Insurance: Learn the Basics to Advanced Concepts
Resources below are organized by age/skill level, from vocabulary basics through advanced financial, regulatory, and professional topics.
A note on these links: Some resources below are official U.S. government or state-regulator sites, some are nonpartisan nonprofit organizations, and some are commercial/media education sites. Badges on each tile indicate the source type. TETS does not receive compensation for these links and does not endorse any specific commercial product.
1. Vocabulary -> 2. Consumer Application -> 3. Regulatory & Comparison Literacy -> 4. Financial/Actuarial Analysis -> 5. Professional Risk Management -> 6. Professional Financial Planning -> 7. Actuarial Mastery
Ages 6-17 - Beginner (Vocabulary)
Practical Money Skills
Free games and lessons teaching the concept of pooled risk and basic insurance vocabulary.
Topics & prerequisites
Topics:
- What insurance is and why it exists (pooled risk)
- Saving for a risk vs. insuring against it
- Basic vocabulary: premium, policy, coverage
Prerequisites: basic arithmetic; elementary-to-middle-school reading level; no prior financial knowledge needed.
Junior Achievement USA
In-school and after-school programs introducing risk identification and how insurers make money.
Topics & prerequisites
Topics:
- Risk identification in everyday life (health, property, income)
- Role-play simulations of "no insurance" scenarios
- Premiums vs. payouts; insurance career awareness
Prerequisites: basic reading comprehension; group participation; grade-level arithmetic.
MyMoney.gov
Federal financial-literacy portal covering insurance as part of the "Protect" building block.
Topics & prerequisites
Topics:
- Insurance within the Five Building Blocks framework
- Identity theft and consumer protection basics
- Introductory life-insurance vocabulary
Prerequisites: middle/high-school reading level; basic understanding of income and expenses.
Ages 18-25 - Beginner to Intermediate (Consumer Application)
Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I)
The leading U.S. consumer-facing source for plain-English explanations of auto, home, and life insurance.
Topics & prerequisites
Topics:
- Policy structure: declarations, exclusions, endorsements, riders
- Auto: liability limits, collision vs. comprehensive, UM/UIM
- Home: dwelling vs. personal property vs. liability; RCV vs. ACV
- Term vs. whole/permanent life insurance
Prerequisites: comfort reading policy-style language; basic algebra; Level 1 vocabulary helpful.
NAIC Consumer Resources
Run by state insurance commissioners; shopping guides, complaint filing, and regulation basics.
Topics & prerequisites
Topics:
- How state insurance regulation works
- Comparing quotes; reading rate filings
- Filing a formal complaint; health-insurance appeals process
Prerequisites: Level 2 policy vocabulary; comfort with government/regulatory websites.
USA.gov: Insurance
Federal overview of mandatory vs. optional coverage, unemployment insurance, and flood insurance.
Topics & prerequisites
Topics:
- Mandatory vs. optional insurance by state
- Unemployment insurance eligibility and application
- National Flood Insurance Program basics
Prerequisites: general civics/government literacy; no specialized insurance background needed.
HealthCare.gov
Federal Marketplace for comparing health plans and checking subsidy eligibility.
Topics & prerequisites
Topics:
- Metal tiers and actuarial value
- Premium tax credits and subsidy calculations
- Deductible/copay/coinsurance/out-of-pocket-max interplay
Prerequisites: basic budgeting skills; comfort with government portals; household income concepts.
Investopedia: Insurance
Reference site spanning intermediate consumer topics through underwriting and actuarial basics.
Topics & prerequisites
Topics:
- Annuities, disability insurance, umbrella policies
- Underwriting principles; loss ratio; combined ratio
- Tax treatment of insurance products
Prerequisites: basic personal finance literacy; comfort with financial ratios; Level 2 vocabulary.
Ages 26-60 - Intermediate to Advanced (Policy, Regulatory, Financial & Professional)
The Institutes
Premier professional education provider; home of the CPCU, ARM, and AINS designations.
Topics & prerequisites
Topics:
- CPCU: risk treatment strategies, insurer operations, ratemaking, legal environment, data literacy
- ARM: enterprise risk identification, risk financing, resilience planning
- Specialized associate designations (claims, cyber, catastrophe risk, AI)
Prerequisites: Level 2 policy vocabulary; college-level reading and quantitative reasoning.
The American College of Financial Services
Accredited institution offering the CLU and ChFC advanced financial-planning designations.
Topics & prerequisites
Topics:
- CLU: advanced life-insurance underwriting, estate planning, ILITs
- ChFC: comprehensive financial planning integrating insurance and tax strategy
- Retirement income and annuity design
Prerequisites: foundational grasp of life-insurance products; basic estate/tax literacy.
IRMI
In-depth technical reference used by practicing risk managers, brokers, and attorneys.
Topics & prerequisites
Topics:
- Contract analysis and additional insured endorsements
- Captive insurance formation; reinsurance structures
- Advanced commercial lines: D&O, E&O, cyber, environmental
Prerequisites: CPCU-level working knowledge of commercial insurance; ability to read legal contract language.
Society of Actuaries
The most mathematically rigorous track: actuarial exams underpinning insurance pricing and risk modeling.
Topics & prerequisites
Topics:
- ASA pathway: Exams P, FM, SRM, FAM, PA, ALTAM/ASTAM
- FSA specialty tracks: Group & Health, General Insurance, Life & Annuities, Retirement, Investment, ERM
- CERA: enterprise risk management, economic capital modeling
Prerequisites: college-level calculus, probability, and linear algebra; increasingly, programming/data skills.
CPCU Society
Continuing-education and networking hub for credentialed CPCUs.
Topics & prerequisites
Topics:
- Emerging risk topics: climate risk, InsurTech, AI in underwriting
- CPCU Code of Professional Conduct and ethics maintenance
Prerequisites: CPCU designation (or active pursuit); Level 3 knowledge from The Institutes assumed.