When independent insurance agents earn specialized designations, they elevate their skills to expert status on the national level. There are plenty of designations that insurance agents can earn, and the Certified Professional Insurance Agent designation through the American Insurance Marketing and Sales Society helps agents, their sales staff and other agency personnel design and sell effective insurance programs—growing their business and protecting their insureds in the process.
CPIA
The CPIA designation enhances insurance agents’ credibility and reliability in the insurance industry by granting them the sales skills and tools they need to construct, operate and maintain a successful agency with powerful insurance programs. Plus, agents can earn continuing-education credits when they earn their CPIA designations and keep them updated.
When agents earn and maintain their CPIA designations, customers—current and prospective—and other insurance professionals can ascertain agents’ expertise, dedication, trustworthiness and dependability immediately. The CPIA designation is recognized nationally—so, agents’ reputations won’t be limited only to the states in which they work.
Earning the CPIA designation
To earn their CPIA certification, agents must participate in a series of three one-day seminars—known as the Insurance Success Seminars—that focus on fostering, implementing and maintaining the know-how, the techniques and the tools for success when it comes to insurance-program design and sales.
Agents have three years to complete the three seminars. And, while there is a recommended order to complete the courses, they can be taken in any order. When acquiring and maintaining their CPIA certifications, agents must:
- register for and attend all three seminars to qualify for CPIA status; and
- keep the certification updated every year by participating in any one of the three Insurance Success seminars; by participating in any of the CPIA Advanced Insurance Success Seminars*; or by maintaining a Ruby-, Sapphire- or Diamond-level membership in AIMS.
Plus, depending on the state in which the agent does business, most agents can earn CE credits when they earn and update their CPIA designations. And, the CPIA designation qualifies as an approved E&O Loss Control Seminar by Utica National Insurance.
Your next CPIA opportunity
You can start toward or update your CPIA designation when you register for one, two or all three of the CPIA Insurance Success seminars that PIA offers.
For more information, to stay up-to-date on the seminars’ CE approval in your state or to register for any or all of the CPIA Insurance Success Seminars, see PIA’s CPIA national designation program webpage.
*The CPIA Advanced Insurance Success Seminars focus on specific insurance-related topics, like cyber, errors-and-omissions and business continuity.
Alexandra Chouinard
Alexandra Chouinard has editing, writing, advertising and publishing experience from her Alma Mater, Loyola University, where she earned a dual Bachelor of Arts Degree in Writing and Communication.
