Insurance Regulators School

Education Program

The Foundation's program is the world's only university-based educational program exclusively for insurance regulators.

Since 1990 700+ regulators from all over the United States, territories and other countries have participated in this program.

The course structure includes reading assignments, lectures, panel discussion and case studies. Twenty to tweny-five participants per year attend the program. The school is an intermediate educational program for financial regulators with two to five years of experience, who possess a general understanding of the insurance industry, financial accounting and reporting, as well as the regulatory environment in which insurers operate.

The program includes a cross section of speakers. Attendees hear presenters from the regulatory community, academia, insurance industry, and private sector service organizations. One of the highlights of the program is a computerized game that allows the participants to manage an insurance company in a variety of challenging economic conditions. 

Room, board and course fees are fully paid by the Foundation. Travel to and from the program are paid by insurance departments or other available sources. 

In 2004, the program moved from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa to Illinois State University's Katie Insurance Center in Normal, Illlinois. The Foundation's educational program for 2026 has transitioned and in collaboration with the Universities of Wisconsin and Iowa and the Institutes Griffith Foundation.

Topics of study are selected according to pertinent issues and trends facing the industry, as well as input from the Foundation's Board of Directors.

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What is it?

A program for insurance financial examiners and analysts to gain fundamental knowledge of key functions, emerging issues, and to develop critical skills.

Topics Include:

• Industry Outlook (Life, Health, and P&C Issues)
• Reserving Analysis
• Identifying Troubled Companies (Case Studies Insurance Company Failures)
• Reinsurance
• The Role and Challenges of the Insurance Financial Regulator
• Financial Statement Analysis
• Legislative and Regulatory Issues
• Role of Other Industry Analysts
• Risk Assessment Through Interviewing
• ORSA
• Interface with Commissioners of Insurance 
• National Organizations (NOLHGA and NCIGF) 

The program content is developed through the combined expertise of professionals from the reugulatory, academic, and insurance communities.

The IREF school has consistently received high ratings from the state regulators that have attended the program.  The Board of Directors of the IREF relies on these written evaluations to ensure that program is of high quality and meets the expectations of the participants. Below are illustrative of the comments typically received from attendees over the many years the program has been offered.

The value of the program not only comes from the education and training material provided but the opportunity to meet and network with other state regulators. The relationships created will be beneficial throughout the careers of these participants as well as the state insurance regulatory system.