valuable and informative insights. The listings are not meant to imply that the owners of
these sites endorse RAS in any way nor does RAS receive any incentive, monetary or
otherwise, to list their sites.
ACORD (Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development) is a global, nonprofit
insurance association whose mission is to facilitate the development and use of standards for the
insurance, reinsurance and related financial services industries. In 2000, ACORD set up a task force that
included the national examination companies and many of the top insurance carriers to explore the
feasibility of universal application and exam forms. In 2002, the prototypes were developed and
subsequently filed with the states. Today, the forms are approved by the Commissioners of Insurance in
all 50 states.
AHOU (The Association of Home Office Underwriters) is an international insurance and financial
services association with more than 1,400 individual members. The association was founded in 2002
when the Home Office Life Underwriters Association (HOLUA) and Institute of Homes Office Underwriters
(IHOU) merged to provide a more effective means to communicate and exchange underwriting
information.
LIDMA (Life Insurance Direct Marketing Association) is a relatively new group whose mission is to help
direct marketers enhance profitability by identifying, developing and implementing solutions with carriers,
vendors, consumers, regulators and each other. The direct response arena represents one of the fastest
growing distribution channels of life insurance sales.
LOMA (Life Office Management Association, Inc.) is one of the oldest and most respected associations
in the industry, through which more than 1,200 insurance and financial services companies from over 80
countries engage in research and educational activities.
MIB Life Index is the definitive measure of life insurance application activity in the U.S. and Canada.
As most individually underwritten life policies include a MIB inquiry, this index provides a reliable source
for tracking new application activity and trends.
NAIFA (National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors) has a nationwide membership of over
70,000, providing creative sales and marketing ideas, networking opportunities, sales and skills training,
and legislative representation. NAIFA has over 900 state and local associations.
NAILBA (National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies) is the primary organization
representing independent brokerage agencies. The member agencies must represent at least three
insurance carriers in the distribution of life, health insurance and related financial services and cannot be
owned or controlled by an insurance carrier. This very influential group was instrumental in initiating the
ACORD standards for life insurance applications.
Paramedical Examiners Group is a forum for examiners and interested parties to exchange
information. With over 600 members, this site provides useful insights into the examination industry and
resources to assist the independent examiners.
