GENERAL
The Fraternal Insurance Counselor (FIC) and Fraternal Insurance Counsellor Fellow (FICF) designations are conferred by the Fraternal Field Managers' Association on candidates who successfully complete prescribed course work and meet required qualifications.

Course work for FIC and FICF designations consists of three sections for each designation. The FIC program consists of Part 1 - Basic, Part 2 - Intermediate, and Part 3 - Advanced courses. The FICF program consists of Graduate I, Graduate II, and Graduate III courses.

Graduate I: (Estate Planning):
This is an advanced markets course for fraternal field agents seeking the knowledge required to both successfully sell life insurance for estate protection purposes and work with other members of the estate planning team. The course covers the use of estate liquidity in connection with trusts – both as a funding medium for business agreements and as an effective combination with the estate tax marital deduction.

Graduate II: (Business Insurance Concepts):
The life and health insurance needs of partnerships, close corporations, sole proprietorships and corporations are discussed in this course. Also included is information on recognizing the need for business continuation and employee incentive plans.

Graduate III: (Introduction To Financial Products):
Intended to expand your knowledge of financial planning, this course offers an extensive overview of the many investment options available today and their roles in the changing economic picture.



TIME LIMIT
Candidates for either designation must complete all course work and pass the three exams within three years of initial enrollment in their study program. No credit will be given for exams passed outside of the three-year time period. Separate three-year time periods apply to the FIC and FICF study programs.

COURSE WORK AND TESTING
Member societies shall conduct these courses by classroom study, group study, correspondence, or other method by which the student completes every chapter in each text.

If a course is taken on a correspondence basis through Kaplan Financial Education, the course may be eligible for state continuing education credit, if approved. (The majority of states have approved the FIC and FICF courses for this purpose.) A separate, state continuing education correspondence certificate fee is payable by the candidate or society to Dearborn, as a provider of state continuing education credit.

The final exams for these correspondence courses consist of multiple choice questions. Grades are reported as a percentage of correct answers. Students who answer 70% or more of the questions correctly pass the test. Those not passing a test are to re-study the course material. They may re-test after thirty days and payment of required fees.

APPLYING FOR EXAMS
The candidate must apply for each examination on the forms furnished by Kaplan Financial Education. Candidates must be recommended by a society official. The society official will forward the applications for examinations to Dearborn.

The examination questions will be sent from Dearborn to the proctor named in the application. Exams are to be conducted under the auspices of the designated proctor.

Candidates have forty-five days from the date the exam is received by the proctor to return the completed exam to Dearborn. Except for substantiated medical emergencies, no refunds or exchanges will be given after exams have expired.

EXAM ADMINISTRATION RULES
The candidate shall have a private place free from distractions in which to write the exam. The candidate must not have at hand, or refer to, the study courses or any sources of reference. Exams are designed to be fair and adequate tests of a candidate's knowledge of FIC and FICF course materials.

The candidate must not see the test questions prior to sitting for the exam. Two hours are allowed for taking each FIC and FICF exam. Each test must be taken in one, continuous session.

After an examination is completed, the proctor shall forward the exam paperwork and any other required forms to Kaplan Financial Education, certifying that the rules have been observed. Failure to observe the above rules will result in penalties for both the candidate and proctor.

FEES
The cost of each examination is to be borne by the candidate or the candidate's society.

DIPLOMA AND PIN
Candidates who successfully complete their exams and who meet the qualification requirements will receive their FIC and FICF designations. Diplomas and lapel pins are sent to the successful candidate's society.



Graduate II: (Business Insurance Concepts):
The life and health insurance needs of partnerships, close corporations, sole proprietorships and corporations are discussed in this course. Also included is information on recognizing the need for business continuation and employee incentive plans.

Graduate III: (Introduction To Financial Products):
Intended to expand your knowledge of financial planning, this course offers an extensive overview of the many investment options available today and their roles in the changing economic picture.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
FIC candidates must pass the Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced final examinations. They must also have been working for at least twelve consecutive months with a fraternal benefit society which is a member of the National Fraternal Congress of America and the Fraternal Field Managers' Association, or the Canadian Fraternal Congress.

FICF candidates must have already received an FIC designations. They must pass the Graduate I, II and III final examinations. They must also represent a fraternal benefit society which is a member of the National Fraternal Congress of America and the Fraternal Field Managers' Association, or the Canadian Fraternal Congress.