Academy Of Life Underwriting

THE ACADEMY OF LIFE UNDERWRITING IS ORGANIZED TO ESTABLISH AND ADMINISTER (SEE SCHEDULE O)PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION, AND CREDENTIALING PROGRAMS IN THE FIELD OF LIFE INSURANCE UNDERWRITING, AND TO IMPROVE AND ENHANCE BUSINESS CONDITIONS IN THE LIFE INSURANCE UNDERWRITING INDUSTRY.

CERTIFICATION EXAM PREPARATION AND ADMINISTRATION:THE EXAMINATION GROUP OF ACADEMY OF LIFE UNDERWRITING (ALU) PREPARES AND ADMINISTERS FOUR EXAMINATIONS TO ASSESS THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE OF LIFE INSURANCE UNDERWRITERS AND OTHER INTERESTED PROFESSIONALS COMPARED TO THE ESTABLISHED ALU CURRICULUM. THE ALU101, ALU201, ALU202, AND ALU301, EXAMS ARE CREATED BY A TEAM OF MORE THAN THIRTY VOLUNTEERS, ALL PRACTICING LIFE UNDERWRITERS OR COMPANY MEDICAL DIRECTORS, IN A WELL-ESTABLISHED PROCESS THAT TAKES MORE THAN SIX MONTHS TO COMPLETE. EACH TEAM MEMBER WRITES QUESTIONS BASED UPON ASSIGNED TEXTBOOK CHAPTERS. THE QUESTIONS ARE REVIEWED AND IMPROVED IN SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION, AND THEN ASSEMBLED INTO FIVE EXAMS. ALU VOLUNTEERS WHO WRITE QUESTIONS ARE SCHOOLED IN THE ART OF WRITING VALID EXAM QUESTIONS BY AN EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT. NEW ALU EXAMINATIONS ARE CREATED EACH YEAR. ALL EXAMINATIONS ARE ADMINISTERED ANNUALLY IN APRIL AND ALU101 IS ALSO ADMINISTERED IN OCTOBER. STUDENTS TAKE THE EXAMINATIONS VIRTUALLY ON THEIR OWN DESKTOP OR LAPTOP COMPUTERS. THE EXAMS ARE SUPERVISED BY SCREEN SHARING AND VIDEO RECORDING VIA THE STUDENT'S COMPUTER CAMERA. ONCE COMPLETED, THE RECORDINGS ARE REVIEWED BY PROFESSIONAL PROCTORS. FINALLY, THE EXAMS ARE SCORED ACCORDING TO ALU SPECIFICATIONS AND STUDENTS ARE INFORMED OF THE EXAM RESULTS BY EMAIL. IN FISCAL YEAR 2021/22 EXAMS WERE HELD ON OCTOBER 19, 2021 AND APRIL 19, 2022. FEES TO SIT FOR THE EXAMS RANGE $225.00 - $325.00 PER EXAM. THESE ACTIVITIES OCCUPY APPROXIMATELY 35% OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE ACADEMY OF LIFE UNDERWRITING. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND TEXTBOOK PRODUCTION:THE ALU CURRICULUM THAT IS THE BASIS FOR THE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR THE LIFE UNDERWRITING PROFESSION WAS DEVELOPED AND IS MAINTAINED BY THE ALU CURRICULUM GROUP. MEMBERS OF THE CURRICULUM GROUP ARE ALL VOLUNTEERS AND PRACTICING LIFE INSURANCE UNDERWRITERS OR INSURANCE COMPANY MEDICAL DIRECTORS. AS LIFE INSURANCE UNDERWRITING IS A DYNAMIC PROFESSION, THE ALU CURRICULUM GROUP MUST CONTINUALLY REVIEW THE MEDICAL AND LEGAL ENVIRONMENT FOR THE LIFE INSURANCE INDUSTRY, THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO A LIFE UNDERWRITER TO FACILITATE THE UNDERWRITING PROCESS, AND THE CHANGING NATURE OF THE LIFE INSURANCE UNDERWRITER'S PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES. AS KEY FACTORS IN THE LIFE UNDERWRITER'S PROFESSION CHANGE, THE ALU CURRICULUM GROUP UPDATES THE ALU LIFE UNDERWRITING CURRICULUM ACCORDINGLY. BASED UPON THE ALU CURRICULUM, THE CURRICULUM GROUP UPDATES AND PUBLISHES FOUR TEXTBOOKS COVERING BASIC, INTERMEDIATE MEDICAL, INTERMEDIATE NON-MEDICAL AND ADVANCED TOPICS IN LIFE INSURANCE UNDERWRITING. TEXTBOOK CHAPTERS ARE WRITTEN BY PRACTICING LIFE UNDERWRITERS, COMPANY MEDICAL DIRECTORS, AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. TO KEEP PACE WITH AN EVOLVING INDUSTRY, THE TEXTBOOKS ARE UPDATED AT LEAST EVERY TWO YEARS. TOGETHER WITH A COMMERCIAL ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY TEXTBOOK, THESE FOUR TEXTBOOKS COVER THE ALU CURRICULUM IN DETAIL AND ARE THE STUDY MATERIALS USED BY STUDENTS TO PREPARE FOR THE EXAMINATIONS. ALU TEXTBOOKS ARE SOLD THROUGH AMAZON. A DIGITAL VERSION COSTS $9.99 AND A PRINT VERSION COSTS $20.00. OTHER TEXTBOOKS ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE DISTRIBUTOR AND MULTIPLE RETAIL OUTLETS AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $45.00. THESE ACTIVITIES OCCUPY APPROXIMATELY 20% OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE ACADEMY OF LIFE UNDERWRITING. CREDENTIALING AND RECOGNITION OF STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENT: ALU RECOGNIZES STUDENTS WHO MEET THE ALU CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS BY CONFERRING SEVERAL DIPLOMAS AND PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS. ALU BELIEVES THAT SUCCESSFUL AND PROFICIENT LIFE INSURANCE UNDERWRITERS MUST WORK CLOSELY WITH ACTUARIES, ATTORNEYS, ADMINISTRATIVE AND SALES PROFESSIONALS, AND COMPANY MANAGEMENT. TO THAT END, REQUIREMENTS FOR AN ALU DIPLOMA INCLUDE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE ALU EXAMINATIONS ALONG WITH COMPLETING OUTSIDE EDUCATIONAL COURSES OFFERED BY THE LIFE OFFICE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION AND THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF FINANCIAL SERVICES. STUDENTS WHO PASS ALL ALU EXAMINATIONS AND ALL OUTSIDE COURSE REQUIREMENTS ARE AWARDED THE FELLOW, ACADEMY OF LIFE UNDERWRITING (FALU) DESIGNATION AND DIPLOMA. THROUGH JUNE 30, 2022, 2,734 STUDENTS HAVE EARNED THE FALU CERTIFICATION. BEGINNING IN FISCAL YEAR 2017-18 AND THRU FISCAL YEAR 2021/22, ALU RECOGNIZED STUDENTS WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED TWO EXAMS (MRAP1 AND MRAP2) WITH A CERTIFICATE AND RIGHT TO USE THE DESIGNATION MEDICAL RISK ASSESSMENT PROFESSIONAL (MRAP). THROUGH JUNE 30, 2022, 2,651 STUDENTS HAVE EARNED THE RIGHT TO USE THE DESIGNATION. THE MRAP SERIES WAS DISCONTINUED AS OF JUNE 30, 2022. THESE ACTIVITIES OCCUPY APPROXIMATELY 10% OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE ACADEMY OF LIFE UNDERWRITING.

ON THE RISK: THE JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF LIFE UNDERWRITING:ON THE RISK: THE JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF LIFE UNDERWRITING (OTR) IS A PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY ALU. THE ON THE RISK EDITORIAL TEAM, TOGETHER WITH A GROUP OF EDITORS AND MANAGERS, SECURES TIMELY, IN-DEPTH ARTICLES WRITTEN BY PRACTITIONERS IN THE UNDERWRITING COMMUNITY. OTR IS DISTRIBUTED TO MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF HOME OFFICE UNDERWRITERS (AHOU) AND CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF UNDERWRITERS (CIU) AS A BENEFIT OF MEMBERSHIP, AND DIRECT SUBSCRIPTIONS MAY BE PURCHASED. ON THE RISK REACHES APPROXIMATELY 1,740 SUBSCRIBERS WITH EACH ISSUE. THE JOURNAL CONTRIBUTES TO THE PROFESSIONAL AND CONTINUING EDUCATION NEEDS OF THE AHOU, THE CIU, AND THE WORLD-WIDE PROFESSIONAL UNDERWRITING READERSHIP. ON THE RISK SUPPORTS THE MISSION OF THE ACADEMY OF LIFE UNDERWRITING BY PROVIDING CONTINUING EDUCATION AND PUBLIC RECOGNITION FOR LIFE INSURANCE UNDERWRITERS AND THE MEMBERS OF AHOU AND CIU BY ENCOURAGING UNDERWRITERS TO OBTAIN THE ASSOCIATE, ACADEMY OF LIFE UNDERWRITING (AALU) AND FELLOW, ACADEMY OF LIFE UNDERWRITING (FALU) DESIGNATIONS, AND BY PROMOTING ACADEMY OF LIFE UNDERWRITING PROGRAMS. THESE ACTIVITIES OCCUPY APPROXIMATELY 25% OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE ACADEMY OF LIFE UNDERWRITING.

CONTINUING EDUCATION:EACH YEAR, THE UNDERWRITING DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION GROUP OF THE ACADEMY OF LIFE UNDERWRITING CREATES AND OFFERS SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR LIFE INSURANCE UNDERWRITERS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES TO STUDY AND DISCUSS SPECIFIC EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED TOPICS IMPORTANT TO THEIR PROFESSIONS. THE GROUP IS COMPRISED OF PRACTICING LIFE UNDERWRITERS OR UNDERWRITING MANAGERS. THE UNDERWRITING DEVELOPMENT GROUP CREATES AND ADMINISTERS ONLINE WEBINARS SIX TO SEVEN TIMES EACH YEAR. THESE ONE-HOUR SEMINARS INCLUDE PRESENTATIONS ON TIMELY UNDERWRITING TOPICS BY INDUSTRY EXPERTS, WHERE PARTICIPANTS CAN QUESTION THE EXPERTS IN MODERATED SESSIONS OVER THE INTERNET. DURING THE YEAR ENDING 2022, THE GROUP PRESENTED SIX ONLINE WEBINARS ON SPECIFIC MEDICAL AND UNDERWRITING TOPICS AND CONTINUED OFFERING A SERIES OF SELF-STUDY FOR INDIVIDUALS TO LEARN EKG INTERPRETATION. WEBINARS ARE OFFERED TO UNDERWRITING COMPANIES BY ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION AND TO INDIVIDUALS BY INDIVIDUAL REGISTRATION. SUBSCRIPTION FEES RANGE FROM $100.00 - $700.00 PER YEAR BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE SUBSCRIBING COMPANY. MULTI-PART SERIES, WHEN OFFERED, ARE AVAILABLE FOR $100.00 PER ATTENDEE. THE FORUM GROUP ORGANIZES AN ANNUAL ACADEMY OF LIFE UNDERWRITING FORUM. THIS IS A TWO-DAY MEETING INTENDED FOR CHIEF UNDERWRITERS OR THE DESIGNATED ASSOCIATE. THE ATTENDANCE HAS BEEN LIMITED IN THE PAST TO FACILITATE DISCUSSION. THE CHALLENGES AND FUTURE TRENDS IN UNDERWRITING ARE DISCUSSED. THE 2021 FORUM WAS MODIFIED DUE TO COVID-19 AND HELD VIRTUALLY. THE 2022 FORUM FOLLOWED THE 2021 FORMAT. THESE ACTIVITIES OCCUPY APPROXIMATELY 10% OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE ACADEMY OF LIFE UNDERWRITING.