VIP

About the VIP Mark

The VIP Certification Mark is a certification mark of AssessBest, Inc. and certifies that the products and/or services provided have been rendered by an insurance agent authorized by a state insurance department with current licensing, background/credit standing, and eligibility disclosures.

Certification under the VIP Certification Mark requires the Applicant to pass an initial evaluation, maintain annual licensing review, and agree to practice in compliance with a “Code of Ethical Conduct and Business Practices.”

VIP Mark Usage Requirements

The initial application will require the Applicant to demonstrate that all of the following are true:

1. The Applicant proper licensure is maintained in each state in which it does business;
2. The Applicant maintains proper errors and omissions insurance which includes coverage for any actions or duties required by the regulator(s) in the Applicant’s state(s).
3. The Applicant must pass an NIPR Licensing Check showing:
   1. no state revocations or suspensions within the last five years;
   2. no state license restrictions or fines within the last five years; and
   3. no state actions have been taken within the last five year
4. The Applicant must not have any felony criminal convictions or misdemeanor convictions arising out of financial crimes or malfeasance
5. The Applicant must not have filed bankruptcy in the last three years
6. The Applicant must not have any tax liens, judgments, foreclosures, collections, or suits pending in an amount greater than $ 10,000 per instance, or in the aggregate value of $15,000;
7. The Applicant must have completed all required Continuing Education obligations including Suitability in Annuity Transactions CE courses and Money Laundering.
8. The Applicant must not have any reportable events on a FINRA U4 or U5.

The Applicant must agree to permit Certifier to obtain a professional background check (including a criminal records search) to verify the accuracy of the statements in the application.

VIP Mark Inquiries

Social Security Number Trace – Address History Locator
The Address History Locator identifies names and addresses that may be associated with a Social Security Number as provided by a proprietary database. An Address History Locator service is used to derive addresses in order to identify jurisdictions where additional research services may be appropriate.

National Criminal Record Search & National Sex Offender Search
The National Criminal Record Search (NCRS) includes information compiled from various sources, including the Department of Corrections, Administration of the Court, and County Criminal history. This is an expansive search that is used as a tool in order to extend the geographical area being searched for potential criminal records. This search also includes a search of a national database of sexual offender records including records from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The database includes registered sex offenders. If a record is located from the NCRS or the NSOR, an additional search is completed at the county/statewide level in order to confirm the accuracy of the record. This second step is to comply with the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

County Criminal Search
The county criminal search is completed by Red Ridge Verification Services researchers on-site at the county courthouse or by the same repositories utilized by the court clerks. Researchers will conduct the county level check and report all available felony and misdemeanor records that the court has available, including; deferred, pending, fail to appear and warrant information in accordance to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The court records pursued will be a minimum of 7 years. Some jurisdictions maintain records or information in various municipalities within a county.

Federal Criminal Search
The Federal criminal search is completed by Red Ridge Verification Services researchers using the same online repositories utilized by the court clerks. Researchers report all available felony and misdemeanor records that the court has available, including; deferred, pending, fail to appear and warrant information in accordance to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Federal criminal records are cases brought by the Federal Government and can include, but not limited to, cases of stolen goods, bank robbery, embezzlement, counterfeiting, terrorism, weapons violations and drug trafficking.