# Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU)

> The CLU is a life insurance designation from The American College of Financial Services, earned with four required courses and three years of experience.

Canonical page: https://find.wellspent.co/glossary/clu/
Also called: CLU

Candidates complete four required courses, each with its own exams and no cumulative final, and need three years of experience in financial planning or a related field to use the designation. They agree to the College's Code of Ethics.

To keep it, client-facing designees complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years, including one hour of ethics, and pay an annual recertification fee.

A CLU signals insurance expertise, which helps when reviewing a policy or planning an estate. It isn't a broad planning credential and doesn't say how someone is paid. Life insurance is usually sold on commission, so if a CLU recommends a policy, ask whether the insurer pays them. In the public graph, 51 fee-only advisors list a CLU.

## How to check

Search the advisor's name on The American College's Verify a Designation page at youradvisorguide.com/verify. Check FINRA BrokerCheck for a broker registration, which means they can earn commissions.

## Sources

- [The American College of Financial Services: CLU requirements](https://www.theamericancollege.edu/designations-degrees/CLU)
- [The American College: Professional Recertification Program](https://www.theamericancollege.edu/recertification)
- [The American College: Verify a Designation (Your Advisor Guide)](https://youradvisorguide.com/verify)
- [FINRA BrokerCheck](https://brokercheck.finra.org/)

## Related terms

- [Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC)](https://find.wellspent.co/glossary/chfc.md)
- [Commission-based advisor](https://find.wellspent.co/glossary/commission-based.md)
- [Fee-based financial advisor](https://find.wellspent.co/glossary/fee-based.md)
- [CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP) certification](https://find.wellspent.co/glossary/cfp.md)