License, CE and E&O Dates: A Year-End Agent Check
Picture this. It is late December. You are closing out cases and answering client calls. Then an email says something is about to expire. Which date was it? Where do you check? Who do you call? Renewal dates have a way of showing up at the worst time. The fix takes about thirty minutes. Do it now, while AEP is the loudest thing on your calendar, and you will not have to think about it again until next year.
Why now
Some deadlines may land at year end. Others will not. Your state sets its own rules. Each carrier sets its own. Your E&O policy has its own date. If you wait for a reminder to arrive, it may arrive late.
Selling while a license or required training has lapsed is a serious problem. A short list today can help you avoid it.
The five dates to find
- State licenses. Write down the renewal date and fee for each state where you hold a license.
- Continuing education. Write down the hours required, the hours you have finished and the due date.
- E&O coverage. Write down the renewal date and make sure there is no gap in coverage.
- Carrier certifications. Write down each course a carrier requires and when it is due.
- Appointments. Check your appointment status in each state and with each carrier.
Here is where to look for each one.
What | Where to check | What to write down |
State license | Your state department of insurance or its license lookup | Renewal date, fee, state |
Continuing education | Your state department of insurance and your CE provider | Hours required, hours done, due date |
E&O coverage | Your policy and your E&O provider | Renewal date, payment due, any gap |
Carrier certification | Each carrier’s training site | Course name, due date, done or not |
Appointments | Carrier portals or your IAD Sales Advisor | Status by state and carrier |
Set three reminders for every date
Here is an example day. Move the times to fit your appointments. Keep the order.
Block | Job | Example time | Rule |
1. Conversations | Appointments and permitted return calls | 9:00 to 12:00 | Only talk to people who agreed to hear from you. |
2. Paperwork | Applications, notes and document checks | 1:00 to 2:30 | One case at a time. Finish it before you open the next. |
3. Follow-ups | Work your pending list from the top | 2:30 to 3:30 | Send the update, make the call, set the next date. |
4. Buffer + shutdown | Surprises, then tomorrow’s top three | 3:30 to 4:30 | Leave it open on purpose. Close your tabs at the end. |
Set three reminders for every date
One reminder is easy to ignore. Three are hard to miss. Set one reminder 60 days before the date. That gives you room to finish CE or request a renewal. Set another 30 days before, to confirm it is done. Set a last one 7 days before, as a final check. Put them in the calendar you already open every day. A reminder in an app you never open is not a reminder.
Keep one list
Keep one page with three columns: item, date, status. Look at it on the first of every month. Two minutes is enough. One list also helps if you work in more than one state. You can see every date side by side.
Three common slips
- Waiting for the carrier to remind you. Some will. Some will not. The date is your job.
- Paying for E&O but not writing down the renewal date. Next year you will be hunting for it again.
- Finishing CE and never checking the record. Confirm your hours show up on your state record, not just in your inbox.
If you find a problem
Act the same day. Contact your state department of insurance or the carrier and ask what you need to do. Do not sell in a state or for a carrier until you have confirmed you are in good standing. If you are not sure who to call, ask your IAD Sales Advisor.
Rules vary by state and by carrier. This is general information, not legal advice.
Do this next
Block thirty minutes this week. List the five items. Write each date. Set the three reminders. That is the whole job.
