Why you should earn your CLU

The Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU ) designation has been regarded as a highly respected mark of educational achievement and professional excellence. CLU designees are well-qualified to help clients in the areas of:

• Life insurance
• Business planning
• Estate planning

In fact, those holding a CLU designation can average a 51%* greater income than their counterparts because they have the specialized skills to help clients:

• Achieve financial goals by analyzing their overall financial picture and by identifying their life and health insurance needs as well as personal property and liability risks.
• Attain financial security through life insurance and annuity products.
• Manage successful businesses with strategic organizational and preventive planning.
• Enhance estate value, conserve existing assets, and provide for financial security during retirement.

The CLU designation is awarded by The American College.

CLU Program Requirements

To earn the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU ) designation, the following are required:

• Complete CLU coursework within five years from the date of initial enrolment
• Pass the exams for all required and elective courses. You must achieve a minimum score of 70% to pass.
• Meet the following experience requirements: three years of business experience immediately preceding the date of use of the designation are required. An undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited educational institution qualifies as one year of business experience.
• Take the Professional Ethics Pledge.
• When you achieve your CLU designation, you must earn your recertification every two years.

CLU Exam Information

CLU exams are administered electronically at national testing centres throughout the year by The American College via the Pearson VUE testing centre network. Contact PearsonVue Education at 866-392-6822 for more information or to schedule your exam.

The exam consists of 100 objective questions based on the curriculum and is two hours in length. Typically, there are three types of questions included in the exam-straight-answer, multiple-option, and all-except questions.

Your results will be provided immediately upon exam completion

Continuing Education Requirements

Each designee who falls in one of the following categories must complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years. If you do not fall into one of these categories, you are exempt from CE requirements:

• Licensed insurance agent / broker / consultant
• Licensed security representative / registered investment advisor
• Financial consultant, attorney, accountant, employee benefits specialist, and any other individual who provides insurance, employee benefits, financial planning, or estate planning advice and counsel to the public.

CLU Curriculum

You will need to pass eight examinations-one for each of the five required courses and three elective courses-to earn the CLU designation:

Why you should earn your CPCU

Offered by the American Institute for CPCU and the Insurance Institute of America, the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation is the leading designation in property-casualty insurance. CPCU designees distinguish themselves from their colleagues with a high level of specialized knowledge and dedication to professionalism

In pursuit of a CPCU , you will:

• Garner comprehensive in-depth knowledge in the areas of risk management and insurance.
• Learn skills that you can put to practice immediately.
• Learn how to make better decisions on the job.
• Set yourself apart from the competition.
• Demonstrate your commitment to professionalism.
• Earn the respect accorded those who hold a CPCU .

The American Institute for CPCU and Insurance Institute of America's (AICPCU/IIA) CPCU program covers the financial, legal, operational, and technical aspects of risk management and insurance, balancing practical skills with theory. Candidates select either a personal or commercial insurance concentration, depending on professional background and needs.

The CPCU designation is awarded by The American Institute for CPCU.

CPCU Program Requirements

To earn the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designation, the following are required by the American Institute for CPCU and Insurance Institute of America:

• Pass the exams for all required and elective courses
• Meet the experience requirements: You must be engaged in acceptable insurance activities for any 24 months (minimum of 17 _1/2 hours per week) during the five-year period immediately preceding the award of the CPCU designation.
• Take and abide by the Professional Ethics Pledge.

Please visit the AICPCU Website for more details about the CPCU Experience, Code of Ethics, and Continuing Education requirements.

Matriculation Requirement

You must matriculate (register as a candidate) with The Institutes by submitting a matriculation form and fee. You should submit the matriculation form and fee with the registration for your first CPCU exam. You must sign a statement on the matriculation form agreeing to abide by the CPCU Code of Professional Ethics.

Continuing Education Requirements

Designees are not required to meet continuing education requirements to retain this designation.

CPCU Exam Information

Contact Prometric testing centres at 800-266-3232 for more info or to schedule your exam.

Many CPCU exams use the short-answer essay format and typically include 30 to 35 multipoint questions that total 100 points. The exceptions are the CPCU 553 and CPCU 557 survey exams, which contain 100 objective (multiple-choice) questions, and the CPCU 520, CPCU 530, and CPCU 540 exams, which contain 85 to 100 multiple-choice questions. All CPCU exams are three hours long.

CPCU Curriculum

Candidates must pass eight examinations through the American Institute for CPCU and Insurance Institute of America, one for each of the five required courses and three concentration courses, to earn the CPCU designation:

Required Courses

CPCU 500: Foundations of Risk Management and Insurance
CPCU 520: Insurance Operations
CPCU 530: Business Law for Insurance Professionals
CPCU 540: Finance and Accounting for Insurance Professionals
CPCU 560: Financial Services Institutions

Commercial Lines

CPCU 551: Commercial Property Risk Management and Insurance
CPCU 552: Commercial Liability Risk Management and Insurance
CPCU 553: Survey of Personal Risk Management, Insurance, and Financial Planning

Personal Lines

CPCU 555: Personal Risk Management and Property-Casualty Insurance
CPCU 556: Personal Financial Planning
CPCU 557: Survey of Commercial Risk Management and Insurance

"CPCU , AIC & ARM are registered marks owned by the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters and the Insurance Institute of America."