New Finger in the Texas Pie???

[stormtracker]

I received this email yesterday as it is nearing time for me to renew CE's. I'd sure like to have my finger in this pie too:

NEW: Texas Insurance Continuing
Education Rule Changes
Dear xxxxxxxxx,

All insurance continuing education course completions will now be required to be reported by providers to Sircon. In addition, all CE completed after February 3rd will be required to pay a Sircon filing fee for each CE hour completed. You still have time to avoid the new requirements if you complete your CE now!

 

[Russ]

My birthday is next month. I completed my hours last weekend. I only need 20 being I've been in the business over 6 years. The cost for my Florida CE hours...$39.95. I use to pay over $100. It was a magazine mailed to me with 116 pages to read. The questions in the test were the EXACT same sample questions that were at the end of each section. What a waste of money.

 

[stormtracker]

Russ, Does your state have this Sircon outfit? What are they?

 

[Russ]

Russ, Does your state have this Sircon outfit? What are they?

Never heard of them. I see them all over when google searching...SIRCON - Google Search
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Russ, Does your state have this Sircon outfit? What are they?

Looks like some sort of go between...3rd party administrator.

 

[stormtracker]

Per Google:

"Sircon is a software and services company focused on serving the needs of the insurance industry. Sircon’s solutions are aimed at reducing complexity associated with regulation and compliance."

Looks to me like Sircon will be the "go between" the D.O.I. and the licensing/CE entities and the agent. Gone are they days of ordering your CE stuff through snail mail I guess. Of course, there will be a tidy fee for this convenience... But, what irks me is the statement that I will have to pay a "Sircon fee." So, is there a bend-over fee too???

 

[HomeService]

Come on.. we have all these people employed by the State Board in Austin, and they can't check up on continuing ed? All they have to do is make you show them a completion certificate upon renewal. I am pretty sure that's how it was in the 1990's. I moved here in 1990, I live in Austin, so I always go up there and renew in person. It's on 3rd st and colorado, you go in there and they give you a badge and you go to like the 7th or 9th floor or so, up this elevator. People renewing by mail could get a certificate for themselves to keep and one to mail. Why do we need a third party?

 

[Russ]

Per Google:

"Sircon is a software and services company focused on serving the needs of the insurance industry. Sircon’s solutions are aimed at reducing complexity associated with regulation and compliance."

Looks to me like Sircon will be the "go between" the D.O.I. and the licensing/CE entities and the agent. Gone are they days of ordering your CE stuff through snail mail I guess. Of course, there will be a tidy fee for this convenience... But, what irks me is the statement that I will have to pay a "Sircon fee." So, is there a bend-over fee too???

I asked my boss years ago when I was working in fast-food....30 years ago...for a raise. His response...bend over!
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Come on.. we have all these people employed by the State Board in Austin, and they can't check up on continuing ed? All they have to do is make you show them a completion certificate upon renewal. I am pretty sure that's how it was in the 1990's. I moved here in 1990, I live in Austin, so I always go up there and renew in person. It's on 3rd st and colorado, you go in there and they give you a badge and you go to like the 7th or 9th floor or so, up this elevator. People renewing by mail could get a certificate for themselves to keep and one to mail. Why do we need a third party?

Money. Yeah, here in Florida you...take the test on-line.... print the certificate of completion off of the internet and fax-in the student affidavit and you're finished. You have to have someone, a disinterested third-party, sign that you didn't cheat, which anyone could do if they wanted to. Really a joke...and no, I didn't cheat.

 

[stormtracker]

Your reference to the state office in Austin reminds me of an incident a few years ago, which is off the thread a bit, so bear with me. A fellow agent reported the company we were working with for violations of referral/licensing regulations which the company endorsed and in fact, paid bonuses on. After he filed the complaint with T.D.I., the issue died. After not hearing back for some time, my friend decided to call the investigator. He was told that despite the clear evidence of violation, they did not have sufficient manpower to devote to the matter because there were more pressing issues they had to attend. If you check the T.D.I. website and look up enforcements, there is page after page of CE violations, agent fines, etc... But, when a COMPANY was whistled on-- they were too busy...

 

[patch36]

Sircon is managing the tracking of CE, Licensing, ect. You can go to their website and get appt in most if not all the states. They provide services for companies and government entities.

I am biased. My son is one of their IT guru's/Directors, so pay the damn fee so my grandkids can be fed and clothed.

 

[stormtracker]

OK, I'm game. But, I just want to know one thing-- does family have to pay the fees???