Life Insurance History | Preview

Life Insurance History is a 1-credit Wisconsin insurance continuing-education course from CEWisconsin, Wisconsin OCI-approved provider #20781. A short journey through the early history of life insurance. This page has a free 9-minute video overview and a 32-minute audio overview to use before you enroll or while you study. CE credit comes from the course material and its test, not from watching or listening.

Watch the video overview (9 min)

Published August 10, 2025 · 9 min · MP4

Listen to the audio overview (32 min)

Published April 25, 2025 · 32 min · MP3

What the course covers

The course material provides an extensive historical overview of the insurance industry, tracing its origins from ancient risk-sharing practices in China and Babylonia to the development of modern life insurance in ancient Rome and 17th-century England. It details the evolution of the American life insurance market, beginning with early, often unsuccessful, colonial companies and the significant growth spurred by legislative changes like the Married Women’s Acts and the emergence of mutual insurance companies in the 1840s. Furthermore, the text examines periods of stagnation and resurgence, including the impact of the Civil War and World War I, market innovations like tontines and industrial insurance, and the resulting regulatory reforms instigated by the 1905 Armstrong Committee investigation.

Course facts

Credits: 1 (Wisconsin requires 24 every two-year license period)
Ethics credits: none; pair it with an ethics course if you still need your 3
Course number: 66904
Format: self-study reading, then an online multiple-choice test (70% to pass, unlimited free retakes, disinterested-party proctor required)
Reporting: CEWisconsin files your completion with the Wisconsin OCI

Ready to take Life Insurance History?

1 CE Credit

Open the course in the catalog, buy the credits you need, read, and test. Pricing is all-inclusive.

Go to the course in the catalog

Frequently asked questions

Do the video or audio overviews earn CE credit?

No. Wisconsin CE credit for Life Insurance History comes from reading the course material and passing its proctored online test with a score of 70% or better. Retakes are free and unlimited. The video and audio are free study aids.

How long are the video and audio overviews?

The video runs about 9 minutes and the audio about 32 minutes. Both were produced from the course material with Google NotebookLM; the video was published August 10, 2025 and the audio April 25, 2025.

How do I take Life Insurance History?

Buy CE credits on the catalog page (pricing is all-inclusive: the state submission fee and retakes are included), open the course, read the material, and take the test. This course uses 1 credit.

Does this course include ethics credits?

No. All 1 credit are general credits. Wisconsin requires at least 3 ethics credits among the 24 required each two-year period, so pair it with an ethics course if you still need those; see cewisconsin.com/ethics.html.

About these previews: the video and audio overviews were produced with Google NotebookLM from the course material. They summarize; the course text and its test are the authority. Page updated September 5, 2026.

Life Insurance History: Video and Audio Overview