Financial / Insurance Resource Links
Advantage Group Associates www.IndexedAnnuityNerd.com
Advantage Group is the foremost authority in the indexed life and indexed annuity
markets. This market research firm specializes in competitive intelligence, product
development, marketing and sales of indexed insurance products.
AgentMedia www.AgentMediaCorp.com
An industry one-stop shop for integrated marketing solutions. The combination of their
database and robust media tools offers market penetration available in the insurance
and financial services industry.
A.M. Best www.ambest.com
A.M. Best Company is a full-service credit rating organization dedicated to serving the
financial services industries, including the banking and insurance sectors.
American Bankers Association (ABA) www.aba.com
The American Bankers Association brings together banks of all sizes and charters into
one association. ABA works to enhance the competitiveness of the nation's banking
industry and strengthen America’s economy and communities.
AnnuitySpecs www.AnnuitySpecs.com
AnnuitySpecs is a one-stop shop for all Indexed Annuity needs. They provide the
product tools to understand Indexed Annuities inside-and-out.
Association for Advanced Life Underwriter www.aalu.org
AALU is a national association of nearly 2,000 advanced life insurance planners who are
committed to preserving insurance through political involvement. The mission of AALU is
to promote, preserve and protect advanced life insurance planning for the benefit of
members, their clients, the industry and the general public.
Association for Insured Retirement Solutions (NAVA) www.navanet.org
NAVA addresses the need and importance of retirement income preparation and
management for retirement-focused Americans, and within this mission, NAVA focuses
on annuity and variable life products to fulfill important objectives of retirement income
planning.
BankRate www.bankrate.com
Bankrate is one of the Web's leading aggregator of financial rate information. Bankrate
continually surveys approximately 4,800 financial institutions in all 50 states in order to
provide clear, objective, and unbiased rates to consumers.
Benefits Selling Magazine www.benefitssellingmag.com
An authority for brokers and agents selling core, voluntary and retirement products. Their
goal is to provide practical sale-focused information for benefits brokers and agents to
boost their business, to act as a resource for their clients, and help shape the entire
marketplace.
Boomer Market Advisor www.boomermarketadvisor.com
This publication delivers real-world case studies and sales and marketing strategies
advisors need to succeed with the demands of their boomer clients.
Bond Market Association www.cfainstitute.org
Advocate for the bond market; excellent research on trends in fixed income.
BrokerWorld www.brokerworldmag.com
This national insurance magazine is focused and edited to specifically address the
brokerage marketplace and the unique informational needs of independent life and
health producers who select the products best suited to their clients' needs from a
variety of companies and marketers.
Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters (CPCU) www.cpcusociety.org
The CPCU Society is a community of credentialed property and casualty insurance
professionals who promote excellence through ethical behavior and continuing
education.
Charter Financial Analyst Institute (CFA) www.cfainstitute.org
CFA offers programs leading to the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation
which is increasingly important in becoming established as an equities analyst
Financial Executives Institute (FEI) www.financialexecutives.org
Organization of senior financial executives from U.S. and Canadian corporations. Site
provides information on association conferences, technical issues, publications, career
services, and legislative and regulatory issues.
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) www.finra.org
Non-governmental regulator for securities firms doing business in the U.S. Created
through the consolidation of NASD and the member regulation, enforcement and
arbitration functions of the New York Stock Exchange.
Financial Planning Association (FPA) www.fpanet.org
FPA has 100 chapters throughout the country representing more than 28,500 members
involved in all facets of providing financial planning services. Working in alliance with
academic leaders, legislative and regulatory bodies, financial services firms and
consumer interest organizations, FPA fosters the value of financial planning and
advances the financial planning profession.
Fitch Ratings www.fitchratings.com
Fitch Ratings is a leading global rating agency committed to providing the world's credit
markets with independent, timely and prospective credit opinions.
GAMA International www.gamaweb.com
GAMA is dedicated to supporting the professional development of field leaders in the
insurance and financial services industry.
Gen Re www.genre.com
Gen Re offers customized reinsurance programs that help you achieve your life/health risk management objectives.
InsuranceNewsNet www.insurancenewsnet.com
As a premier internet provider of insurance industry information, InsuranceNewsNet
helps keep professionals current on critical, need-to-know industry news. With more than
20,000 pages of content from more than 12,000 sources, INN offers essential valueadded
expertise in organizing, analyzing and filtering insurance news from worldwide
sources to help industry professionals make better and more informed decisions.
Inter-Company Marketing Group (ICMG) www.icmg.org
Members are marketing and business development decision-makers with insurance
carriers, distributors, third party administrators, and other related companies.
Investment Company Institute (ICI) www.ici.org
National organization representing U.S. investment companies, including mutual funds,
closed-end funds, and unit investment funds.
Investment Counsel Association of America (ICAA) www.investmentadviser.org
Membership includes investment advisor firms that work with a wide range of
institutional and individual clients. ICAA promotes and represents the profession before
legislative and regulatory bodies.
LifeHealthPRO www.lifehealthpro.com
LifeHealthpro.com is the online destination for life & health insurance advisors, designed to provide them with the essential elements they need to run their practice and increase their bottom line.
LIMRA www.limra.com
Over 850 financial services companies in more than 70 countries around the world turn
to LIMRA to help them build their businesses and improve their performance. Services
include industry experience, along with resources in Research, Consulting, Assessment,
Development, and Compliance and Regulatory Services.
LOMA www.loma.org
LOMA is an international association through which more than 1,200 insurance and
financial services companies from over 80 countries engage in research and educational
activities to improve company operations.
Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) www.mdrt.org
MDRT, the premier association of financial professionals, is an international,
independent association representing less than 1 percent, of the world's most successful
life insurance and financial services professionals from 476 companies in 76 nations and
territories.
Moody's www.moodys.com
Moody's Investors Service is among the world's most respected and widely utilized
sources for credit ratings, research and risk analysis.
Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board www.msrb.org
This board makes the rules regulating dealers who deal in municipal bonds, municipal
notes, and other municipal securities
National Association of Active Investment Managers (NAAIM) www.naaim.org
NAAIM is a non-profit association of registered investment advisors who provide active
money management services to their clients, in order to produce favorable risk-adjusted
returns as an alternative to more passive, buy and hold strategies. NAAIM’s purpose is
to promote the common interests of those investment advisors who provide active
investment management services to clients.
National Association for Critical Illness Insurance (NACII) www.nacii.org
NACII was established to provide a forum for discussion on Critical Illness Insurance; to
become a distribution source for information and education on Critical Illness Insurance;
and, to serve as a distribution channel for establishing and promoting Critical Illness
Insurance industry policy, industry education and industry position.
National Association of Estates Planners & Councils (NAEPC) www.naepc.org
NAEPC is a national organization of professional estate planners and affiliated Estate
Planning Councils focused on establishing and monitoring the highest professional and
educational standards.
National Association for Fixed Annuities (NAFA) www.nafa.us
NAFA was created to provide training, education and foster better understanding of fixed
annuities including declared-rate, index and payout. It is the only independent, non-profit
organization dedicated exclusively to the education and promotion of these unique
products.
National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) www.nahu.org
NAHU represents licensed health insurance agents, brokers, consultants and benefit
professionals through more than 200 chapters across America. NAHU offers its
members a multitude of educational opportunities and business-development tools.
National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) www.naic.org
Organization of insurance regulators from all states and dependent areas, providing a
forum for the development of uniform policy when uniformity is appropriate.
National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) www.naifa.org
NAIFA is comprised of associations representing the business interests of members
nationwide. NAIFA's mission is to advocate for a positive legislative and regulatory
environment, enhance business and professional skills, and promote the ethical conduct
of its members.
National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies (NAILBA)
NAILBA is a nonprofit trade association, representing 100,000 producers who deliver
more than one billion dollars in first year life insurance premiums annually.
National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) www.nasd.com
Largest U.S. securities industry self-regulating body; represents stock brokerage firms
dealing in over-the-counter and other markets. Aims to standardize practices, establish
and enforce high standards in securities trading, and consult with the government and
investors.
National Ethics Bureau www.ethicscheck.com
The National Ethics Bureau is a membership organization of background-checked
financial professionals.
National Futures Association www.nfa.futures.org
Self-regulatory organization that works in conjunction with the U.S. government
oversight to legislate the futures trading industry
National Underwriter Company www.nationalunderwriter.com
NUCO publishes a broad array of print, e-media and software products for the insurance
and financial services industries. Its key publications include the two weekly magazines,
National Underwriter, Property & Casualty and National Underwriter, Life & Health.
New York Society of Security Analysts www.nyssa.org
Site contains good career information, including tips for successful interviews.
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) www.nyse.com
Not-for-profit corporation that oversees a self-regulated marketplace for the trading of
financial instruments. Releases monthly statistics on trading volume and member
income statements.
North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) www.nasaa.org
NASAA is the voice of the state securities agencies responsible for efficient capital
formation and grass-roots investor protection. Site includes sections on blue-sky
guidelines and investor education, and lists securities regulators by location.
Professional Insurance Marketing Association (PIMA) www.pima-assn.org
PIMA is the forum for leaders in the insurance direct marketing industry to craft strategic
relationships, develop business opportunities and perfect their expertise.
Safe Money Places www.safemoneyplaces.com
This website describes and compares various safe money places. It is designed to give
consumers the facts, or at least what they think are the facts. It also provides the links to
sources backing up data used. Although opinions are given, the site tries to separate
opinion from fact.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) www.sec.gov
Federal agency to protect the investing public against malpractice in the securities
industry. Supervises all national securities exchanges, broker-dealers, and investment
advisors.
Securities Industry Association (SIA) www.sia.com
The major lobbying organization for the U.S. securities firms.
Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) www.sifma.org
SIFMA is a trade association for securities firms. Site includes a list of members with
links to their home pages, articles, and issue briefs.
SIFMA www.sifma.org
SIFMA brings together the shared interests of hundreds of securities firms, banks and asset managers.
Society of Actuaries (SOA) www.soa.org
The SOA is an educational, research and professional organization dedicated to serving
the public and Society members. The Society's vision is for actuaries to be recognized
as the leading professionals in the modeling and management of financial risk and
contingent events.
Society of Insurance Research (SIR) www.sirnet.org
SIR was founded in 1970 to provide a forum for the free exchange of ideas in all areas of
insurance research. It has expanded to marketing and planning, as well as research.
Standard and Poor's www.standardandpoors.com
Standard & Poor's is a leading provider of financial market intelligence. The world's
foremost source of credit ratings, indices, investment research, risk evaluation and data,
Standard & Poor's provides financial decision-makers with intelligence to feel confident
about their decisions.
U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission www.cftc.gov
Oversees and regulates the commodity futures industry.
Windstorm Insurance Network, Inc. (WIND) www.windnetwork.com
The only professional organization exclusively dedicated to enlightening its members on
issues of significance to the insurance industry and related professional fields, arising
from windstorms and wind related natural disasters.
Wink, Inc. www.looktowink.com
Wink strives to provide the best competitive intelligence to the life insurance and annuity industries.
Women in Insurance and Financial Services (WIFS) www.w-wifs.org
WIFS’ vision is to provide a strong network of women helping each other develop the
success that lies within each of them. WIFS works toward the mission by supporting,
encouraging, and advancing the success of women in the insurance and financial
services industry.
CEM cannot be held responsible in any way for the listing of any of these organizations.
CEM provides this only as a resource and validity of all information should be obtained
by the hosting organization.