Before enrolling in a property and casualty insurance course, it is important to make sure that the course will qualify you for licensure or certification as an insurance agent. Once you have determined that a course meets your professional needs, you should investigate the course itself. Ensure that the course is taught in a format that you are comfortable with and that its instructor has strong credentials and teaching skills. Other things to investigate include course scheduling as well as tuition and fees.
Many jurisdictions strictly regulate the practice of selling or advising people about insurance policies. Those areas that do regulate insurance sales may require you to complete a property and casualty insurance course before you can sell insurance products to the public. In addition, professional associations for insurance agents may permit you to obtain professional certification in your area of property and casualty insurance by completing coursework and taking a certifying exam.
The best way to determine whether a property and casualty insurance course meets licensing or certification requirements is to contact the organization that issues the credential to verify the validity of a particular course. For those who live in the United States, it's important to make sure that a property and casualty insurance course is actually approved in the state or states in which you want to sell insurance. A course that is valid for licensing in one state may not be approved in another. Professional organizations may offer their own courses that members can take for certification purposes, but again it is important to find out whether these courses also qualify an individual to obtain a license to sell insurance.
After making sure that a property and casualty insurance course is approved by pertinent regulatory agencies or professional groups, investigate the details of the course. Find out who teaches the course and whether he or she has a reputation for being a good instructor. In situations where you work full time or have heavy family responsibilities, you may also want to find a course that is taught online or that is taught on weekends or during the evenings. If you decide to take an online property and casualty insurance course, verify that your licensing agency actually approves distance-learning courses. A final consideration should be costs, so be sure to ask about tuition fees as well as the cost of any textbooks that you will need to complete the course.
