Best Insurance Certifications

[jrcarroll291]

Hey all,

I am looking to get some certifications to advance my knowledge and credibility in the insurance industry, yet I am unsure of which ones to get. I am currently a broker at a small agency and plan on staying here for as long as possible as I believe it has the brightest future, however, I would like to boost my credibility from a corporate perspective just in case I ever need to make the jump to the corporate side (most likely as an underwriter). Basically, I am looking for which certifications carry the most weight in the corporate world of insurance. I have read a lot of forums on this topic, and the common consensus is that the certifications are meaningless from a sales perspective. Very few people actually know what those letters mean, and most people seem to believe they don't directly enhance your skills as an agent. That comes from trials, errors, and self-learning.. and I totally agree. Similar to the fact that a college degree doesn't necessarily contribute to an entrepreneur's success as a business owner. I simply think a cert would be great to put on a resume in the event I was ever hunting for a corporate job one day... I just want to prepare myself for any situation. (As well as gain more knowledge). So which ones do you guys feel are worth the time, money, and effort? I am hearing CPCU is the cream of the crop, but it is quite a commitment. I am ok with hard work and commitment obviously, but are there any other combinations of certs that I can get that require less time and money yet yield the same benefits? Thanks for all who take the time to reply!

 

[DHK]

I'd take a look at various credentials that are recognized by your state department of insurance as a substitute for pre-licensing training. These should help your "corporate resume":

This is in California as of 2009:
http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0110-whats-new/upload/NoticeLegislativeChanges2008.pdf

Nationally Recognized Designations
Section 1749 and 1749.4 of the CIC were amended to recognize courses from other nationally recognized designation programs not currently listed in 1749.4, as meeting the standards for prelicensing and continuing education requirements. Effective January 1, 2009, the recognized designations will be as follows:

• Any part of the Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI) program totaling 25 hours for the fire casualty broker-agent license.

• Any part of the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) program totaling 30 hours for the fire casualty broker-agent license.

• Any part of the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) program totaling 25 hours for the life-only or accident health agent license and the fire casualty broker-agent license.

• Any part of the Associate in Risk Management (ARM) program totaling 30 hours for the fire casualty broker-agent license.


There are others listed, but they relate primarily to "Life Only" and/or "Accident and Health" licenses.

There may be other designations that also have a quality educational content, but they may not be nearly as recognized by employers as the ones that State DOI recognize too.

In addition, I'd take a look at the home office personnel and determine "who holds what designation". Just peruse LinkedIn for various companies, look at their employees and check it out.

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There are more listed here, but you'll still need to do your research on them: Professional Designations and certifications for the insurance industry

 

[GreenSky]

I'm not sure if any designations mean much other than the knowledge you gain.

Rick Bronstein, CIC, CBC, ACBC, MSAA, CSA, CLTC

 

[AssociatePI.com]

Look into the chartered property casualty underwriter designation (CPCU) it's one of the premier designations of the inurance industry. Highly regarded and held by only about 4% of the indusrty, I've always heard people refer to it as the "CPA of the insurance industry"

 

[AmirMarashi]

Top Insurance Certifications:

-Health Insurance- Registered Health Underwriter (RHU)
-Life Insurance- Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU)
-Property Casualty Insurance- Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU)
Holders of these three designations are seen throughout the industry as knowledgeable experts on insurance administration, underwriting, and regulation. In the linked articles on the various insurance designations available across the industry, you will find numerous other designations described as well that insurance professionals have used to gain and demonstrate their insurance expertise.

 

[Jeff Biesen]

CPCU and the CLU are two of the most difficult to obtain but are also two the most respected. The CRIS is great if you are focusing on contractors. Certified Authority on Workers' Compensation program (CAWC) is great to gain a thorough understanding of workers compensation and great for any industry since most businesses need workers comp.

Jeff Biesen
Owner of JBI Insurance Group

 

[johndf]

I respect the fact that you want to branch out and get certifications and designations, but I am not a big believer in them other than if you want ongoing education. Bear in mind this is just my opinion and I am sure there may be some folks her that may disagree but you have to ask yourself, What is it that I want to accomplish? If it is to further you knowledge and education of our industry, great, go for it, but if you think that professional designations will make people buy from you, you'll have more letters after your name than money in your bank account.

Most consumers don't even know what some of these designations are. It seem like new certifications and designations keep popping up all the time. I have had agents in our organization that had designations after their name that could not close the door behind them. This is a people business and people buy from you because of the trust and relationship you build with them. Best of Luck with your decision.