3 PIA State Units Detail Education Offerings

Insurance agents seeking to continue their professional education this fall have the option of attending classroom seminars, online courses or teleconferences, the Professional Insurance Agents of Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York State announced.

The associations said they are hosting a range of education programs developed by committees of insurance producers in their respective states.

PIA said it is continuing a popular Lunch 'n' Learn teleconference series that is designed to give agents “the latest details on hot topics in the comfort of their own offices, in under an hour.”

Upcoming teleconference topics include:

o Sept. 17: The Property Side of Contractor's Equipment, with Bryan Tilden.

o Oct. 30: Production Incentives Don't Have To be Dollars, with Jack Monahan.

o Nov. 27: Upselling Yields More Than Additional Revenue, with Jack Monahan.

Information about Lunch 'n' Learn programs is available online at www.pia.org and by typing EC10057 in the Quick-Link box.

PIANJ and PIANY said in a new offering this year they are presenting the Certified Professional Insurance Agent designation.

CPIA programs are approved for continuing education credit in many states, and courses currently are being offered in New York and New Jersey.

The CPIA designation is conferred by the American Insurance Marketing and Sales Society. To earn the CPIA designation, candidates are required to successfully complete all three Insurance Success Seminars.

These seminars, the PIA said, are designed to enhance the ability of producers, sales support staff and company personnel to efficiently create and distribute comprehensive insurance programs. Registration and information are online at www.pia.org, using Quick-Link EC10028.

Additionally, PIANY announced its Fifth-Annual Hudson Valley Regional Awareness Program, Oct. 11, at the Holiday Inn, Suffern, N.Y.

The program will offer New York and New Jersey continuing education credits and a trade show. More information about the event is online at www.pia.org, through Quick-Link EC10037.

PIANY said its fall education lineup includes a series of National Flood Insurance Program-approved flood seminars, required for all insurance agents and brokers who sell standard flood insurance policies.

Producers completing a PIA course will satisfy the minimum NFIP requirements and earn continuing education credits toward the renewal of their insurance licenses.

Errors and omissions loss prevention programs also will be conducted, designed to bring insurance professionals their needed Utica Mutual and/or Fireman's Fund loss prevention credits and NYCE to members throughout the state.

In New Hampshire, PIANH said it will present a program, titled Ethics and the Insurance Professional, Sept. 26, in Keene, N.H., followed by Insurance and Ethics, Nov. 7, in Portsmouth, N.H.

Errors & Omissions Loss Control, approved by Fireman's Fund and Utica Mutual for errors and omissions loss prevention credit, also will be offered Nov. 7 in Portsmouth. Registration and information are online at www.pia.org, using Quick-Link EC10026.

PIANJ said its Eighth Annual OktoberEdFest is slated for Oct. 10-11, in Edison, N.J.

The program offers continuing education credits, errors and omissions credits, and E&O loss prevention credit from Utica Mutual and Fireman's Fund.

Participants can choose from nine CE courses over a two-day period.

PIANJ's fall education lineup also includes a series of National Flood Insurance Program-approved flood seminars. Registration and information are online at www.pia.org, Quick-Link EC10027.

PIACT's fall highlights include the Property and Casualty Pre-Licensing Prep Course, Sept. 24-28, Cromwell. Conn. PIACT's course is approved by the Connecticut Insurance Department as a prerequisite to the state property-casualty insurance exam.

PIACT's fall education lineup also includes a series of National Flood Insurance Program-approved flood seminars. Per the Connecticut Insurance Department, all resident producers with p-c or personal-lines authority must complete a one-time, three-credit course on federal flood requirements, regardless of whether or not they sell flood insurance.

Producers completing a PIA course will satisfy the minimum NFIP requirements and earn CE credits toward the renewal of their insurance licenses. Details and registration are online at www.pia.org, Quick-Link EC10025.

PIACT, PIANH, PIANJ and PIANY also said they are offering Custom Class Education Services, designed for agencies that want more control over their CE credits. Through these customized programs, geared toward the hosting agency's specific needs, insurance agents can get specialized training on a number of insurance topics without leaving the office. Information is online at www.pia.org, Quick-Link EC10032.

Employees new to the insurance field can take PIA New Employee Orientation online courses, which cover the basics from Personal Lines Coverage Basics and Commercial Lines Coverage Basics to Delivering Quality Service to the Customer and Employer.

In addition to the course options for industry newcomers, PIACT, PIANH, PIANJ and PIANY offer the exclusive Certified Insurance Service Representative and Certified Insurance Counselor designation programs to agency and company personnel looking to accumulate CE credits and/or update their designations.

PIACT, PIANH, PIANJ and PIANY said that for those in a time crunch, in conjunction with Learn.net, they offer an extensive online library of top-quality, ready-to-use computer-based training and continuing education products–PIA's E-Training. These courses are designed for professionals looking for acclimation into the insurance field and experienced agents looking to stay up-to-date with the latest changes to the industry, PIA said.

In addition to information online, the PIA Education Department is available at (800) 424-4244, or by e-mailing education@pia.org.