I hate writing bad reviews but I think this situation warrants awareness for both the training program and new students. I signed up for their life accident and health training. I completed the 52 hours and signed up for the state exam thru their link which redirected me to PSI exams. I decided to buy PSI exams practice tests just in case. Well, if it wasn't for their practice tests I might have failed the state exam. The questions Mike Russ trained me for were really nothing close to what the PSI exam was asking. I barely passed the exam which I can attribute to the PSI practice tests but I gotta say that Mike Russ needs to update their training. Their practice tests need to be aligned more to what the state exam is going to be like. For that I thank PSI. Hopefully the program gets a review an update for future students read more

I took the crash course for my P&C test, and the man (I believe it was Jake Russ) leading the class was so disgustingly sexist and unprofessional. He constantly went onto tangents about his personal life with unrelated and inappropriate anecdotes, bashing his ex-wife, women in general, and making crude, sexual, and harrasing jokes at the expense of women and the other students in the course. I paid for the course and I deeply regret that I had to sit here and listen to this unhelpful lecture. I don't feel any more prepared for the exam because he doesn't go over any info with substantial coverage, nor does he discuss anything that isn't already covered to death in the standard pre-licensing training or offer any unique insight. He also would make the jokes repeatedly and then claim that these are all just jokes and to not take them seriously, in an obvious attempt to protect himself. read more

Update: I went to a course in Upland and the instructors were phenomenal! I live in the San Diego área and took that drive and it was completely worth it. Armando and Sam were super informative and gave situations that helped break everything down. This completely turned my opinion around about this Training Facility. The endless amount of resources I received will help me build the career i want in the insurance world. This is going to be an alll around review. Mike Russ was recommended to me through the agency I work for. Currently in the process of working towards my getting my license. I live pretty far from the institution so I took the online course but purchased the package with the crash course. The information and all the materials that I purchased were definitely worth it and it was great. I created my own binder with the different sections so it is easy to refer too and it's soo informative. The reason for the 3 stars is bc of the crash course. Maybe my perception was incorrect when I thought I would have one instructor for both days of the crash course. Saturday was great the instructor Erin was very very thorough. Sunday comes and it's a did fervent instructor James who was more worried about the time and taking breaks every hour. The first thing he said was "I want to get out early so that's what we're going to do." He was not as thorough as Erin at all, he talked more about how he made him behind. To add to this Erin had given all the student her contact info and told us to let her know how we do. Unfortunately I did not pass on my first try. I am very disappointed about that. To top off everything though she offered private tutoring for a charge. This makes me wonder if the do a half ass job on the crash course to try and sucker money out of students who really want to pass but can't. This is nothing against Mike Russ because he has a wonderful thing going and I appreciate all the information he p read more

Mike Russ Financial Training Centers - Specialty Schools Near Me - Coronado, California

First time passer on my Life Accident and Health license as of 09/02! The workbook puts you in the right mind set days leading up to the state exam and the cram course the instructors provide on Monday and Tuesday focus on the topics that CA state exam will touch on. I do wish this was the course provided to me when i tested for my Property and Casualty, probably would have passed my first time as well. Instructors really do try to make it fail proof if you keep an open mind and pay attention and utilize the tools provided for you. read more

A friend sent me to Mike Russ, Tyna was a great trainer. The class was well constructed and very informative, - I passed my exam the next day. Thank you. read more

I took this The Life & Health and the Codes & Ethics course completely online. I reside in Bakersfield, CA now and did not take the crash course that comes with it, since it was going to be a commute. I decided to wing it and study on my own. FINAL RESULTS: PASSED! I will say that the exam was much harder that I anticipated and saw that there were questions I had no clue how to answer. Nonetheless, Mike Russ helped me pass! Thanks, Mike Russ! read more

I attended 4 training cram sessions for my real estate sales person license. I'm pleased to say I passed the exam yesterday. Tiffany was the instructor & she was amazing her techniques in teaching the understanding of the TEST WORLD sealed the deal for me. I had zero confidence going in I always had an interest in real estate but feared the test part. Thank you Tiffany one of the best I would highly recommend the training. FYI the training is one part but you have to follow their notebook steps & you will succeed just like I did. Thank you Mike Russ training your school provides results. read more

Mike Russ Financial Training Centers - Specialty Schools Near Me - Coronado, California

Took the online PC class and webinar prep class through Mike Russ and passed the first time. I ended up taking the prep class two times before my exam so I would be a bit more prepared. The material covered in the online course is boring but that's what happens you have to study for 52 hours of just insurance rules and regulations. Both instructors for the prep class were great! They kept the class entertained, even behind a computer, to get through two days of pretty boring subject matter. I will be going back for my life and health license. read more

Great TEST PREP course. You will pass the test ! Teachers are entertaining and the frequency of breaks helps you not fall asleep. Again great if u just want to pass the test first try. And the dude Pat teaching has an insane memory. Knows the study books by heart. Every single line of the 100 page book read more

The best training place in San Diego. Instructores are accessible and knowledgeable. I attended the Crash Course and it was great! Would definetly recommend! read more

I attended Mike Russ Property & Casualty Classes to upgrade my personal lines license to a P&C license. I've been a personal lines agent for 5 years and have made 6 figures a year selling insurance as a captive agent. I decided I wanted to learn more about the industry and will now be an Independent Agent. When I first took the exam, the company I worked for provided online training. I don't remember much as it was over 5 years ago. Needless to say, I did past the state test back in 2011 on the 1st attempt and all I can remember was it was HARD!!! So I dreaded having to take this test again. I took M.R. classes in person because I didn't want to deal with distractions from the real world. It was my insurance getaway week. I ate, drank, slept insurance. My teacher was a Caucasian male (sorry I don't recall his name as I don't remember anything other what I needed to past the exam). If I could guess, he's either been teaching this class a VERY LONG time or he wrote the training manuals. He has EVERYTHING memorized. He didn't use any notes, he even memorized what pages we were to turn to. I call that REMARKABLE. I applaud him for his expertise and mastering the content he teaches. He had a dry sense of humor which actually kept me very engaged. As far as the content, I'm thankful I have some insurance background or I would have been clueless and lost. No worries though to those of you who have no insurance background, it will start to come together in the real world. Your only focus right now is to pass the exam and you will need help from training centers like Mike Russ. There is too much information to cover, but they will give you enough to pass. I personally got more out of the classes I took M-Th vs the 2 day crash course although the review packet was a great help in studying. The teacher just read the information. I could have done that myself, but the point of the crash course is simply REVIEW. Side note, give yourself a few days after class to study the material you just learned. I personally re-read and re-wrote the content that I highlighted. And I recorded out loud on my cell phone the information as well. On my way to take the exam, I listened to my voice going over the material. It kept the information fresh in my mind. We all learn through repetition and since there is no time for real like application, visual and auditory learning is what we have to learn the information. So re-read, re-write and re-cite the information. Do what's necessary to help you understand the information and remember the concepts and definitions. I scheduled the exam 2 days after the crash course. You have the option of taking a morning exam around 8am or an afternoon exam at 1pm. I opted for the afternoon test so I didn't have to deal with stressful LA traffic. I had 1 hr and 45 minutes of easy travel which gave me time to listen to my audio training review. I am thrilled to announce I passed at 80%. I went in with a lot of confidence, but as soon as those test questions started populating I started sweating up a storm. My heart rate went up and I had to take a few breaths, say a prayer, get my heart rate down and work through one question at a time. If I didn't know the answer or questioned myself, I marked it and moved on to the next question. By the time I was into 30% of the test, I decided to mark and skip the remainder of all the questions until I got to question 160. Why? Because I had a feeling they were sending me more of the same type of questions I had previously answered wrong. Marking and skipping ALL the questions, keeps those questions in place so they can't send you the same type of questions you will keep answering wrong. I was advised by Mike Russ schools that usually only 5% of the test will be on Commercial Insurance although all tests are different. So I invested more time studying the other components of insurance. Well over a third of my test was on Commercial Insurance. Thankfully I answered 41 right out of 51. The other third was personal lines questions and the last third was between General insurance & P&C questions. So study ALL the material. All of the content is important. There were a few questions that resembled the sample practice questions given by Mike Russ School, but most didn't come close to the actual test questions. However the content reviewed at Mike Russ will provide you the correct answers if you learn the concepts. Some answers will stick out like a sore thumb, but most you'll have to work through the process of elimination. Take your time. I had 85 minutes to spare. Don't rush. Don't second guess yourself. BE CONFIDENT and confidence will come from KNOWING in your heart that you will pass and taking the time necessary to study and learn. Thanks Mike Russ! I will be back for continuing education to add to my license experience and growth. read more

Great Real Estate 2 day crash course! Studied the Material 3 times and took 2 weekend classes 1 month apart and passed the test my first try! Tina was a Great instructor but you must study it all! read more

I have taken many training classes. And fund that the Mike Russ classes are extremely helpful in several ways. They teach all about the course put when its time to review for test they know how to prepare for such test. And really that is what I needed is to learn "how" to take a test a be prepared. I trainers (Mike Included) are awesome and the staff is very helpful! Thank you Mike Russ Financial Training Centers! Mike McClure San Diego, California read more

So i got sent here by my company to get my licensing classes out of the way and man, it was like a cram course. during the actual hours of the classes, they just reviewed but their prep classes were amazing. let me pass my exams on the first try. very knowledgeable staff. only downside was that the cat dragged in a lithuanian girl (nothing against lithuanians, just that no one knew her name but she kept saying she was lithuanian) who kept complaining and bitching the entire course. go figure, later i checked the licensing boards and i don't think she passed! less bitching, more learning! read more

I was pretty disappointed with my experience with Mike Russ. I sent the corporate office an email but never received a response back. I came to the live classes for a week for the property and causality insurance license. I'd like to start off by saying I took the course once and did pass my exam. However, I feel that the crash course was the only reason I passed. Our teacher throughout the week was obviously having a bad week and didn't seem like she wanted to be there. It made the experience less than ideal for the entire class. Sandy was the instructor for the crash course--She did AWESOME. I passed because of her! She explained things very well and she seemed like she genuinely cared about being there and making sure we understood and remembered the material. Thankful for the crash course but wishing the other teacher throughout the week did a better job. It was a rough week. read more

They teach you what you need to know for the test. The teachers are pretty entertaining and fun considering how dry the material can be. This is the best place to go to get ready to take the licensing test. If you are going to take the 52 hours online, then at least take their crash course that they offer the day before the test. It's a must. The teachers have been doing this so long that they pretty much know exactly what the questions are going to be. read more

When I was told I had to go to 52 hours of insurance school to get my license, I was dreading it! I'm not gonna lie, it wasn't a party, but it was as painless as a week of insurance school could be. Pat & Dana were my instructors. They were interesting, engaging, and their teaching method really made the material stick. They appreciated that they weren't teaching very exciting material and gave us a 10 minute break every 45 minutes or so. You'll learn what you need to know to pass the test and it works. Passed my state exam with flying colors. 92%. Single shot! Yeah buddy! If you're intent is to pass the state exams, Mike Russ Financial Training Center is for you! read more

I have used Mike Russ for all of my educational needs for insurance purposes. I would only recommend Mike Russ. Let's face it, learning sometimes can be so boring and is usually dreaded by most. Well, Mike Russ keeps it exciting along with being useful and helpful the entire time that you are there. I highly recommend taking the classes, and then coming back for crash courses right before the exams so that you get the extra help to be able to pass the exams you are taking. read more

Yo... this class is legit! I dont even write yelp reviews but for these guys I definitely will. Pat is a fuckin OG!!!! Mike Russ himself will prep you like noone has ever prepped you for a test. Pat is just cool and funny... kinda guy you'd wana have a beer with or smoke a joint with. The week long class goes by fast because Pat is just like chillin with one of the homies. He is that homie though that knows everything about insurance and also how to burn in your brain the concepts. Its true it is by cheetahs and the bullpen, a beer at lunch isnt even gonna hurt you at all. I had one 3 times that week and still passed the test the 1st time. THE CRAM COURSES!!! Now thats where you actually learn how to take a test right. They were so valuable and Mike really knows how to help you memorize everything you need to know for the test. These guys are the real deal!!! Do yourself a favor and go to Mike Russ!!!!! read more

GUARANTEE PASS!! I took my 52 hour health, accident, and health class online through a different school. I didnt pass the test so decided to take the 2 day prep class and it helped a lot!! I wish I took my 52 hours in person through them. The class was enjoyable and appreciated the test tips. Took the test.. and yup passed!! Highly recommend read more

DONT EXPECT HARDLY ANY OF THE MATERIAL FROM THE PRACTICE TESTS TO BE ON THE ACTUAL STATE EXAM!!!! I scored 90% on all of the practice tests and failed horribly on the state exam. Walked in to the test confident and by question 30 I KNEW I had been misled as far as what to study and was expecting to fail. So by that point, I had just begun to try and focus on what the state exam DOES cover. For Mike Russ, the price to get the hours was worth it. But as far as study material, try paying for the PSI website practice tests instead. Yes, you'll be out more money but in the long run you won't have a to retest a zillion times. Good luck! read more

I'm having people over at my house, and someone gets too drunk, everyone knows its gonna be Bill! It doesn't pay to me! Its better than a poke in the eye! No one in their right mind would insure my cousin Stevie. This class rocks and Pat is down with the get down! Somehow, this crazy family knows how to make information stick! Highly recommended! read more

Search no further for your licensing needs! I just took my 40 hour life/health class with Patrick Russ and I will definitely see him for any of my future training needs! He is very helpful and informative! He keeps the class engaged with his humor and real life examples. Life/heath insurance can be confusing, but he has a way of simplifying it! Thank you Pat for giving our class all the confidence in world in passing this test! Mike Russ, Patrick Russ is awesome! read more

Thanks to your classes I passed the Real Estate Sales Person Exam on the first try. Your teachers are very knowledgeable and give great examples of what to expect. I will recommend your class to everyone read more

I took the P&C 52 hour class with Patrick and the Refersher class with Domenica. Both did a great job to prepare me for the test- I passed the first time. Go in to the class rather than on line if you are trying to decide, they really do a great job of drilling things into your head. read more

Just came back from a intensive P&C weekend at Mike Russ's office in Anaheim. I cannot say enough about Natalie Diaz, the instructor. She has a true passion for educating the future insurance agents in CA. She was engaging, knowledgeable and most all kept us entertained. Her sense of humor was helpful and appropriate. I had fun! Not sure how many people can say that about an insurance course that transpired over a holiday weekend. All in all, well worth my time. Thanks Natalie! read more

Their online courses are horribly written. The practice/review questions are not even close to the same wording as the reading material. Sentences are poorly written and there are many errors. The site asks if you find any errors to please notify them. However, many others have notified them and the corrections have not been made. You will NOT learn ANYTHING from their online training courses. However, their in-class crash course was very helpful. Don't waste your money on the online courses!! read more

I have never been in the insurance industry. took the 52 hour life, health disability course. Pat taught the class. I was never bored watching the clock. He did an awesome job considering I passed on the first try. Thanks read more

I went to the P&C 52 hour course and cram course last week. Pat and Dana are excellent instructors and really do a wonderful job in making key concepts "stick" for the exam. Took my exam this morning and got an 80%!! This was my first (and only!) time I have taken the exam too!! I highly recommend going to this class if you need to take the State P&C exam. You can't miss with these guys. Pat- thanks for making the material interesting! read more

I just attended Mike Russ's Real Estate Crash Course in Anaheim, CA. I really was honored to have Ms. Garcia as my Instructor. Ms. Garcia has a lot of Knowledge and she is a great teacher. She has a lot of energy and made The Course enjoyable. Ms. Garcia prepared and organized her class on possible questions that would be asked on The Exam. I give Ms. Garcia 10 plus and Mike Russ 10 plus too. read more

I have just finished my second insurance course with Mike Russ Training in the last 2 months. Their training allowed to pass my first test with no problem and I hope to do the same tomorrow. Don't let the casualness of the instructors fool you....these people really know their stuff. Over my two weeks I mainly had Pat and Dana, with a couple others mixed in. They both did a great job turning what could be a very dry subject and making it interesting by mixing in humor and stories to help you relate what they are trying to teach. I would not hesitate to use them again. read more

I went to Mike Russ for my P&C Insurance. The week long class was more of a joke. Pat was consistently unprofessional. I recently purchased inline classes gir my Life Insurance and even purchased the flash cards. I found that are multiple typos. But what's worse I'd the flash cards ARE WRONG! Who know how much wtlrong information I have crammed into my brain. I am very unsatisfied and feel if I fails all of my money should be refunded and still be able to finish with my certificate if I pass the final on the Mike Russ online course. Some how compensated for NY waste if lots if time. read more

I just passed the real estate salesperson exam, and I know that I could not have done it without the help of Mike and Dana. I went to two of the prep classes, one taught my Mike and one by Dana. They are both wonderful teachers and really help you prepare for what the questions look like on the test. They go over how to break each question down and not get tricked. They put personal stories with the concepts to really help the information stick. It was like I had them in my head when I was taking the test. I am so incredibly greatful. See you in two years when I go for the broker exam! read more

INCREDIBLY disappointed with Mike Russ. Came here because I was referred by friends, however; upon speaking to representative to finish the remaining classes on my package I was told I would have to pay 200 dollars to reinstate my package since it had been a year. Mind you, a time frame was never given to me at the time of purchase, AND the person I had spoken to upon purchasing the package assured me I could take classes in Upland, which was the only reason I was going to take them with them since I am a college student and incredibly limited on time. After the purchase of the package which was the most expensive.... I got into the first weekend classes of real estate, when I was ready to schedule my future courses, I noticed upland was TBA, it turned out it was like that for a while (hence why I could not complete my classes within that one year time frame). They didn't even try to work with me rather set the price and that was that. Sucks because I had already referred a few family members and friends but will be sure to tell friends to steer clear. read more

I've never studied insurance before, I didn't know where to start. I went to a few different insurance agents and brokers and they all recommended Mike Russ school in San Diego. I decided to get my property and Casualty broker/ agent license. My first day of class I was given my books and the instructor Pat (Awesome Pat) went to work. He has the entire book memorized down to the page and paragraph word for word. Amazing!!! He plays the part of funny teacher well and kept the class engaged. I have to admit I was a robot, wrote what he said and studied what he said. I didn't know what he was talking about. By Sat and Sun it started coming together for the crash study for the exam. Pat (the 2nd one) gave good pointers but you had to listen and take notes. I studied Mon, Tue and Wed, then passed the State Exam Thur morning after 10 days in a new subject. Thank You Pat and Pat, I'm off to the Dram shop to celebrate and ubering home. I just went back for my Life and Health License. I can't say enough good things about the Great Pat that works weekdays. He does his best to make a boring class engaging. Make no mistake. He gives you lots of info and you will need to study. I had Rick for the Sat and Sun L&H cram sessions. Rick was excellent too. He shared some important info that helped for the test. I just passed the Life & Health test on my first attempt. Thank You again Pat & Rick read more

I'd first like to say that I REALLY wanted to like the Mike Russ Financial Training. I took the online P&C course and I passed every practice test with 95% or more. I printed out every chapter and had a stack of papers higher than anything I could ever imagine, so I really counted on Mike Russ to guide me in the right direction as far as where to focus my studying. I'm not the best test taker but I am great at studying. I knew all the definitions, I felt like I knew most of the material, and I spent hours on end going over the material that the Mike Russ course pointed out as important. When I went to take my exam last month, I failed miserably. There were only a few questions that I could answer confidently...a few out of 160. My next step was to then take the Mike Russ P&C crash course for $199. I also purchased their $20 flash cards and their $69 workbook. Neither the flashcards or workbook were worth the money, considering they were identical to the online course. The crash course was probably the most helpful, but they speak very fast and THEY DO NOT ALLOW YOU TO WRITE DOWN THE QUESTIONS THAT MAY BE ON THE TEST out of fear that it will end up on the internet for free. Unfortunately, they zoom through the questions and it's hard to grasp what was being asked. I thought to myself, "Well maybe I'm just stupid and can't keep up with everyone else." But after engaging in conversation with the other students, I could not find one person that wasn't overwhelmed, lost, and frustrated. Some people decided not to attend the second day of their crash course (even after spending $200!) and the rest of us walked away with a few phrases that we were able to memorize and a small packet that has a few key points. I was by no means expecting to walk away with all the answers but I was at least expecting to walk away feeling more hopeful and prepared than before. I'm not at all angry...I'm just so disappointed that I could cry. I would value that class at no more than $30. Between the Mike Russ courses, materials, and PSI exams I am now out $722. I'm still no further to passing the P&C exam. read more

The instructor was great we had Patrick! I think everyone know who he is by now if you haven't then take the p&C class. This school is great. But I took my test and haven't passed. To stop work for me is so hard to make it back to the classes again. My boyfriend does insurance and I was hoping to work with him. So far I can't :( but this school is amazing. Insurance is your and it's not for everyone. But good luck to those who try! read more

The best thing about this school is that it is across the street from Cheetah's (strip club, err i mean gentlemens club). You can skip the session either before or after lunch if you sit in the back and have lunch (free cheeseburgers) and get dances at Cheetah's while you work your way through insurance classes. Definitely worth it. I had a one week class and spent 5 lunches straight at Cheetah's. read more

I didn't go through Mike Russ for my pre-licensing training, but I wish I would have. I failed the P&C exam once before signing up for the Mike Russ 2 day Crash Course. The first thing the instructor(Gloria) handed out was a review packet of EVERYTHING YOU MUST UNDERSTAND in order to pass the exam. Once the crash course was completed, I felt 85% confident in passing my exam and I scheduled the exam for 24 hours after my crash course on a Tuesday. I studied vigorously, completing all the practice exams from the Mike Russ booklet until I had them memorized. I took the exam confidently but failed with a 58.7! ( so close but no home run) I rescheduled the exam 24hrs hours later( waiting period once you fail) for the following Monday and I passed with a 66.0. You can't pass the exam by memorizing you have to understand what the question is asking read more

this place is off the hook. the people who work there make it as funny and entertaining as insurance cramming can be. i had patrick for the 40 hr property and casualty course. he is so so so knowledgeable. he even recites the information while doing other things sometimes. he is like an insurance encyclopedia. i'd trust him with all of my insurance learning needs. then i had my 12 hr code and ethics class with tommy. he's chill too, definitely knows his material, and is really good at doing review, repetition and memorization. then i had the crash course with patrick and dude like 90% of what he went over was on the test. also the book of practice tests was right on and very representative of the actual test. i walked into the test feeling totally comfortable and competent. and this was for information that i had no idea about just a week before. pretty awesome. go here and trust them. read more