Keeping up with the Licensures.

 Since 1983 I have held at least one of my insurance licenses. I have licenses in the state of Oklahoma and can sell anyone in that state life, health, or accident insurance as well as property & casualty insurance. I can adjust claims for P&C and I have can sell businesses Workers Compensation.  It's not always glamorous or even worth the money I spend on continued education and the renewal of each license, as they do have to be renewed every 24 months. Every time you renew you have to be sure to have all the continued (required) education as well; that's also a number 24. The requirement for each license is 24 hours of CE along with the fee. You gotta pay the fee!  The cost of each CE package is around $40-45 and then you pay $24 (again, that number) to have the CE posted to your transcript. You'd think that after nearly 40 years the state would trust me to know what I'm doing. They probably do, but they want that fee!

    Being licensed has its perks of course. If I ever do lose my regular job I can always look for temporary assignments in the insurance field. I'm not really all that keen on remaining in the sales force at this time. I've been there for so long that I think it's time to move ahead. I've actually done just that, but I just don't want to leave my licenses out there hanging either. I have them, they're more of an insurance policy for myself at this point. If you think about it, paying the premium of just about $100 a year isn't too bad; it ensures that I have a way to eat if I need to. Most places only pay commission, but no company will ever turn you down if you ask to go to work as long as you have all of your credentials. They'd be stupid to reject someone with over XXX years of experience in the field. I just really don't want to go back to that if I don't have to. At least I know the differences between insure, assure and ensure.

    Currently, I am working in a support role for a trading company so I can both learn the ropes of the trade, and get my Series 66 and Series 7 out of the way so I can trade full-time in the open market. Our firm mainly deals in bonds, but we do enough business development that my experience in sales will come to the forefront when it comes time for me to dig up new clients. I'm hoping the boss will let me take a trip overseas and start up an international branch in the UK; specifically Scotland, and even more specifically, Edinburgh.  There are many hundreds of financial institutions in Scotland that would benefit from what we do; maybe I'm the right person to take the prospectus and proposal to them! I hope so.

    The sales (insurance) licenses have NOTHING to do with the trade industry. It's just something I have in my back pocket, sort of like the Ph.D. in Administration of Higher Education. I decided to trip over myself for a few years and get that while working full-time and raising three kids. When people whine and moan about their issues I'll be the one laughing in the corner.  Try pulling a 3.87 GPA while working full-time at a law office as a paralegal and raising three teens or pre-teens without a penny of child support. Please don't complain to me about your life. Make something happen, or get out of the way of those of us who decide to. I'm not being mean, God forbid I harass or bully anyone! I'm a mover. I don't wait for the arms of Fate to reach out to me, I firmly grasp his steely hand and introduce myself. I look him in the eye and tell him exactly what I expect of myself. 

    God has been so very gracious with and to me. He's been the guiding Light, the Power behind everything I think to do or accomplish. It was literally 25 years ago this month that I divorced my ex and let me tell you, there will be a celebration on the 27th if only in my head. During our divorce, our judge (Barbara Swinton) told me to my face and with my counsel present, that I could either go to Law School, which I had a full ride to attend, or I could have the kids. Are you kidding me? She literally said it, and then told the court reporter not to add that last bit to the record. My counsel spoke up and told her if she ordered that to be stricken it was also stricken in situ! It was not to be adhered to if it was not going on the record.  It is part of the record. It's not supposed to be legal, but there it is. I chose the kids.

    Because I chose the kids I had to find another way to support all of us. I worked as a paralegal yes, but my attorney employer was elderly, and he was about to retire. The plan was for me to become an attorney and take over his business. That didn't happen. I instead, got my education in Education, and I taught. I still had my life insurance licenses, and I had that as a safety net; it's been a good one.  Eventually, I left the firm, started my own insurance business, taught at the same time, and tried to do all I could to produce and wrangle three of the most amazing creatures ever to step foot on the Earth.  All three of my kids have been wonderfully educated either through their own training or public training. Reuben is also militarily trained. They've all been and are successful at their respective choices of employment.  It's my turn to do what I want to do. I want to trade.

    One does not simply begin trading. If you're smart you'll take a full year to understand the process, then you'll work a demo account for at least 6 months to get a grip on what it is to push those keys to throw you into a live trade. The Market does not like you. It does not hate you. It does not stop for you. It doesn't wait for you. It does not stand up for you. It will not support you, back you up, or even notice you. The Market is a beast in and of itself. It is to be respected and worked, but it is not to be worshipped by anyone. Market is Market. The sooner a person understands what they are up against, the better they'll be for both themselves and any clients they may work with in the future.

    To sell insurance one must be licensed in the state they are selling in, and you can also be licensed in states you think will be selling in as well.  You may not sell in a state where you are not licensed. Each license per state is about the same cost, and I was licensed in three states at one time. I've brought that crazy time to a halt, and I am now only licensed in the Sooner State! It's enough to know I am doing what I can to set the stage(s) should I ever need to retire. Believe it or not, when I do move to Scotland, I can still sell insurance in the States as long as I keep a residence. I can do that. I may have it as another net when and if it's needed.  What can I say, I've always been a planner. My plans have plans. I find it easier to breathe when I schedule the inhaling and the exhaling appropriately.

    OK, gotta get back to the study. I'm about to head off into Property & Casualty with Flood continuing education. Can't miss that!! Floods can be so very interesting from the point of view of the adjuster and sales rep, not so much from the point of view of the policyholder, however. Nope. Not fun at all.  Have a bright and merry week and I'll try to catch up when I can. I have a feeling I'll have my head in the "books" online for a minute or two this week.

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