Approved IAR CE Courses

Bonds are a common part of a client's investment portfolio. However, common does not mean uncomplicated. The bond type, method of purchase, and circumstances by which it is sold can all impact how a bond's basis is adjusted, the tax that will be applied, and the applicable forms for tax reporting. In this webinar, Tim Steffen, CPA/PFS, CFP', CPWA' demystifies taxation rules on bonds that can be easily overlooked, such as the tax treatment on Original Issue Discount (OID) bonds, market discount, and premium on bonds. For each unique bond scenario, Tim explains options for how applicable taxes on bonds can be reported and walks through how to review the forms used for tax reporting. Tim concludes this webinar with a review of savings bonds that are particularly popular in a high-interest rate environment and highlights the difference between how individual bonds and bond funds are taxed.

In this continuing education session, the learner will read three articles from the Nerd's Eye View blog.In 'Designing 'Custom GPTs' With Advanced ChatGPT Features To Enhance Advisor Capabilities With AI', David Ortiz walks readers through how he uses CustomGPTs to create efficiency in his practice through prompt engineering. Ortiz explains how AI tools can be utilized in conjunction with client meetings to enhance client engagement. In ''Legacy IRA' Rollover To A Charitable Gift Annuity: Using This New Tax-Advantaged Opportunity To Help', Kathleen Rehl shares her experience creating her "Legacy IRA" rollover to a Charitable Gift Annuity to support her chosen nonprofits after Congress passed the SECURE 2.0 legislation, highlighting the potential benefits of creating a legacy IRA. In 'In The Long Run, Stocks Outperform Bonds' Or Do They?', Larry Swedroe explains recent studies on the performance of stocks and bonds and how these studies may alter the advisor's understanding of long-term stock and bond performance and of using bonds as portfolio diversifiers.

As AI takes on more of the technical work in financial advising, the defining advantage shifts to advisors who can do what technology cannot: act as a guide. While the "mechanic" role, such as managing investments, insurance, and accounting, is increasingly augmented by AI, the human tasks of navigating uncertainty, managing change, and connecting emotionally with clients are becoming true differentiators.

This session explores the cognitive and emotional dimensions of financial decision-making and how advisors can recognize and respond to each in client interactions. We'll examine how to become more "empathetic," what a multi-dimensional definition of empathy reveals about the limits of technology, and how the emotional intelligence advisors bring to every client relationship. Advisors who understand how technology impacts their own EQ and lean into core human capabilities like storytelling and change management, will be best positioned to deliver guidance that is irreplaceably human.

In this continuing education session, learners will review 2 Nerd Eye View blog articles: Using Digital Estate Planning Platforms To Complement Attorney And Advisor Roles and Seeking Best Execution: Understanding The SEC's Expectations For Advisors To Deliver Best Outcomes For Clients. In the first article, David Haughton provides an overview of digital estate planning platforms, including their beneficial applications for clients and limitations. David then discusses the concept of the unauthorized practice of law and how advisors can mitigate ethical and legal concerns associated with digital estate planning platforms. In the second article, Chris Stanley explains the fiduciary duty of investment advisors in relation to the best execution of client securities transactions. In this article, SEC expectations, guidance from the 2018 Risk Alert, and directed brokerage arrangements are discussed.

We live in a digital world. Our entire life is becoming stored online in the cloud, but very few people understand or plan for what this means from an asset transfer, management, and ownership standpoint. What happens to your emails, passwords, photos, and websites when you pass away? Honestly, it really depends on your level of planning. Most states now require you to do affirmative planning in order to pass on these assets to your heirs or to allow others to access the information. Failure to do such planning could leave your assets tied up forever in the cloud, unavailable to business partners or loved ones, causing tremendous hardship and financial damages. So learn the rules around digital asset ownership, transfer, and how to set up a digital asset estate under the new law RUFADAA.

In this continuing education session, learners will review 2 Nerd Eye's View blog articles: 6 Discovery Meeting Questions To Find Clients' (Real) 'Why' And Set Goals That (Actually) Resonate and Helping Clients Understand When They Have Enough Retirement Savings To 'Coast FIRE' (And Keep Working Without Necessarily Contributing More). In the first article, Meghaan Lurtz, Ph.D., FBS, explores why early financial planning conversations often fall flat when advisors rush into structured goal-setting without first addressing a client's emotional state. She emphasizes the importance of timing and vision-building, showing how meaningful, motivating goals are best developed after initial stressors are acknowledged and trust is established. In this article, Adam Deusen, CFP' describes an alternative to the traditional early retirement movement: Coast FIRE, illustrating how to identify interested clients and practically how to address the financial and psychological risks associated with Coast FIRE.

This month, we review November blog articles. This quiz includes the following articles: Effective Implementation Of A Backdoor Roth Strategy: Detailed Nuances, IRS Form 8606 (And When It's Even Worth Doing); Anatomy Of An RIA Sale, Merger Or Acquisition: 5 Important Legal & Compliance Steps; and Advice Engagement Tools For A More Dynamic VIP (Visualization, Interaction, and Process) Planning Experience.

Within every financial advisor's practice, certain tasks have always been time-consuming, thereby constraining the efficiency of other essential duties. These include preparing for client meetings, constructing financial planning proposals, and addressing general client inquiries. As these tasks continue to grow rapidly, they become not only a drain on time but also a financial burden. While various technologies have aimed to streamline financial advising processes, from notetaking to managing client compliance, the demands of the profession have persisted. Despite improvements, advisors find themselves increasingly inundated with tasks such as email drafting and blog writing, detracting from their ability to focus on their most important task of all, meeting with clients. Now, with the advent of cutting-edge generative AI, particularly exemplified by ChatGPT, advisors can experience a significant acceleration in efficiency. This webinar aims to showcase practical examples of how ChatGPT can revolutionize advisors' practices, expanding their capabilities and enhancing the efficiencies that ultimately benefit their clients.