Program Requirements to become an Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI)

The title of an Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI) is given to insurance agents who possess a high level of knowledge and understanding of the insurance industry. These agents are also distinct from other average agents in terms of the higher quality of service they provide to their clients.

Accredited Advisor in Insurance is a designation received by insurance agents on completion of a series of courses and tests operated by the Insurance Institute of America. The completion of all the courses will provide the agent with a more comprehensive knowledge of various insurance policies and the industry as a whole. This will enable them to add value to their role and deal with complex insurance scenarios.

It is estimated to take about 9–15 months of a professional’s time to complete the entire course. As per The Institutes, the non-profit that administers the examinations, the courses an agent needs to complete are as follows:

• AAI 81 Foundations of Insurance Production
• AAI 82 Multiple-Lines Insurance Production
• AAI 83 Agency Operations and Sales Management

Here are the main topics of each course followed by their subtopics:

1. AAI 81 Foundations of Insurance Production

-81 A Principles of Insurance

• The insurance business — an overview
• Insurance and the legal system
• Risk management and the producer
• Insurance sales and account development

-81 B Personal Lines

• Homeowners insurance
• Personal automobile insurance
• Other personal insurance
• Personal financial planning

-81 C Commercial Property

• Commercial property insurance Part I and Part II
• Business income and extra expense insurance
• Commercial inland and ocean marine insurance

2. AAI 82 Multiple-Lines Insurance Production

-82 A Commercial Liability Insurance

• Commercial general liability insurance Part I and Part II
• Commercial automobile insurance
• Garage and motor carrier insurance

-82 B Other Commercial Insurance

• Commercial crime insurance
• Businessowners insurance
• Other commercial coverages
• Workers compensation and employer’s liability insurance

-82 C Specialized Commercial Lines

• Specialty insurance
• Commercial excess and umbrella liability insurance
• Surety bonds

3. AAI 83 Agency Operations and Sales Management

-83 A Principles of Agency Management

• Agency formation and environment
• Organizational management
• Agency sales management
• Personal production plans

-83 B Agency/ Company Relations

• Producer-insurer relations
• Public image of the insurance agency
• Agency growth and customer communications
• Market segmentation and target marketing

-83 C Agency Financial Management

• Managing agency information technology
• Agency customer service management
• Agency financial management

Optional:

• AAI 87 Agency Leadership and Strategic Alignment

This is an added course that insurance professionals take to earn the designation of Accredited Advisor in Insurance — Management (AAI-M).

To become an Accredited Advisor in Insurance, the Institutes also requires agents to pass a 50-question exam on Ethical Guidelines for Insurance Professionals from the following courses:

• Ethics 311 Ethical Decision Making in Risk and Insurance
• Ethics 312 Ethical Guidelines for CPCUs

All the course-related resources and tools are available on the Institutes website. Agents have access to study materials, practice exams, and exam schedules on the website. Additionally, agents can register for the exams and various other designations.

Completing all the main courses along with the ethical guideline exam will enable agents to earn the designation of an Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI).