BetterCE

What Are the Penalties if I Don’t Renew My Illinois Insurance License on Time?

Posted on 12.19.22

To renew your Illinois insurance license, you must complete your continuing education requirements every two years before your license expiration date. Our article “How to Keep Your Insurance License Active in Illinois” provides details on continuing education renewal requirements.

If you don’t complete your continuing education on time, you cannot transact insurance business until the license is reinstated. This article provides further insight into the penalties and how to reinstate your Illinois insurance license.

Illinois Insurance License Expiration and Reinstatement

You must complete your continuing education before you can access the renewal application. That makes it particularly important to complete it early. In fact, the Illinois Department of Insurance states that you must be CE compliant at least ten business days prior to the expiration date.

The Illinois insurance license is inactivated immediately after the expiration date if the required continuing education isn’t completed.

Agents have up to one year to reinstate their license by paying the renewal fee of $215 plus a $215 reinstatement penalty for a total of $430. After one year, reapplying for a new license is the only option available. You can find detailed instructions for reinstating your license at Illinois Reinstate Resident License. However, before that can happen, you’ll need to complete all the required continuing education.

Don’t Let This Happen to You — Sign Up for Continuing Education Now

We’ve got you covered with both online training and webinars. That makes completing all the requirements for renewing or reinstating your Illinois insurance license quick and easy.

The online training is self-paced and delivered to your computer, tablet, and smartphone. The quizzes and exams are scored instantly, and you can take them as many times as necessary to pass. Plus, you can return to the training whenever it is convenient. The course progress bar tells you exactly where you left off. This is a relatively quick way to accomplish your CE requirements.

Our webinar courses are instructor-led and delivered live using video conferencing. You’re required to be in attendance for the entire class time, with check-ins at random times throughout the webinar to confirm your attendance. Students can interact and ask questions. The advantages of webinars include no required reading and no quizzes or final exams.

We’ve got you covered with all the courses you need. The complete listing is in our Illinois Insurance Continuing Education Course Catalog. We also provide a classroom equivalent course to meet the Illinois ethics training requirement.

Completion Reported the Same Day

Note that your continuing education course credits will be reported directly to the Illinois Department of Insurance on the same day you complete the training. So, we’ve got you covered when you’re trying to complete your training quickly.

We’re Here to Help You with Your Illinois Insurance License

We’re confident that the continuing education you need to renew or reinstate your Illinois insurance license is easily accessible through our website. If not, call our office, and we’ll happily assist you.

At BetterCE, we provide more than the most convenient and affordable solution for insurance continuing education. Our agent support services are provided by experienced insurance licensing professionals who have helped thousands of agents easily navigate the renewal process.

Have a question or need assistance? Phone 1-888-501-7330 for our customer care team. We also respond to emails as well as via our Contact Form. On our contact page, you can also sign up for convenient license renewal reminders so that you never have to deal with an expired license.

What if I Don’t Complete My New York Insurance Continuing Education On Time?

Posted on 12.12.22

To renew your New York insurance license, you must complete your insurance continuing education requirements every two years before your license expiration date. Our article “How to Keep Your Insurance License Active in New York” provides details on continuing education renewal requirements.

If you don’t complete your continuing education on time, you cannot transact insurance business until your license is reinstated. This article provides further insight into how to reinstate your New York insurance license.

New York Insurance License Expiration and Reinstatement

Your license is eligible for renewal within 180 days of the license expiration date, but only if all your continuing education requirements are completed. The license expiration date is determined by the licensee’s birth date and occurs every two years. If you do not complete your CE and renew your license prior to your license expiration date, then your license will be considered expired, all of your company appointments will be terminated, and you will be prohibited from transacting insurance business.

Agents have up to two years to reinstate their expired license, but all of the continuing education requirements must be completed prior to submitting a relicensing application. If your license has expired for more than two years, you’ll need to requalify by retaking the licensing exam.

The New York Department of Financial Services will grant exemptions from insurance continuing education requirements to licensees called to active military duty during the term of their license. When applying for renewal or relicensing, you’ll need to forward your military documentation certifying your active duty status to the Department requesting the CE exemption.

Don’t Let This Happen to You — Sign Up for Insurance Continuing Education Now

BetterCE has you covered with both online training and webinars. That makes completing all the requirements for renewing or reinstating your license quick and easy.

Our webinar courses are instructor-led and delivered live using video conferencing. You’re required to be in attendance for the entire class time, with check-ins at random times throughout the webinar to confirm your attendance. Students can interact and ask questions. The advantages of webinars include no required reading and no quizzes or final exams.

We’ve got you covered with all the courses you need. The complete listing is in our New York Insurance Continuing Education Course Catalog.

Completion Reported the Same Day

Note that your insurance continuing education course credits will be reported directly to the New York Department of Financial Services on the same day you complete the training. So, we’ve got you covered when you’re trying to complete your training quickly.

BetterCE Is Here to Help With Your Insurance Continuing Education

We’re confident that the continuing education you need to renew or reinstate your license is easily accessible through our website. If not, call our office, and we’ll happily assist you.

At BetterCE, we provide more than the most convenient and affordable solution for insurance continuing education. Our agent support services are provided by experienced insurance licensing professionals who have helped thousands of agents easily navigate the renewal process.

Have a question or need assistance? Call 1-888-501-7330 for our customer care team. We also respond to emails via our Contact Form. On our contact page, you can also sign up for convenient license renewal reminders so that you never have to deal with an expired license.

What if I Don’t Complete My Florida Insurance Continuing Education on Time?

Posted on 11.20.22

We frequently receive calls from Florida insurance agents asking, “What if I don’t complete my continuing education requirements before my CE Due Date?”, “What are the penalties?”, and “Are there extensions?”. In this article, we’ll cover everything Florida insurance agents need to know to keep their license active and what penalties and options are available if they don’t meet the necessary requirements on time.

What Are the Requirements to Keep My Florida License Active?

The great news is that there are no renewal requirements for Florida-licensed insurance agents. There’s no renewal application, and better yet, no renewal fees. The only requirement for Florida major-lines licensed insurance agents to keep their license active is to complete their continuing education requirements every 2 years prior to their CE Due Date. That’s it!

Your CE requirements are determined by what license(s) you hold and how long you’ve been licensed. The requirements are straightforward, but in this article, we want to address what happens if you don’t do your CE requirements in time. If you want to learn about your CE requirements and deadlines, we strongly suggest reading our article How to Keep Your Insurance License Active in Florida. It details everything Florida agents need to know about what courses they need to take.

Florida Insurance License Expiration and Reinstatement

So, what happens if you don’t complete your Florida Insurance CE on time? As we’ve mentioned, Florida agents must complete their CE Requirements every 2 years prior to their CE End Date. Agents who do not complete their CE on time are subject to fines and penalties – there are no grace periods. If you do miss your CE Due Date deadline, you will have up to approximately 60 days to complete any outstanding CEs, sign a Stipulation Agreement with the Florida Department of Financial Services, and pay a fine of $250.

The details of this will be sent to your My Profile account within 45 days of missing your CE Due Date. If you fail to complete the requirements of the Stipulation Agreement (complete CE and pay fine) within the timeframes allowed (approximately 60 days from missed CE Due Date), all of your company appointments will be canceled, and you will be unable to transact insurance business.

Agents who have their appointments canceled still have up to 48 months from their original, missed CE Due Date to reactivate their license without having to relicense. To do so, they must complete all outstanding CEs that have accumulated. If not done within 48 months, the license will be considered “expired,” and you will be required to relicense.

Are There Any Exemptions or Extensions Granted?

While we are unaware of any specific exemptions allowed from CE Requirements, the Florida Department of Financial Services does allow agents to file a request for an extension of their CE Due Dates. These are usually granted only in instances where “good cause” can be demonstrated that the agent is unable to meet their CE requirements by the deadline. These include disablement, illness, natural disaster, or other causes granted on a case-by-case basis. Extensions are usually granted only for a 90-day period, with a maximum of 4 periods granted. Agents wanting to request an extension must do so by using this Extension Request Form.

Keep Your Florida Insurance License Active — Sign Up for Continuing Education Now

Obtaining your insurance license was an expensive and time-consuming process. Just consider the time and cost associated with taking the 200 classroom hours required to be licensed as a General Lines Agent in Florida. Then think of the time required to study for the exam, the cost of the exam, and the fingerprinting requirements. Since the only requirement to keep your license active is to complete your CE requirements every 2 years, it’s glaringly obvious that keeping your license active is a much easier and cheaper alternative.

At BetterCE, we’ve got you covered with everything you need to easily keep your Florida insurance license active. Our text-based, online courses are available on any computer or mobile device, so they can be taken at your pace when it’s convenient for you. The quizzes and exams are scored instantly, and you can take them as many times as necessary to pass. Our “Complete Compliance Packages” make course selection super easy and allow you to complete all of your CE for as little as $39.95.

Our live webinars are delivered by expert instructors and offer the experience of a classroom environment, with no required reading and no need to pass any quizzes or final exams! Whether for text-based courses or webinars, your credits will be reported by our office to the Florida Department of Financial Services on the same day as you complete each course.

We’ve got you covered with everything you need to keep your Florida insurance license active easily and conveniently – at the lowest price available. Simply visit our Florida Insurance Continuing Education Course Catalog for a complete listing of available courses.

What If I Don’t Renew My California Insurance License On Time?

Posted on 11.14.22

To keep a resident insurance license active in California, all major-lines licensed insurance agents are required to do two things every two years: 1) complete the required continuing education of 24 credits, and 2) renew their insurance license. This must be done prior to the licensee’s expiration date. Specific renewal requirements can be viewed in our article: How to Keep Your Insurance License Active in California.

So, what happens if you don’t complete your California insurance continuing education before your license expiration date? You won’t be able to renew your license, and it will be put into inactive status. As a result, you cannot transact insurance business until the license is reinstated. Fortunately, you still have the ability to reinstate your license, but the timeframe is limited, and additional fees must be paid. This article provides further insight into how to reinstate your California insurance license.

California Insurance License Expiration and Reinstatement

California insurance agents who do not complete their CE requirements and renew their insurance license prior to their expiration date will have their license inactivated by the California Department of Insurance. Unfortunately, California does not have any provisions for granting an extension of time for a renewal after the expiration date. If you wish to keep your license active, the only option is to apply for a license reinstatement.

Agents have up to one year after their license expiration date to have their license reinstated. To do so, they must first complete any outstanding continuing education requirements. Next, they need to submit a reinstatement application and pay their initial renewal fee ($188 per line of authority) plus a reinstatement fee equal to 50% of their renewal fees ($94 per line of authority). The reinstatement application can be located here: Sircon Renew or Reinstate CA License.

Keep in mind that agents only have up to 1 year following their expiration date to reinstate their license. After this, the license is canceled, and the agent must relicense if they wish to hold the same license again. This includes paying for and undergoing all of the pre-license course training, paying for and passing the pre-licensing exam, fingerprinting, and paying the license application fees.

It’s pretty clear that it’s smartest and most affordable to keep your California insurance license active by completing your CE requirements and paying your renewal fees on time. But if you aren’t able to do so, it’s still more affordable to reinstate your license within the 1-year timeframe. Otherwise, you’ll be starting the licensing process over again, which is a much more expensive and time-consuming endeavor.

California Insurance Agent Continuing Education and Renewal Requirements

Don’t Let This Happen to You — Sign Up for Continuing Education Now

Whether you’re able to renew before expiration or have to apply for reinstatement, you’ll need to complete all the continuing education requirements. We’ve got you covered with both online training and webinars.

Our webinar courses are instructor-led and delivered live using video conferencing. You’re required to be in attendance for the entire class time, with check-ins at random times throughout the webinar to confirm your attendance. Students can interact and ask questions. The advantages of webinars include no required reading and no quizzes or final exams.

We’ve got you covered with all the courses you need. You can find the complete listing in our California Insurance Continuing Education Course Catalog.

Completion Reported the Same Day

Note that your continuing education course credits will be reported directly to the California Department of Insurance on the same day you complete the training. So, we’ve got you covered when you’re trying to complete your training quickly.

BetterCE Is Here to Help

We’re confident that the continuing education you need to renew or reinstate your license is easily accessible through our website. If not, call our office, and we’ll happily assist you.

Have a question or need assistance? Call 1-888-501-7330 for our customer care team. We also respond to emails and via our Contact Form. On our contact page, you can also sign up for convenient license renewal reminders so that you never have to deal with an expired license.

BULLETIN: NEW REQUIREMENT FOR CALIFORNIA INSURANCE AGENTS – LICENSE NUMBER REQUIRED IN EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS

Texas Continuing Education Options

Posted on 10.24.22

In the Lone Star State, you need to renew your insurance license every two years. This must be done prior to your license expiration date, which is the last day of your birth month. If you don’t complete your continuing education hours in time, there’s a $50 fine per hour up to a maximum $500 fine. Plus, you won’t be able to renew until all Texas continuing education requirements are completed.

Your license will be inactivated if you fail to complete all this during the 90-day grace period after the expiration date. However, you still have up to 1 year to reapply for your expired license without retaking the licensing examination. To do so, you must still complete the required CE, pay the fine of $50 per deficient credit hour, and pay the fees for an original application fee, plus a penalty fee of one-half of the original application fee.

Those are some onerous outcomes for failing to complete your Texas Insurance License Continuing Education requirements. So, what are the options? This article covers the four ways to complete the CE requirements required to allow you to renew your license.

What Are the Texas Insurance Continuing Education Requirements?

Texas General Lines Licensed Agents must take 24 credit hours of approved continuing education every two years. At least two of the 24 hours must be approved for ethics training. And 12 hours must be classroom or classroom equivalent training. Our webinars are approved as classroom equivalent training. There are no restrictions on the course subject matter, except for the two hours of ethics training.

Agents who sell flood insurance must complete a one-time, three-hour continuing education course related to the National Flood Insurance Program. Long-term care partnership policy sales require an initial eight-hour training course followed by a four-hour long-term care course every two years. Those selling annuity products must complete an initial annuity best interest four-hour course, followed by eight hours of continuing education each renewal period.

Texas Online Text-Based Continuing Education Courses

With an online text-based course, the course materials are like a textbook but much more interactive. The training is self-paced and delivered to your computer, tablet, and smartphone. You can select the courses you need, enroll, and start courses at any time.

You’ll review the course materials and complete chapter quizzes along with a final exam for each course. During the course, you can return to the training whenever it is convenient for your schedule. The course progress bar tells you exactly where you left off.

The course quizzes and exams are scored instantly. Plus, you can take them as many times as necessary to pass. Upon passing each class, a certificate is generated and available for printing or download. Credits earned are reported by BetterCE to the Texas Department of Insurance the same day each course is completed.

What Are CE Credits? Why Do You Need Them?

Texas Webinar Continuing Education Courses

As noted earlier, for Texas Insurance Continuing Education, 12 hours must be classroom or classroom equivalent training. Better CE webinars are approved as classroom equivalent training.

Webinar courses are like traditional classroom courses. They are instructor-led and delivered live in real-time using video conferencing. You’ll need to be present at the webinar for the entire class to earn continuing education credits. Attendance is confirmed by requiring students to check in at random times throughout the webinar.

Students are not seen in video conferences, but they can interact and ask questions. Like online text-based courses, webinars can be taken on any computer, smartphone, or tablet with an Internet connection.

Certificates of course completion are generated shortly after course completion. Credits are reported to the Texas Department of Insurance the same day as completion.

Since webinars are live video conferences, they are offered at set times. They must be scheduled and attended on the dates and times offered. For more information on webinars, see our article 8 Benefits of Insurance Continuing Education Webinars.

State and National Insurance Association Texas Continuing Education Credit

An agent who is an active member of a state or national insurance association or holds a national designation certification can earn up to four hours of Texas Self-Study CE credit.

Fulfilling the CE requirements involves reviewing educational materials provided by the association, which can count for up to two hours of credit. Attending educational presentations provided by the national designation sponsor or state or national insurance associations can receive up to four hours of credit.

Under this section, the licensee cannot claim more than four hours of credit toward completing the licensee’s continuing education requirement for any reporting period. See more at State and National Insurance Association Credit.

Texas Insurance Continuing Education Exemptions

There is also an exemption from continuing education for those who have been continuously licensed for 20 years. To request an exemption or extension, you’ll need to submit Form FIN517, Application for License Exemption or Extension.

For further information on Texas insurance continuing education requirements, see our article How Do I Renew My Insurance License in Texas. Or, if your license has expired, see our article How to Reinstate Your Texas Insurance License.

Sign Up for Continuing Education Now

You’ll need to select at least 12 hours of training via webinars to satisfy the Texas requirement for courses taken in a classroom setting or equivalent. Up to 12 hours can be obtained through online text-based courses.

We’ve got you covered with all the courses you need. You can find the complete listing in the Texas Insurance Continuing Education Course Catalog.

Completion Reported the Same Day

Note that your continuing education course credits will be reported directly to the Texas Department of Insurance on the same day you complete the training. So, we’ve got you covered when you’re trying to complete your training quickly.

8 Reasons Why Webinars Are Great for Insurance Continuing Education

Posted on 10.11.22

Our current Zoom video conferencing world was driven to a large degree by the COVID pandemic and the need to stay at home. Yet, video conferencing has made significant inroads into continuing education before the pandemic. In fact, BetterCE has been deploying video conferencing webinars to deliver outstanding insurance continuing education for many years. This article provides a detailed listing of reasons webinars are great for your insurance continuing education.

What Is a Webinar?

A webinar is an online instructor-led presentation using video conferencing. Instructors share their screens, files, and knowledge via audio and video. It is conducted in real-time, which allows students to interact by asking questions and receiving answers, helping them and their fellow students better understand the content.

8 Reasons Why Webinars Are Great for Insurance Continuing Education

We’ve pulled together a comprehensive list of reasons why webinars are superb for delivering insurance continuing education.

Reason #1—Time and Cost Savings.

Webinars are delivered through a computer, smartphone, or tablet with an Internet connection. That means there is no travel time, hassle, or cost involved. Time is spent only on the webinar training, allowing you to attend to your regular work immediately before and after the training.

Reason #2—Top-Level Instructors.

Since there’s no need to travel around the country to many different locations, a single top-level instructor can deliver the presentation to everyone on those topics where they have superb experience and expertise. In this way, webinars leverage the best of the best when it comes to instructors.

Reason #3—Live Presentations.

Live, real-time presentations capture an audience’s attention. A webinar also allows the full use of video, animation, and well-developed slide decks. That, coupled with student interaction, keeps the audience engaged and learning throughout the presentation.

Reason #4—Increased Student Engagement.

Those top-level instructors do their best to deliver highly visual, quickly-paced, and engaging content for their audiences. Add to that real-time feedback with questions and discussions, and you have maximized student engagement.

Reason #5—Increased Learning and Retention.

Top-level instructors with interactive visual presentations clearly demonstrate critical concepts. Students better understand the content, retain that learning, and apply the principles in their work. It’s been found that e-learning increases learning retention rates by 25 to 60%.

Reason #6—Meet Classroom and Classroom-Equivalent Requirements.

Many states mandate classroom or classroom-equivalent attendance for students to receive insurance continuing education credits. Fortunately, almost every state insurance regulator now approves live webinars as if they were traditional classroom courses.

Reason #7—Attendance Verification.

States also require verified attendance. Here at BetterCE, attendance is confirmed by requiring students to check in randomly throughout the webinar. That means you must attend on the dates and times they are offered.

Reason #8—No Quizzes or Final Exams.

With webinars, your in-person attendance and participation are the only requirements. There are no quizzes or final exams. There are no required reading materials and no final exam monitor requirements. It couldn’t get easier.

Our course catalog pages also offer every resource agents need to manage their insurance license. You can view your renewal requirements, check your license status, view your CE transcript, and even access your renewal application.

Certificates of course completion are generated shortly after course completion. And we report your continuing education course credits to the state insurance department the very same day you complete the training.

We also offer online text-based self-paced training. See our blog article Differences Between Webinar Courses and Traditional Online Text-Based Courses for further information on finding just the right balance of coursework for your continuing education.

Now Is the Time To Start Your Continuing Education

Start today with Better CE. On our Course Catalog Page, you can select all the courses you need with one click!

Have a question or need assistance? Call 1-888-501-7330 for our customer care team. We also respond to emails as well as via our Contact Form. You can sign up for convenient license renewal reminders on our contact page.

How to Reinstate Your Texas Insurance License

Posted on 09.20.22

To keep a resident insurance license active in Texas, all major-lines licensed insurance agents are required to do 2 things, every 2 years: Complete the required continuing education of 24 credits and renew their insurance license. This must be done every 2 years, prior to the licensee’s expiration date. Specific renewal requirements can be viewed in our article: How Do I Renew My Insurance License in Texas

So what happens if you don’t complete your Texas renewal requirements in time and need to reinstate your Texas insurance license? This article covers the penalties and options available for keeping your Texas insurance license active if you failed to meet the renewal requirements prior to your license expiration date.

Texas Insurance License Expiration and Reinstatement

Agents who do not complete their renewal requirements (CE and renewal app) prior to their license expiration date have up to 90 days to keep their license active. To do so, they must complete any outstanding CE requirements, and pay a fine of $50 for each credit hour they were deficient ($500 max). They must also submit their renewal application and fees ($50), along with a penalty of one-half of the original renewal application fee ($25). Again, this must be done within 90 days of the license expiration date.

Agents who do not complete the renewal requirements within the 90 days following their license expiration date will have their license inactivated; however, they still have up to 1 year to reapply for their expired license without having to retake the licensing examination. To do so, they must still complete the required CE, pay the fine of $50 per deficient credit hour, submit and pay the fees for an original application fee, plus a penalty fee of one-half of the original application fee.

Agents who do not reinstate their Texas insurance license within 1 year can still reinstate their license but are required to retake and pass the licensing examination, pay original license fees, and complete unfinished CE from prior licensing period, or pay fines for not doing so. The application can be found at NIPR Texas State Requirements or Sircon Renew or Reinstate Insurance License.

Exemptions From or Extensions to CE Requirements

Note that an agent can file for an exemption or extension of time to complete continuing education due to illness, medical disability, active military duty in a combat theater, or other circumstances, but they must do so in advance of the license expiration date. There is also an exemption from continuing education for those who have been continuously licensed for 20 years. To request an exemption or extension, you’ll need to submit this form: Texas Application for Continuing Education Exemption of Extension.

For further information on Texas insurance continuing education requirements, see our article How Do I Renew My Insurance License in Texas?

Don’t Let Your Insurance License Expire – Sign Up for Continuing Education Now

Whether you’re able to renew on time, or, you’ll likely need to complete at least some of the continuing education requirements. We’ve got you covered with both online training and webinars.

Our webinar courses are instructor-led and delivered live using video conferencing. You’re required to be in attendance for the entire class time, with check-ins at random times throughout the webinar to confirm your attendance. Students can interact and ask questions. The advantages to webinars include no required reading and no quizzes or final exams.

We’ve got you covered with all the courses you need. You can find the complete listing in Texas Insurance Continuing Education Course Catalog.

Completion Reported the Same Day

8 Benefits of Insurance Continuing Education Webinars

Posted on 09.12.22

Here at Better CE, we’ve been offering webinars for years, and in that time, we’ve come to appreciate the benefits they provide of distance learning for insurance agents’ continuing education. This article summarizes those benefits to help determine the best way to complete your required insurance continuing education.

What Is a Webinar?

Benefits of Insurance Continuing Education Webinars

There are a number of benefits of webinar training in general as well as insurance continuing education in particular.

No Travel Time or Cost. Webinars are delivered to you via any computer, smartphone, or tablet with an Internet connection wherever you may be. That means there is no travel time, hassle, or cost involved. You only need to dedicate your time to the actual presentation.

Top-Notch Instructors. Webinars can leverage the best of the best when it comes to instructors. Since there’s no need to travel around the country to many different locations, a single instructor can deliver the presentation on the topics where they have superb expertise and experience.

Highly Engaging Presentations. Those top-level instructors do their best to deliver engaging content for their audiences, where they get real-time feedback with questions and discussions. They no longer need to trudge from one city to the next to deliver their presentations.

Reach a Wide Audience. A webinar can reach a wider audience worldwide without travel or meeting location. This is primarily a benefit for the organization delivering the webinar, but it also helps engage a broad audience who can enhance classroom discussions.

Meet Classroom and Classroom-Equivalent Requirements. Many states mandate classroom or classroom-equivalent attendance for the student to receive insurance continuing education credits. Fortunately, almost every state insurance regulator now approves live webinars as if they were traditional classroom courses.

Attendance Verification. With no travel or meeting room, you’d think that verifying attendance for insurance agents’ continuing education would be challenging. Here at BetterCE, attendance is confirmed by requiring students to check in randomly throughout the webinar. And students are not seen on screen, so you can even wear those fuzzy bunny slippers you love so much!

No Quizzes or Final Exams. With webinars, your in-person attendance and participation are the only requirements. There are no quizzes or final exams. There are no required reading materials and no final exam monitor requirements. It couldn’t get easier.

Helping You Succeed. Completing your CE credits is one thing. Helping you succeed in your profession is yet another. With webinars and online training, you’re experiencing the best training available to advance your expertise and serve your clients better.

You can find the BetterCE continuing education webinars available in our course catalog. Simply select your state, and you can view our list of upcoming webinars, as well as view our text-based courses and complete compliance packages. Our course catalog pages also offer every resource agents need to manage their insurance license. You can view your renewal requirements, check your license status, view your CE transcript, and even access your renewal application.

Benefits of Both Types of Continuing Education

While each type of coursework has its distinct advantages, they both bring continuing education to you, wherever you are, via the Internet. Both are state-approved for continuing education credits and reported the same day they are earned. Plus, they both offer the highest levels of licensing and compliance support available.

Now is the Time to Start Your Continuing Education

The good news is that we’ve got you covered with all the courses you need in the format that best fits your available time and your preferred learning style, whether online text-based courses or webinars.

We offer complete compliance packages to make course selection super easy. We also offer individual courses so that you can pick and choose the type of training that best meets your learning needs.

Start today with Better CE. Select all the courses you need with one click on our Course Catalog Page!

Have a question or need assistance? Phone 1-888-501-7330 for our customer care team. We also respond to emails as well as via our Contact Form. You can also sign up for convenient license renewal reminders on our contact page.

Bulletin: New Wisconsin Law and Training Requirements for Annuity Sales

Posted on 08.18.22

The Wisconsin Department of Insurance has announced new training requirements for intermediaries (agents) who sell annuity products. This is in response to a new law that substantially revises the standards that agents must adhere to when recommending annuity products.

What Has Changed?

The standards used by agents for determining the appropriateness of annuity products for consumers are changing significantly. Under the new standards, agents must act in the “Best Interest” of the consumer by meeting the law’s care, conflict of interest, and disclosure obligations. In addition, agents must undergo special training on these new requirements.

When Does This Happen?

The new standards take effect on October 1, 2022. Agents must complete special training on the new Wisconsin requirements prior to April 1, 2023. Agents who have taken the previous 4-hour annuity training course only need to take a 1-hour update course on the new standards. Agents who have not previously taken the 4-hour annuity training must take an updated 4-hour version of the course, which instructs them on the new, “Best Interest” sales requirements.

BetterCE has recently received approval for the new, 1-hour “Best Interest” update course. It is available now: Wisconsin Annuity Sales Best Interest Training Course.

The Wisconsin Department of Insurance recently issued a bulletin providing additional background and details about the new standards and training requirements. A copy of this bulletin can be located on the WI DOI site, here: WI ANNUITY BEST INTEREST BULLETIN

How to Keep Your Insurance License Active in Wisconsin

Posted on 08.04.22

This article covers all the steps you’ll need to follow to keep your insurance license active in Wisconsin. We’re confident that the BetterCE straightforward two-step process can help you renew your license quickly and without fuss.

Every two years, you need to renew your insurance license. This must be done within 60 days prior to the license expiration date. Your license expiration date is every 2 years, on the last day of your birth month. If you are not certain of your license expiration date year, you can find it at NAIC License Manager, select Wisconsin.

Now that you know your license expiration date and year, there are only two steps required to keep your license active:

Complete the required continuing education.
Submit your renewal application prior to expiration.

Step #1: Complete the Required Continuing Education

The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance requires that all resident, major lines licensed agents complete 24 credit hours of state-approved continuing education every two years. Major lines are those agents who are licensed to sell: Life, Accident, and Health; Property; Casualty; and Personal Lines coverages. Of the 24 credits required, at least 3 credits must be approved for ethics.

Keep in mind that no matter how many licenses you hold, you only need to do a maximum of 24 credits total. For example, if you are licensed in Life, Accident, and Health, you only need to do 24 credits total, 3 of which need to be in ethics.

There are special training requirements for agents who sell long-term care, annuity products, or flood insurance.

Agents who sell long-term care policies must complete an initial 8-hour long-term care course prior to selling and then a 4-hour long-term care training every renewal period following.
Agents selling annuity products need to complete a 4-hour annuity suitability course prior to selling.
Property and Casualty Agents who sell flood insurance must complete a one-time 3-hour continuing education course related to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) prior to selling.

Other than the ethics course and any special training requirements, you can take courses in any subject matter as long as they are approved by the insurance department.

Step #2: Submit Your Renewal Application Prior to Expiration

After completing your CE requirements, the last step you need to take is to renew your Wisconsin insurance license. This must be done on or prior to your license expiration date but not more than 60 days in advance of your expiration date.

You can access your renewal application and file it online at NIPR Wisconsin License Renewal.

Now Is the Time to Start Your Continuing Education

Even with a full two years to accumulate your 24 hours of continuing education, there’s no reason to wait to get started. BetterCE has you covered with all the courses you need. You can find the complete listing in our Wisconsin Insurance Continuing Education Course Catalog.

Our webinar courses are instructor-led and delivered live using video conferencing. You’re required to be in attendance for the entire class time, with check-ins at random times throughout the webinar to confirm your attendance. Students can interact and ask questions. The advantages to webinars include no required reading and no quizzes or final exams. You can view a listing of our webinars here: Wisconsin Webinar Catalog.

Completions Reported the Same Day

Note that our office will report your continuing education course credits to the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance the same day you complete the training. So, if you’re in a rush to complete your continuing education, we’ve got you covered.

Summary of Steps to Keep Your Insurance License Active in Wisconsin

Even though we’ve mapped it out above, it’s still a great deal to digest. Here’s a quick summary to get you started on the path to renewal.

Determine your license expiration date.
Determine your continuing education requirements.
Enroll in courses well in advance of your expiration date.
Complete your courses – we submit your credits the same day you complete them.
Renew your license.

We’re confident that everything you need to keep your license active is easily accessible through our website. If not, simply call our office, and we’ll happily assist you.

There’s no time to be lost if you’re near your renewal date. Sign up now for the most trusted and convenient solution for keeping your license active.

BetterCE

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Completion Reported the Same Day

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California Insurance License Expiration and Reinstatement

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Completion Reported the Same Day

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What Are the Texas Insurance Continuing Education Requirements?

Texas Online Text-Based Continuing Education Courses

Texas Webinar Continuing Education Courses

State and National Insurance Association Texas Continuing Education Credit

Texas Insurance Continuing Education Exemptions

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Completion Reported the Same Day

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What Is a Webinar?

8 Reasons Why Webinars Are Great for Insurance Continuing Education

Reason #1—Time and Cost Savings.

Reason #2—Top-Level Instructors.

Reason #3—Live Presentations.

Reason #4—Increased Student Engagement.

Reason #5—Increased Learning and Retention.

Reason #6—Meet Classroom and Classroom-Equivalent Requirements.

Reason #7—Attendance Verification.

Reason #8—No Quizzes or Final Exams.

Now Is the Time To Start Your Continuing Education

Texas Insurance License Expiration and Reinstatement

Exemptions From or Extensions to CE Requirements

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Completion Reported the Same Day

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What Is a Webinar?

Benefits of Insurance Continuing Education Webinars

Benefits of Both Types of Continuing Education

Now is the Time to Start Your Continuing Education

What Has Changed?

When Does This Happen?

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Step #1: Complete the Required Continuing Education

Step #2: Submit Your Renewal Application Prior to Expiration

Now Is the Time to Start Your Continuing Education

Completions Reported the Same Day

Summary of Steps to Keep Your Insurance License Active in Wisconsin

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