The Washington State Office of Insurance Commissioner Adds CE Requirements for Residents and Nonresidents
Effective January 1, 2024, The Washington State Office of Insurance Commissioner will require additional CE including Best Interest Standards for residents and Nonresidents.
If a Producer took an Annuity Suitability course without Best Interest Standards prior to January 1, 2024. Applicable to both Residents and Nonresidents:
- Producer is now required to complete a 4 credit annuity training course including Best Interest Standards by July 1, 2024.
- Producer is now required to take an additional 1 Hour (or credit) course which needs to be approved by the Commissioner including a state-approved Insurance CE provider which also meets statute requirements found in
WAC 284-17-265.
- Producer who obtains a Life LOA on or after January 1, 2024 must follow the state statute requirements and may not sell, solicit, or negotiate the sale of an annuity product until the annuity suitability course, with best interest standards, has been completed.
- Producers can take classroom, self-study, or webinar classes.
- Annuity and Suitability training from another state will satisfy Washington’s training requirement as long as it includes best interest standards.
- Resident Producers who completed the required training prior to January 1, 2024 in another state will not receive the CE credit unless the provider and course are approved by Washington.
**Insurers **
Insurers are required to verify the following:
- Verify the Producer has completed annuity suitability training with best interest standards prior to allowing producer to sell.
- Insurer can obtain training course completion certificates, reports provided by Commissioner-sponsored database systems or vendors
- Or can also obtain reports from a reasonably reliable commercial vendor with a reporting arrangement with approved insurance CE providers.
More information can be found in the following link:
https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=284-17-265
Our compliance experts are constantly searching for and analyzing industry updates.
Their findings are then recorded in the Regulatory Updates section of the Compliance
Library to explain how the update impacts the insurance industry. If a change
impacts an
AgentSync product, this will be highlighted to inform you that the product is being
updated to ensure you remain in compliance.