Approved IAR CE Courses

This session explores how accepting an inheritance or gift can create unintended tax, legal, and financial consequences, and when strategic use of qualified disclaimers may be more advantageous. It equips advisors with practical strategies for coordinating disclaimers and trust design to preserve flexibility, protect beneficiaries, and align outcomes with long-term planning goals.

With today's $15 million estate tax exemption, relatively few clients face traditional estate tax concerns. Yet financial advisors are increasingly expected to guide estate planning conversations that go far beyond tax minimization. In this session, expert Marty Shenkman will explore the evolving 'menu' of estate planning priorities: protecting wealth from lawsuits and divorce through asset protection structures; strengthening revocable trusts to address aging and health challenges; leveraging non-grantor trusts for income tax benefits; reviewing and repurposing existing or outdated trusts; and designing flexible plans that provide both asset protection and client access. Advisors will leave with practical insights and tools to elevate their estate planning conversations and deliver more value to clients.

This self-study course provides clear, practical explanations of how ETFs and mutual funds work and how to use them responsibly in advisory practice. Across six sections and eighteen lessons, youll examine fund structures and trading mechanics (intraday pricing, NAV execution, spreads, premiums/discounts, liquidity), total cost of ownership (expense ratios, trading frictions, cash drag, platform fees), and tax considerations (capital-gains distributions, in-kind processes in concept, dividend types, asset location). Youll compare passive, factor-tilted, and active approaches and learn when each has a practical role.The course connects concepts to day-to-day implementation: building core-satellite portfolios, setting rebalancing routines, placing holdings across account types, selecting appropriate share classes, managing conflicts (e.g., 12b-1 and revenue sharing), and documenting decisions in a client-ready, defensible manner. Checklists, brief case examples, and model language help you translate analysis into suitability notes, trade rationales, and monitoring plans aligned with NASAA IAR CE expectations for Products and Practices. Educational content only; not individualized investment advice.

This two-hour ethics program, led by RIA lawyer Richard Chen, examines the ethical, regulatory, and supervisory risks arising from the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in advisory practice. Investment adviser representatives will explore how commonly used AI applications—such as large language models, AI meeting notetakers, and content-generation tools—can create heightened risks related to client confidentiality, accuracy of advice, marketing compliance, and recordkeeping.
Through practical examples and realistic case studies, participants will evaluate how improper AI use may lead to violations of fiduciary duty, Regulation S-P obligations, advertising standards, and books-and-records requirements. The course emphasizes the ethical responsibility of advisors to understand, supervise, and critically evaluate AI-generated outputs, reinforcing that human judgment and professional oversight remain essential when integrating AI into client-facing activities.

Ethical Behavior for Financial Professionals examines the nature and scope of ethics, as the foundation of integrity and honesty, and its relationship to compliance. It reviews the requirements of Regulation Best Interest and the Investment Adviser Marketing Rule.

This course is designed to equip investment advisors with the knowledge and tools necessary to align their marketing practices with the SEC's modernized IA Marketing Rule while fostering a strong commitment to ethics. Participants will explore the regulatory framework governing marketing communications, focusing on the rule's provisions for transparency, fairness, and accountability in advertising. The course delves into ethical considerations that underpin compliant marketing, such as balancing business goals with fiduciary responsibilities, mitigating conflicts of interest, and ensuring truthful representations of performance data. Advisers will learn to navigate complex challenges in marketing, including the use of testimonials, hypothetical performance, and AI-driven financial tools. The course also provide actionable strategies for developing robust compliance programs, leveraging technology to streamline processes, and responding effectively to SEC inquiries. Emphasis is placed on cultivating a culture of compliance and ethical leadership, empowering advisers to act with integrity while maintaining competitive marketing practices.