ethical dilemmas and provide the tools to help resolve those issues. View State Insurance credit hours.
Florida 4 Hour Law and Ethics Update for 214 and 215 licensees	Insurance is a highly regulated industry. It is regulated to protect the public interest and to make sure insurance is available on an equitable basis. This course will review the regulation of the industry from several perspectives and divided among a number of authorities. Topics covered include the licensing and oversight of insurance producers and insurers which protect the consumer and allow the Department to maintain standards of uniformity of new Florida insurance laws and updates. In addition, the course will review the federal laws relevant to Florida licensed insurance professionals.
Guide to Annuities & NY Insurance Law, Ethics and Professionalism, Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias	This course has been developed to give the New York financial and insurance professional a complete guide to understanding annuities, annuity tax laws and contract structure, and the new NY DI&E requirement.
Guide to IRAs and NY Insurance Law, Ethics & Professionalism, Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias	This is a continuing education course that covers all aspects of Individual Retirement Accounts. Section II is designed to help the financial advisor or insurance professional benefit the client with more in-depth information concerning the history and specific types of IRAs; investing; protections; estate planning; and, education. Sections III and IV of the course present the understanding of New York Insurance Regulation in conjunction with federal regulation. It includes an outline of the key provisions for Life and Health producers. In Section II the course defines Ethics and gives steps to aid in navigating ethical dilemmas. The last section explores the questions of diversity, inclusion, equity and equality, and the recognition of bias.
Guide to Retirement Planning Strategies	This course has been developed to give the advisor (licensed agent) a complete guide in the retirement planning strategy process. The course will focus on the five step retirement planning process and examine the various risk factors needed to be considered when developing a retirement plan for your client. It will examine the various sources of retirement income based on the three-legged stool (Social Security, Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans, Savings and IRAs) and introduce a fourth leg to the stool consisting of insurance products and working in retirement. Also addressed is the complex topic of retirement plan distributions and the many rules and regulations that surround this issue. Finally, the course addresses the subject of health care and long-term care planning in retirement with a discussion of Health Savings Accounts, Medicare, and LTC Planning with the use of LTCI and Hybrid LTCI policies as well as the use of reverse mortgages. View State Insurance credit hours.
Life Insurance, Annuity and Ethical Practices	Life insurance is one of the most important tools in modern financial planning, but it is not always the most appreciated. In the purest sense, life insurance is something that pays a death benefit to someone when an insured person dies. The risk of an early death is evident to most of us, particularly when we have family obligations, dependent minor children to provide for, and unpaid debts. The need to cover expenses and replace lost family income if early death occurs may be the main reason why people purchase pure life insurance protection, but it is not the only reason people purchase life insurance products. This course will provide a review of the historical evolution of life insurance and into the 21st century, examining its many forms, other types of benefits, and making it the foundation for financial planning. View State Insurance credit hours.
Long Term Care Training Course 8 Hour	This course follows the NAIC Training Outline. The course will discuss the disclosure and performance for long-term care Insurance. It will also go over the producer training requirements, incontestability period and the non-forfeiture benefits. In addition these topics will be discussed; the Authority to promulgate regulations, administrative procedures, severability, and the penalties. The purpose of this act is to promote the availability of long-term care insurance policies. There are all the Long Term Care Partnership requirements in this course material. Topics to be discussed as follows: Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Asset Protection, Required Provisions, Residency Requirements, and Benefit Triggers. This is an 8-hour continuing education course for Long Term Care that is designed to help the agent benefit the client with more in-depth information regarding the uses of long term care. The course covers information concerning, what is long-term care, what services it provides, the facilities where long-term care can be found. The course also goes into providing information of who pays for coverage; the availability of insurance products and how the Long Term Care products are designed. Also, this course covers in depth each of the policies provisions and benefits. Alternative investment choices are also discussed so the agent can help inform their clients into different investment choice that can help insured to cover the costs of Long Term Insurance.
NAIC 4 Hour Annuity Training Course	On March 28, 2010, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the voluntary organization of insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. Territories, adopted and published its *2010 Suitability in Annuity Transactions Model Regulation (Model Regulation)* which adopts new standards and procedures for suitable annuity recommendations and to require insurers to establish a system to supervise recommendations so that the insurance needs and financial objectives of consumers are appropriately addressed. Specifically, Section 7B of the Model Regulation, requires a one-time, minimum four credit hour general annuity training course offered by an insurance-department approved education provider and approved by an insurance department in accordance with applicable insurance education training laws or regulations.
NAIC 4 Hour Long Term Care Insurance	This course has been developed to meet the requirement that all agents selling, soliciting or negotiating long-term care insurance, whether or not partnership policies are sold, must complete an on-going four (4) hour training program every two years income, the probabilities used in distribution analysis, safe withdrawal rates, risk management, asset allocation, portfolio volatility, cash flow strategies; reverse mortgages, how to use tax-advantaged life insurance products, life settlements, needs for long-term care insurance and uses of annuities, especially Immediate Annuities. The answers to these questions require careful study, and nowhere else will you find the study aids you need presented as effectively as they are in this course material. Retirement Income Redesigned gathers within one volume (20 Chapters) the leverage that practical expertise and innovative ideas can bring to what will certainly become every financial and insurance professionals greatest challenge in the decade ahead.
NY Insurance Law, Ethics and Professionalism, Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias	This course presents the understanding of New York Insurance Regulation in conjunction with federal regulation. It includes an outline of the key provisions for Life and Health producers. In Section II the course defines Ethics and gives steps to aid in navigating ethical dilemmas. The last section explores the questions of diversity, inclusion, equity and equality, and the recognition of bias.
Retirement Plans for Small Businesses	Small businesses constitute an essential element of the U.S. economy. Approximately 30 million small businesses operate in the United States, making up the vast majority of employer firms in the country. Collectively, these small businesses employ nearly 80 million workers or approximately half of all private sector employees. This course is designed to review and clarify the diverse business structures and the benefit plans available to each. View State Insurance credit hours.
The Advisors Guide to 401(k) Plans	This course has been developed to enhance the Advisors 401(k) knowledge and provide updates on the most recent 401(k) plan guidance. With recent tax law changes, Department of Labor requirements and court settlements, this course extends beyond the basics to cover special 401(k) testing rules and design options, as well as, ERISA and fiduciary responsibilities of the “parties of interest.” View State Insurance credit hours.
The Advisors Guide to Annuities and Ethical Practices	This course has been developed to give the financial and insurance professional a complete guide to understanding annuities, annuity tax laws and contract structure, and their suitability and ethical marketing practices. View State Insurance credit hours.
The Advisors Guide to IRAs	This is a continuing education course that covers all aspects of Individual Retirement Accounts. The course is designed to help the financial advisor or insurance professional benefit the client with more in-depth information concerning the history and specific types of IRAs; investing; protections; estate planning; and, education. View State Insurance credit hours.
The Advisors Guide to Social Insurance Programs	The Advisors Guide to Social Insurance Programs is an educational tool to help advisors through the maze of programs, rules and regulations that affect many if not all of their aging Baby Boomer clients, their spouses and dependents. The course is broken down into three sections to give the advisor an understanding of the various benefits of the Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid programs. View State Insurance credit hours.
The Advisors Guide to Social Security Benefits	The Advisors Guide to Social Security Benefits has been written primarily for financial and insurance advisors to increase their knowledge and comfort zone to be able to assist their clients in navigating the often-complex world of Social Security Benefits. While the rules governing Social Security are complex, this study material will equip the advisor with the information and heuristics to make the most of Social Security benefits. Although there is never just one right answer for the questions client may ask about Social Security, it is important to understand the options available in each client's case. View State Insurance credit hours.
Understanding Social Security, Medicare and Government Benefits	Understanding Social Security, Medicare, and Government Benefits is an educational tool to help financial advisors through the maze of programs, rules and regulations that affect many if not all of their aging Baby Boomer clients, their spouses and dependents. The course is broken down into three sections. The first section is to give the financial advisor an understanding of the various benefits of the Social Security program by examining the history of Social Security and the various Social Security programs. The section will continue by discussing how workers, spouses and dependents qualify, how benefits are calculated, when to apply, and how to maximize benefits. The second section will explain Medicare and its various programs, Part A, Part B, Part C (Advantage Plans), Part D and a review of Medicare (Medigap) Supplement policies. The third section will review the Government Benefits and review both Federal Government benefit programs as well as Veterans Benefit programs. View State Insurance credit hours.