New to the Surety Industry?
Learn more about contract and commercial surety, in person or online, with NASBP Surety School and online courses.
- NASBP Contract Surety School Level I
- NASBP Commercial Surety School Level I
- NASBP Contract Surety Fundamentals Online Course
- NASBP Commercial Surety: An Introduction Online Course
Contractor Bonding Education and Mentoring Program
This is a free primer for anyone new to the industry who wants to become familiar with the bonding process for contractors. The program includes a narrator describing the materials, easy-to-understand terms, fun videos, and clear explanations.
Several online articles describe how to get started in an insurance or surety career. This article answers many questions: Six steps on how to become an insurance broker/insurance agent.
Learn how current surety bond producers got into the industry in Pathways to Professionalism—Surety Practitioners Discuss Success Strategies, Skills, and Training. This NASBP Surety Bond Quarterly article features practicing NASBP surety bond producers discussing how they got into the surety industry and the skills needed for a successful surety career.
Read about the surety career path of a second-generation surety professional in Taking Surety Across Workforce Generations. This NASBP Pipeline article, by Old Republic Surety, shares advice for a new generation of surety industry professionals.
What Bonding Agencies Look for in New Hires
Hear directly from bonding agency leaders and personnel what traits and skills they are looking for in new employees joining their teams.
What is a Surety Company Looking For?
Surety executives describe the qualities that surety professionals who thrive in the surety industry possess and that they look for in job applicants.
NASBP Virtual Seminars
In just 50 minutes you can be on your way to learning more about surety by purchasing a NASBP Virtual Seminar. NASBP Virtual Seminars provide need-to-know information from leaders in the surety industry. These webinars cover a range of topics important to surety professionals. The full library of recorded NASBP Virtual Seminars is searchable to help you find the topics you want to know more about. Review the full catalog to find topics that interest you.
Some NASBP Virtual Seminars that may be helpful to someone new or interested in the surety industry:
- Personal Branding: Becoming a Surety Influencer
- The World of Court Bonds and Notary Bonds
- Probate Bonds Cover What?
- Interesting Insights into the World of Subdivision Bonds
- Commercial Contracts Vast Array of Performance Bond Opportunities
- Keeping Surety Weird: Exploring Opportunities in Commercial Surety
Additional Info
Licensure Information
If you are just getting started in the surety industry, you will want to find out your state's licensing requirements. You may want to start at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). The NAIC website offers contact information for each U.S. state's insurance department, making it easy to find the right person to talk to about licensing requirements.
NASBP educational offerings provide Continuing Education credits that help you fulfill licensing and licensing renewal requirements.
Credentialing Information
Additional credentials can help you gain skills to further your career.
- Learn about surety bond underwriting practices and strategies to develop and maintain a profitable book of business by obtaining the Associate in Fidelity and Surety Bonding (AFSB®) credential. Listen to this NASBP "Let's Get Surety" Podcast episode, "Discussing the AFSB Designation," for more information.
- Gain strategic leadership skills while learning to manage risk with the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) credential.
- Grow your knowledge of construction financial management and gain deeper insights into your contractor clients' businesses with the Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional (CCIFP) designation. Learn more about the CCIFP designation in this NASBP Surety Bond Quarterly magazine article.
NASBP Let's Get Surety® Podcast
NASBP Let's Get Surety® Podcast offers a look into the world of surety, with episodes focusing on surety careers, leadership, starting your own agency, and much more. Below are a few episodes that might be helpful if you are new to the surety industry.
Surety Careers are More Than Just a Job: Stories from the Agency Side of the Business This episode's guests share how they got into the surety industry, what they do in a typical day, and much more.
Fuel Your Professional Passion with NASBP's Educational Opportunities This episode highlights the engaging experience offered at NASBP William J. Angell Surety School, as well as the important learning found in the NASBP online CE courses and NASBP Virtual Seminars.
Brilliant Game of Confidence and Relationships: Talking Sales with Ryan Estis Learn about the qualities necessary for success in sales, including being curious and becoming an expert in your industry. Guest Ryan Estis shares the importance of trust and emotional connection for building strong and impactful relationships.
Building a Stronger Surety Industry Through Diversity and Inclusion This episode discusses how surety can continue expanding successfully through building a more diverse workforce and overcoming hurdles to bringing new people to the surety industry.
