Required courses:

HS 323 Individual Life Insurance:
Focuses on life insurance policies and annuities available for the personal needs of individuals and their use in financial planning. Covers individual insurance products, insurance reserves regulation, and the organization, operations, and investments of insurance companies.

HS 324 Legal Aspects of Life Insurance:
Examines legal rights and obligations of the policy owner and the insurance company, the way disputes between the insured and insurers are resolved and general principles of the judicial process. Covers legal aspects of life insurance, including basic principles of contract law; policy provisions and the incontestable clause; assignments, ownership rights and creditor rights; beneficiary designations and disposition of proceeds; the law of agency; and advertising and privacy issues.

HS 330 Fundamentals of Estate Planning:
This course provides a basic understanding of the estate and gift tax system, including strategies of estate planning. Covers various aspects of estate and gift tax planning, including:

• Nature, valuation transfer, administration, and taxation of property
• Gratuitous transfers of property outright or with trusts, wills and powers of appointment
• Use of the marital deduction
• Valuation of assets
• Buy-sell agreements
• Client interview/fact finding
• Ethical standards
• Development of personal estate plans

HS 331 Planning for Business Owners and Professionals:
Focuses on tax and legal aspects of organizing a business; compensation planning for the business owner; business succession planning; buy-sell agreements; estate planning and estate freezing techniques; methods for transferring a family business; lifetime disposition of a business interest.

Elective courses (choose one)
HS 300 Financial Planning: Process and Environment:
This course provides an overview of the financial planning process, including the role and responsibilities of a financial planner along with analytical tools to aid in financial decision-making. Topics include:

• Communication techniques
• Ethics
• Education planning and funding
• Time-value-of-money concepts
• Financial planning applications
• Regulatory issues
• Legal and economic environment for financial planning

HS 311 Fundamentals of Insurance Planning:
This course focuses on the role of planning for risk management needs. The topics covered include:

• Fundamental principles of risk management
• Principles of insurance
• Human capital risk
• Liability risk
• Property risk
• Financial wealth risk

HS 321 Income Taxation:
The course examines the federal income tax system with particular reference to the taxation of individuals.
Concepts covered include:

• Gross income, exclusions from gross income
• Deductions
• Tax credits
• Capital gains and losses
• Taxation of life insurance
• Taxation of annuities
• Entity taxation of partnerships, LLCs, corporations, and proprietorships

HS 326 Planning for Retirement Needs:
This course focuses on selecting the right retirement plan for the business and on individual retirement planning. Covers:

• Qualified plans, SEPs, SIMPLEs and 403(b) plans
• Nonqualified deferred compensation plans
• Practical knowledge needed for choosing the best retirement plan, especially for the small business, and designing a plan that will meet a client’s needs
• Individual retirement planning including IRAs and Roth IRAs, Social Security benefits, saving for retirement and planning for retirement plan distributions

HS 328 Investments:
This course covers various aspects of the principles of investments and their application to financial planning. Topics include:

• Risk analysis, risk and return computations
• Risk reduction through diversification
• Expected returns of various investments
• Nature of securities markets and investment companies
• Tax issues in investing
• Issues in the practice of portfolio management
• Examples of ethical and practical investment considerations

There are no prerequisite courses required to begin the CLU^® Program, and no admissions requirements other than a high school diploma or the equivalent. Three years of experience in financial planning or a related profession are required to use the designation.

To receive the CLU^® designation, you must:

1. Successfully complete the five required courses
2. Agree to comply with The American College Code of Ethics and Procedures
3. Participation in the annual Professional Recertification Program (PRP) is required to maintain the designation.

See the Student Resources and Policies page for comprehensive details on refund policies, learning policies, recertification information, and more.

Because the CLU^® certification shares common courses with the ChFC^® and CFP^® designations, you have the option to work towards multiple designations at once. View this chart to see how these courses overlap — and how you can earn multiple designations faster.

What is the reimagined CLU^®?

In today’s competitive financial planning landscape, we look to stand out from the crowd and demonstrate our value to current and potential clients. The Chartered Life Underwriter^® (CLU^®) has been the industry gold standard for almost 100 years. It has stood the test of time and will continue to do so by remaining dynamic and relevant to the financial challenges of today.

The reimagined CLU^® has been updated and enhanced in two ways.

1. Program requirements – As of 4/4/2022, the CLU^® will move from an 8-course program to a more streamlined 5-course program. This provides students with a renewed focus on the topics and concepts needed to effectively navigate today’s insurance landscape
2. Personal Pathway^® curriculum revisions – Since we introduced the Personal Pathway^® delivery model in June of 2020, students have been requesting that the core CLU^® courses be redesigned as well. We are happy to announce that, beginning in July of 2022, students will be able to enroll in newly redesigned Personal Pathway^® versions of the core CLU courses!

Why are you making this change to the CLU^® Program?

The revised and updated curriculum blends very well with our other dedicated credentials in retirement, wealth management, special needs, philanthropy, and financial planning.  In addition, CLU^® Alumni research confirms the quality of the CLU^® Program and credential have been favorably enhanced with a renewed focus on the relevance of life insurance.

CLU^® students will receive timely information, taught by top industry thought leaders that will be readily applicable to their clients. The reimagined CLU^® focuses on the strategic application of life insurance and other tools, as a unique risk management device, at every phase of financial planning.  From income protection to tax favored wealth accumulation to estate conservation, and other complex planning concepts in trust, the CLU^® curriculum is robust, thorough, and will prepare advisors for any challenge they meet in the field.

When will the new program requirements become effective?

CLU^® Program requirements will change from 8 courses to 5 courses on April 4, 2022. The change is retroactive and all active CLU^®s will be automatically placed in the five-course program.

When will the revised Personal Pathway^® courses be available?

Enrollments for the revised Personal Pathway^® HS 323 and HS 324 will begin in July and the courses will open on 8/4/2022 (the first Thursday of the month.)

Enrollments for the revised Personal Pathway^® HS 331 will begin in August and the course will open on on 9/1/2022 (the first Thursday of the month.)

The current self-study versions of the courses will be available for enrollment until the revised courses are open.

What are the new program requirements?

The reimagined CLU^® Program consists of five courses: 4 core courses and 1 elective.

The 4 required core courses are:

• HS 323 The Tools and Techniques of Life Insurance Planning
• HS 324 Legal Aspects of Life Insurance
• HS 330 Fundamentals of Estate Planning
• HS 331 Planning for Business Owners and Professionals

The fifth course is an elective, which allows CLU^® students to choose from the following Huebner School course offerings:

• HS 300 Financial Planning: Process and Environment
• HS 311 Fundamentals of Insurance Planning
• HS 321 Fundamentals of Income Taxation
• HS 326 Planning for Retirement Needs
• HS 328 Investments

As an alternative, students who have completed one of the following designations can apply the designation toward the elective.

• Retirement Income Certified Professional^® (RICP^®)
• Wealth Management Certified Professional^® (WMCP^®)
• Chartered Special Needs Consultant^® (ChSNC^®)

For example, if you already earned your RICP^®, you only need to complete the 4 core courses!

What is the recommended/required course sequence?

We recommend students complete the CLU^® curriculum in the following sequence. However, you can complete the courses in the order of your preference.

The four core courses required are:

• HS 323 The Tools and Techniques of Life Insurance Planning
• HS 324 Legal Aspects of Life insurance
• HS 330 Fundamentals of Estate Planning
• HS 331 Planning for Business Owners and Professionals
• The elective of your choice

What are the benefits of the Personal Pathway^® curriculum revisions?

Our team of faculty thought leaders focused on making the CLU^® Program more relevant and focused on helping our students become better practitioners. The new curriculum allows a student to take what they learn and apply it to their business daily.

As of July 2022, we will begin enrolling students into the revised Personal Pathway^® CLU^® curriculum with courses beginning in August. The curriculum is based on professionalism, education, and training to apply the concepts of advanced planning to financial, estate, and business planning. There are many enhancements to the new program, including:  

• New educational elements like our interactive lesson reviews, discussion forums, practice exams, and structured weekly meetings with our instructors
• Practice specific questions from Gary H. Schwartz’s “Practice on Purpose” in each of the lessons of the CLU® to assist the advisor in applying what they learn to their practice
• Electives in the CLU^® count toward the Charter Financial Consultant^® (ChFC^®) designation and the CFP^® Certification Education Program.
• Flexible yet structured learning experience through all-online Personal Pathway^® program
• The latest in thought leadership from the industry, and more!

What is Personal Pathway^®?

Personal Pathway^® is a course delivery model that features interactive learning activities and structured lessons while allowing students to go at their own pace. Personal Pathway^® courses are 10 weeks of structured lessons and course requirements that count toward your final grade followed by an additional four weeks to take your exam. Click here to learn more about the Personal Pathway™ model.

Can I opt out of the new structure (Personal Pathway^®?)

There is no opt out available. Once Personal Pathway^® versions of the courses have launched, they will be the only versions available to students who are enrolling. Personal Pathway^® has proven to be highly effective, and with the 2021 improvements allowing students to complete courses at their own pace, it has become even more popular.

Will other designations provide credit toward the new CLU^®?

Yes! If you have already earned the Retirement Income Certified Professional^® (RICP^®), Wealth Management Certified Professional^® (WMCP^®), or Chartered Special Needs Consultant^® (ChSNC^®) designations, you will receive credit for the elective in the reimagined CLU^®. Conversely, once you have earned your CLU^®, you will have two courses that can be applied to your ChFC^® or CFP^® Certification Education Program studies!

Will I still receive credit for the courses I have completed towards other designations? Example, can I take electives for the CLU^® and apply them to the CFP^® Certification Education/ChFC^® Program?

Yes! Your learning journey does not end with earning your CLU^®. The new five-course CLU^® can fit into any life-long learning journey with The American College of Financial Services.

HS 300, HS 311, HS 321, HS 326, and HS 328 are not only elective course options for a CLU^® designation, they are required courses for ChFC^® and The College’s CFP^® Certification Education Program curriculum. In addition, HS 375 and HS 376 are part of the ChSNC^® curriculum. Many students will want to consider using their completed courses to earn an additional designation.

I am already midway through one of the courses that I no longer need, what do I do?

We recommend that you finish the course. The knowledge you gain in the course will still be helpful to you as you work with clients. Plus, most of our CLU^® designees go on to earn their CFP^® certification, ChFC^®, or ChSNC^® and any additional courses that you have completed will count toward one of those designations.

However, if you are in an active exam window and you are sure that you would like to switch to a course that counts toward the new CLU^® requirements, please contact an academic advisor at CLUadvising@theamericancollege.edu or at 888-263-7265 option 2, option 1 and we will be happy to switch you into a different course at no additional charge.

I already finished the ChSNC^® classes, will they count toward my elective?

Yes, if you have completed HS 375 or HS 376 by April 25^th, your credits will be counted toward the completion of the new CLU^® requirements.

Additionally, if you enrolled into HS 375 or HS 376 prior to April 25^th but have not yet completed the course, you can complete it for credit toward the new CLU^® requirements OR you can contact an Academic Advisor and we will be happy to switch you into a different course that is part of the new CLU^® requirements at no additional charge.

If you have already earned the ChSNC^®, the designation will count as your elective and your path to a CLU^® is to complete the four required courses.

I bought an 8-course package. Can I request a refund for the courses I no longer need?

Most of our CLU^® designees go on to pursue other designations and we encourage you to use the remaining courses in your package toward courses in a new designation. Courses bought in a package are steeply discounted and this ensures that you retain or enhance that value. Although most students finish the CLU^® and move on to the ChFC^® or CFP^® Certification Education Program, you can use the remaining courses toward any Huebner School course even if those courses are at a higher price point.

If you are not planning to pursue another designation, we will be happy to provide a refund to students who purchased packages on 01/01/2019 or later. Because 5 of the courses in your package are still required to complete the CLU^®, refunds may be provided for up to 3 courses in which you have not yet enrolled. Refunds must be requested by December 31, 2022. Refunds cannot be provided for courses that have already been taken regardless of whether they were passed, failed, or allowed to expire. As your life-long learning partner, we know the knowledge that you have gained in those additional courses will continue to serve you and your clients well and we encourage you to pursue other designations to expand your knowledge.

I just purchased a package. Why wasn’t I informed of these changes sooner?

The College made every effort to announce these changes as soon as possible. The details of the revised CLU^® Program were recently finalized and approved by The College’s Curriculum Committee and Provost Council. The effective date of the CLU^® course requirement change is April 4, 2022, and the revised curriculum is slated for enrollments in July. We will be happy to work with you on how to apply for the additional courses toward other programs or to provide a refund for the courses that are not required.

I purchased and completed courses that no longer count toward the CLU^®. Can I receive a refund?

Refunds cannot be provided for courses that you took that no longer part of the new CLU^® requirements. That includes courses that were failed or that expired. The knowledge that you’ve gained from those courses will make you a better practitioner and enable you to address the needs of your clients. As your life-long learning partner, we encourage you to continue with designations that include those courses like the ChFC^®, CFP^® Certification Education Program, and the ChSNC^®.

Who can I contact if I have a specific question or scenario that is not answered here?

If you have any additional questions after reading these Frequently Asked Questions, email CLUadvising@theamericancollege.edu and we will make sure that your questions are answered within two business days. Our advising team is here to help you navigate this change and to help you move forward with your studies. We appreciate your patience.

Because the CLU^® Program is changing from an 8-course to a 5-course program, some in-progress students will have already completed the new course requirements when they are updated on April 4, 2022.  If you fall into this category, we will be sending you an email before the end of April to let you know!  Below are some questions to help you navigate this and other scenarios.
 

I have already completed all the necessary course requirements of the new CLU^®. What’s next?

If you completed the revised CLU^® Program requirements and the last course you completed was in 2014 or later, you are eligible to apply for the CLU^® designation!

If you completed the revised CLU^® Program requirements before 2014 and have completed another course at The College since 2014, the CLU^® Program Director will need to review your additional coursework and its credit worthiness toward the CLU^® designation. Please email CLUadvising@theamericancollege.edu and they will send a transcript review to the CLU^® Program Director to determine if you are eligible to apply for the CLU^® designation.

If you completed the revised CLU^® Program requirements before 2014 and have not completed any other course at The College in 2014 or later, you must pay the tuition for the newly updated and revised HS 323 course and pass the course before you can apply for the CLU^® designation.

I finished the CLU^® and want to earn my ChFC^®, but I cannot get the rest of courses in a package because there are no six or seven course packages.

The College offers three course packages that will help you take advantage of course discounts in your new program.

How do I apply for my designation?

The College will confer CLU^® designations on those individuals who have completed the revised four core courses and one elective (or four core courses and already hold the RICP^®, WMCP^®, and/or ChSNC^® designation) once the revised CLU^® Program is effective in April 2022.

Students will need to complete the designation application to be awarded the CLU^® and you will receive an email once your designation application is available to you. The designation application will provide the Office of the Registrar with your diploma name, desired address, and additional information to verify and ensure your compliance with our Code of Ethics. The designation application is available once you enroll in your final course for a designation. The application will be found in “Self Services” on the Student Portal once it is available. Please allow our registrar staff 1 month to process your application as we are expecting high volumes of designations to process. For inquiries, please email DesignationApplications@theamericancollege.edu.