Use of senior designations

Rules concerning the use of titles or designations that could be misleading, especially to seniors, have changed. New standards apply to soliciting, offering advice and buying or selling life insurance and annuity products. Some examples include:

• Insurance producers are prohibited from using nonexistent or self-bestowed certifications and professional designations.
• Insurance producers can't fraudulently market themselves as having a designation or certification in servicing seniors that doesn't exist.
• When working with a consumer, insurance producers can't call themselves financial planners, investment advisors, financial consultants or financial counselors unless they're engaged in an advisory business and receive a substantial portion of their income (51% or more) from that source unrelated to insurance sales.

Learn more about changes to the use of senior designations

Visit these pages to learn more about the new standards to protect seniors from the use of titles and designations that may be misleading:

• WAC 284-17-605 (leg.wa.gov)
• WAC 284-23-240(3) (leg.wa.gov)
• WAC 284-23-360(3) (leg.wa.gov)