Course Description

4-Hour Annuity Best Interest/Suitability – Insurance Agent CE – South Carolina

Approved by the South Carolina Department of Insurance | Provider #500032141 | Course ID #6000205233 ✅
Only $19.99 — No added or extra fees (many providers add a separate $4 state reporting fee at checkout; ours is included)

Build the knowledge you need to comply with South Carolina’s NAIC Best-Interest annuity standard in one convenient online course. This 4-hour Annuity Best Interest/Suitability class is 100% online and self-paced, so you can start anytime, log in and out as needed, and download an instant certificate as soon as you finish. We report your credits to the state within 24 hours, and with over a decade of experience serving thousands of producers nationwide, 1st Choice CE helps you stay compliant without the hassle. Need help? Call or text 1-800-698-2770.

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Who Should Take This Course?

This course is designed for:

✅ South Carolina resident and nonresident insurance producers/agents who sell, solicit, or negotiate annuities
✅ Life & health agents who need the one-time 4-hour “Annuity Best Interest” training before selling annuity products WebCE
✅ Producers looking for a clear, practical refresher on documentation, disclosure, replacements, and senior protections

This course provides 4 hours of Annuity Best Interest/Suitability CE that also counts toward your Life & Health CE requirement.

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South Carolina CE & Annuity Requirements — What to Know

• Standard CE Requirement: Most resident producers must complete 24 hours of CE every 2 years, including 3 hours of Ethics. Department of Insurance SC

• Line-Specific Requirement: Of those 24 hours, at least 8 hours must be in each line of authority you hold (for example, 8 hours in Life/Health if you are licensed for Life/Health). Department of Insurance SC+1

• Renewal Timing: Your CE and renewal are due biennially by the last day of your birth month, in odd or even years that match your birth year. Department of Insurance SC+1

• Annuity Training: South Carolina requires a one-time 4-hour Annuity Best Interest course to be completed before you sell annuity products. This course satisfies that requirement. WebCE

• Carryover: Up to 18 CE credits may generally be carried into the next term; Ethics credits usually carry as general credit only. WebCE+1

Nonresident producers typically meet South Carolina’s CE and annuity standards by meeting their home-state requirements, as long as those are substantially similar.

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How to Complete Your South Carolina Annuity Training (Step-by-Step)

Step 1 – Confirm your CE needs
Review your license type and lines of authority, then plan to complete 24 hours total, including 3 Ethics hours, your line-specific hours, and this 4-hour Annuity Best Interest course.

Step 2 – Enroll in the course online
Sign up through our secure checkout page and start immediately from any computer, tablet, or phone.

Step 3 – Study at your own pace
Work through short, focused modules on the annuity best-interest rule, disclosures, product features, and ethical sales practices. You can log in and out anytime without losing your place.

Step 4 – Complete the final exam (if required)
Follow the exam instructions on-screen. If a proctor is required under South Carolina rules, we’ll explain how to meet that requirement.

Step 5 – Download your instant certificate
As soon as you pass, your certificate is available immediately for your records and carrier files.

Step 6 – We report your credits for you
1st Choice CE reports your completion to South Carolina within 24 hours, and your 4 hours of annuity CE will appear on your transcript.

Step 7 – Renew your license
Once CE is complete, submit your renewal through the state’s online system before the last day of your birth month in your renewal year.

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What You’ll Learn — Course Outline (4 Hours Total)

Hour 1 – Regulatory Framework & Best-Interest Standard (50 minutes)

• NAIC Model overview and consumer-protection purpose

• Key definitions: recommendation, consumer profile, material conflict of interest, replacement

• Best-interest obligations: duties of care, disclosure, conflict mitigation, and documentation standards

• Suitability vs. best interest: how the enhanced standard raises the bar

• Roles of insurer and producer: supervision programs, delegation limits, and carrier review/override

• Documentation and recordkeeping: what to capture, retention timeframes, and handling refusals/self-directed purchases

Hour 2 – Producer Duties Across the Sales Process (50 minutes)

• Required consumer profile information: age, income, assets, liquidity, time horizon, objectives, risk tolerance

• Needs analysis and reasonable-basis recommendations

• Product feature and risk disclosure: fees, surrender periods, bonuses, caps/spreads, market risk

• Compensation and conflicts: required disclosures and explaining how pay may influence recommendations

• Replacements and 1035 exchanges: structured comparisons, costs, and lost benefits

• Serving seniors and vulnerable adults: cognitive red flags, elevated care standards, and escalation pathways

Hour 3 – Annuity Products, Riders & Risk–Reward Characteristics (50 minutes)

• Fixed, indexed, and variable annuities: guarantees, crediting methods, investment risk, and use cases

• Common riders: GLWB/GMWB, GMAB, death benefits, nursing-home waivers—costs vs. flexibility

• Surrenders, MVAs, free-look periods: schedules, partial withdrawals, cooling-off rights

• Fees, expenses, and opportunity cost and how they affect client outcomes

• Tax basics: tax deferral, RMDs, 10% additional tax before 59½, qualified vs. nonqualified funding

• Illustrations and hypotheticals: limits on back-tests and clear labeling of non-guaranteed elements

Hour 4 – Supervision, Advertising, Ethics & Case Studies (50 minutes)

• Insurer supervision and file review: sample programs, red-flag triggers, remediation, producer oversight

• Advertising and consumer communications: what counts as advertising; digital, social, and seminar rules

• Prohibited sales practices: churning, twisting, misrepresentation, unapproved materials, senior-event pitfalls

• Complaints, rescission, and remediation: timelines, corrective actions, and when rescission may be appropriate

• Multi-state nuances and training: reciprocity, forms/affidavits, continuing training expectations

• Applied case studies: realistic scenarios to practice documentation, disclosures, and conflict mitigation

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Why Take This Course with 1st Choice CE?

✅ South Carolina DOI-Approved (Provider #500032141, Course #6000205233)
✅ $19.99 flat — no extra fees (includes the $4 state reporting fee)
✅ 100% Online & Mobile-Friendly
✅ Self-Paced Access — log in and out anytime
✅ Instant Certificate of Completion
✅ Credits Reported Within 24 Hours
✅ Over 10 Years of Trusted CE Service
✅ Money-Back Guarantee
✅ Support by Phone or Text — 1-800-698-2770

Course Details

• Approved by South Carolina Department of Insurance
• Approved Provider #500032141
• Approved Course #6000205233
• Instant Access - Online Course.
• Study At Your Own Pace. Anytime.
• On Any Device. Phone, Tablet, or Computer.
• Hassle Free Navigation. Easy to Follow.
• Certificate emailed immediately upon completion.
• 1-800-698-2770 for any questions.