Friday

Just a few lines this afternoon before calling it a day.

I don't think that I have commented here about my recent Continuing Professional Education experiences which have been something less than uneventful.  I hold an Iowa life insurance agent license solely for the purpose of being able to sell certain off-the-shelf 401(k) programs from various insurance carriers who cater to the very small plan market.  The Iowa life license is re-newed every three years.  You need 36 hours of CPE in that three year period to maintain the license.

You can also keep your license by sitting again for the agent's exam.  This is the route that I have taken for all of my renewal periods since the test is only a two hour examination.  True, you do need to study a little bit, but I have above average test-taking skills and it's a much better use of my time.

Of course, a person is supposed to know when the license expires.  LtPC is a little weak in that area.  I had submitted one of those small plan applications to Hartford a couple of weeks ago, and the processor called me to let me know that their licensing people were going to be calling me about my Iowa license being inactive!  Hmmm.  Even before they called, I went to the Iowa site and sure enough, I was listed as inactive by the Department of Insurance.

I called the folks in DSM and the gal said that, yes, I was on an expired license and that I had not completed the CPE requirements.  I noted that I couldn't recall receiving any notification from the Department about the expired license, and that I was pretty good about not throwing that kind of mail away gratuitously.  Oh, she said, we don't send hard copy mail out any more.  We only use email.  Fine, I said, but what email address do you have for me?  (Because I definitely didn't get any contact on that basis.)  Let me see, she said.  Oh, we don't have an email for you!  Double hmmmm.!

Anyway, I sat for and successfully completed the test on Tuesday and they reinstated me on Wednesday (you can look it up on their website!) after hard-copy receipt of the passing score and my check for the pleasure of holding the license.  Plus a $100 reinstatement fee!  I wrote a letter appealing that assessment due to lack-of-notification-facts, but that plea fell on deaf ears.  Welcome to bureaucracy!

In a separate matter, but on a similar topic, I also hold a low-profile designation as a Fiduciary Analyst from an organization out East that has their own little CPE requirement...10 hours per year.  I did a little dance with them last month suggesting that certain courses in my other professional pursuits should qualify rather than make me listen to tapes on their site that come from their own hosted events.  Not so fast, LtPC.  Our three-year-old recordings are much more valid than say a similar, but now current presentation by the same guy at another conference last Fall.  Whatever.  I've been listening to the dated tapes this week while I do the blog!  It's almost like being there!  The only thing missing is a crossword!

Looking forward to seeing 2 tomorrow as she comes through town with Herky on their way to IC.  Godspeed on your travels, Kiddo.  Maybe get The Winniferous out for an afternoon run if the weather cooperates.

Be safe if you're headed out for the evening.

BCOT