Important CE Deadlines
The National IRES Continuing Education (NICE) Program deadlines are once again quickly approaching.
Remember, the deadline to:
Complete your continuing education (CE).........................................August 31, 2024
Request an extension to complete CE..........................................September 1, 2024
Submit your CE credits......................................................................October 1, 2024
The NICE Program requires all members holding an AIE®, CIE®, or CICSR® earn and report at least 15 hours of qualifying CE credit each year. Items submitted for credit must be completed during the current compliance period of September 1, 2023, to August 31, 2024.
If you will be a few CE credits short this compliance period, you can ‘reachback’ and use up to three excess hours from last year. To qualify, the credits must be excess (i.e., not previously used to satisfy your CE requirement) and you may ‘reachback’ only one year. IRES does not automatically apply excess hours from the prior year to the current compliance period. If you need to ‘reachback’ for credits, you must report the ‘reachback’ CE credits for this reporting period.
If extenuating circumstances prevent you from completing your CE this year, you may request a one-year extension. Extensions are not automatic and must be requested before September 1, 2024. To request an extension, visit the IRES website, log in to your account, and complete the Extension Request Form.
Submit CE Credits
To submit CE credit, visit the IRES website and:
Log in to your IRES account.
If you don’t automatically land on the page that shows your profile, click on your name in the upper right corner, then click Account and select Settings.
Click on the Professional Development tab on the navigation rail on the left.
While on the Journal Entries tab, click the + Add Entry button.
Complete the CE Submission form.
Attach a PDF of your certificate of attendance (or other proof of completion).
Click Submit.
A link to instructions for completing the submission form is available in the Professional Development section of your online IRES profile.
Help the Submission Process
You can help ensure fast and efficient processing of your submission by submitting your CE in as you earn it and by avoiding these common submission mistakes:
Proof of Completion Missing. The most common CE submission mistake is forgetting to attach proof of attendance/completion. Before submitting the CE, please take a moment to attach a certificate of attendance or other evidence of completion.
Incorrect Entry Date. The Entry Date on the submission form should show the date the educational event was completed and the credit was earned. By default, the system automatically fills in the date the credit is being submitted. Please change the Entry Date to the date the educational event was completed and the credit was earned.
Duplicative Entries. Make sure the educational event hasn’t already been recorded. Remember, some events are automatically recorded on behalf of members. So, you do not need to report IRES-sponsored events (such as the Career Development Seminar, IRES Webinars, and MCM programs) and the IRES Foundation National School on Market Regulation.
Wrong Credits Amounts. Be sure the number of credits entered on the journal data entry form matches the number of credits on the certificate of attendance. The IRES office will adjust the number of credits granted, as needed, to comply with the maximum allowed credits under the NICE Program rules.
Incorrect Credit Expire Date. Credits always expire on August 31st of the compliance period for which the submission is being made. Credits earned for the current compliance period (September 1, 2023, to August 31, 2024) expire on August 31, 2024.
Wrong Credit Type. Most educational events reported to IRES fall under the Courses & Seminars credit type. Be sure to select the appropriate credit type. Please do not use the following credit types as they are administrative credit types for use by the IRES office only:
MCM Program
MCM Certification Examination
AMCM Class
AMCM Certification Examination
IRES Committee Service
Designation Awarded
IRES Webinar
Ambiguous Description. The Description field is being used to capture the name of the educational event being reported. Be sure to enter the name of the event as it appears in the proof of completion. This will make it easier for IRES to verify the submission and more easily identify duplicate entries.
Score (%) Field & Activity Code Fields Completed. Members should not include information in either of these fields.
Reachback Credit Used Incorrectly. Reachback Credit should only be used when requesting excess credit earned in the prior compliance period be applied to the current compliance period. When submitting Reachback Credits the:
Entry Date should continue to reflect the date the education event was completed and the credit was earned; and
Credits Expire Date should be August 31st of the compliance period to which the credits apply.
Extension Credit Used Incorrectly. Extension Credit should only be used when the Accreditation & Ethics Committee has granted you an Extension to complete your CE credit. Please contact the IRES office if you need help in reporting Extension Credits.
For full details on the NICE program, see the NICE Program Manual available online here.
If you have any questions about the NICE Program or how to submit your CE, please contact the IRES office.
Jo LeDuc, CIE, MCM, CPCU, FLMI, AIDA, Director of Insurance Market Regulation Division with the Missouri Department of Insurance. Jo is a member of and a past President of the Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society (IRES). She has an M.B.A. and a B.S. in Business Administration. In addition, she has earned the CIE (Certified Insurance Examiner), MCM (Market Conduct Management), CPCU (Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter), FMLI (Fellow, Life Management Institute), AIRC (Associate, Insurance Regulatory Compliance), AIC (Associate in Claims), Associate in Insurance Data Analytics (AIDA) and API (Associate in Personal Insurance) designations.
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