Approved IAR CE Courses

Healthcare ranks on top of the list as a big worry for clients as they approach retirement. In this session, Dr. McClanahan will share her checklist of preparing clients for their healthcare and insurance issues before retirement, at retirement, during retirement and at the end of life.

This course examines topics that investment adviser representatives should know beforerecommending hedge funds. Concepts and terminology are presented for a broad range ofhedge fund'related topics. The course covers the development and original philosophy behindhedge funds, as well as how hedge funds have evolved beyond their original purpose of hedging. Who can invest in hedge funds is covered, as well as the fact that hedge funds are unsuitablefor many investors, especially small retail investors. The course delves into many of the strategiesemployed by modern hedge funds. The course discusses risks associated with hedge funds, therole of diversification, funds of hedge funds, and liquid alts.

This CE course equips investment adviser representatives (IARs) with a practical, fiduciary-firstframework for using hedging as a client-centered risk management tool. Moving beyond optionsmechanics alone, the course explains how hedging works as portfolio insurance, when it may (and may not) serve a client's best interest, and how to evaluate trade-offs such as explicit premiums, opportunity costs, and tax considerations. Learners will explore core distinctions'static vs. dynamic and active vs. passive hedging'then address common myths that derail implementation and expectations. The course emphasizes real-world advisory workflows: assessing client suitability (financial, psychological, and practical dimensions), integrating hedging into an IPS, communicating clearly using intuitive analogies and scenario testing, and establishing documentation, disclosure, supervision, and monitoring practices aligned with regulatory expectations.

The course will explain some basic terms and concepts related to hedging. This course will also review the fundamentals of hedging and which type of risk can be hedged. We'll also review the different investments that are commonly used as hedges including, options, futures, forwards, and inverse ETFs. The final section of this course will explain the basics of dynamic hedging and option risk measurements.

In this continuing education session, learners will review 3 Nerd's Eye View articles: Why Held-Away Asset Management Technology Is Being Scrutinized By State Regulators (And How Advisors Can Compliantly Manage Clients' 401(k) Assets), How RIAs Can Launch A Private Fund: Legal Requirements And Common Missteps, and A Recordkeeping Checklist For Financial Planning Services: Proactive Documentation Of Service Delivery To Reduce Regulatory Scrutiny. In the first article, Ben-Henry Moreland discusses the challenges financial advisors face when managing clients' employer-sponsored retirement accounts, how data aggregation tools have evolved to address these challenges, and the regulatory concerns associated with held-away asset management. In the second article, Richard Chen explains how RIAs can establish a private fund along with the regulatory requirements and risks associated with managing a private fund. In the third article, Travis Johnson, IACCP' explains bookkeeping requirements for Registered Investment Advisers (RIAs) and how to use checklists to assist firms in auditing their books and records.

In this continuing education session, the learner will read three articles from the Nerd's Eye View blog: 'Using 'Magic Wand' Questions To Help Clients Articulate Financial Needs And Goals (That They Otherwise Struggle To Express)', 'Drafting A Power Of Attorney (POA) Using A Comprehensive 'Kitchen Sink' Approach To Avoid Common Pitfalls', and 'Using A Testamentary Charitable Remainder Unitrust (T-CRUT) To Give Twice To Both Loved Ones And Charitable Organizations'. In 'Using 'Magic Wand' Questions To Help Clients Articulate Financial Needs And Goals (That They Otherwise Struggle To Express)', Dr. Meghaan Lurtz discusses how to use "magic wand" questions to ease client tensions while exploring their financial goals, concerns, and dreams. How this strategy can be used to facilitate financial discussions with couple clients is also discussed.In 'Drafting A Power Of Attorney (POA) Using A Comprehensive 'Kitchen Sink' Approach To Avoid Common Pitfalls', David Hauhgton, JD, CPWA, explains the common power of attorney features that could lead to rejection by financial institutions and how they can be addressed through conscientious drafting or with actions post-rejection.In 'Using A Testamentary Charitable Remainder Unitrust (T-CRUT) To Give Twice To Both Loved Ones And Charitable Organizations,' Kathleen M. Rehl, PhD, CFP, CEFT emeritus, explains how Testamentary Charitable Remainder Unitrusts function and shares her experience in establishing one. She concludes this article with a review of the pros and cons of implementing a T-CRUT and the types of clients these trusts may be a good fit for.

A unique element of financial planning is that client relationships can last for a very long time, with many advisors assisting clients over the course of decades as their financial planning needs evolve in step with their personal lives. Due to this aspect of the planning relationship, it is almost inevitable that an advisor will encounter a time when a client is diagnosed with a terminal illness. And while it is important for the advisor to review technical areas of the financial plan (from cash flow to estate planning) with these clients, an even more critical consideration is how to best communicate and interact with a client whose thoughts are consumed by their illness. If the advisor isn't aware of the strategies for working with a client with a 'sick brain', all the best financial plans will be useless.

This course will address issues involved in helping clients navigate the variety of options available when investing for retirement. Several key distinctions between different types of retirement plansare discussed, such as the differences between employer-sponsored and individual plans; definedbenefit and defined contribution plans; qualified and non-qualified plans; and traditional and Rothaccounts. ERISA is covered, with an emphasis on ERISA requirements that may be of greatestconcern to clients. Sections are set aside to discuss special topics such as retirement plans forsmall businesses and Social Security. Suitability concerns of particular relevance to retirementplanning are covered, as are other issues related to addressing the needs of aging clients, suchas advance directives and recognizing scams that target retired clients.

In this continuing education session, learners will review 2 Nerd’s Eye View blog articles: Helping Underspenders And “Savers” Understand They CAN Spend More With 4 Stages Of “Experiments”, Minimize The Data-Gathering Slog: Using “WOOP” Framework To Get Clients To Act, and From Risk Profile To Risk Partnership: 9 Questions To Understand Clients’ Risk Tolerance As More Than ‘Just’ A Score.

First, author Meghaan Lurtz explores how long-standing saver identities, doom forecasting, and the psychological discomfort associated with drawing down assets can inhibit retirees from spending in ways that align with their stated goals and values. Rather than focusing solely on technical withdrawal strategies, the discussion emphasizes the advisor’s role in identifying whether a client’s frugality reflects deeply held personal values or fear-based constraints.

In the next article, Sydney Squires examines how advisors can apply Dr. Gabriele Oettingen’s WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan) framework to improve client engagement and follow-through during and after the discovery meeting. The discussion examines the behavioral science behind mental contrasting, the limitations of positive thinking alone, and the common “value-action gap” that prevents clients from acting on their stated goals.

Lastly, we turn back to Meghaan Lurtz to review how financial advisors can reframe risk tolerance as an ongoing partnership conversation rather than a static questionnaire score. The session explores the multidimensional nature of client risk—including tolerance, capacity, composure, perception, literacy, and related behavioral factors—and the limitations of relying solely on traditional risk profiling tools.

Getting clients to talk about end-of-life planning can be a tricky proposition, with clients often distracting, delaying, and denying their way to avoidance. Financial planners know that end-of-life planning can protect a client's family and assets for an inevitable future where they are no longer able to do so themselves. So, what is an advisor to do?Drawing on Terror Management Theory and extensive experimental research, Dr. Russell James explains the psychological effects of personal mortality salience on behavior and preferences. He then explains why this leads people to want to solve their death problem with avoidance or by seeking symbolic immortality through lasting social impact. Throughout the presentation, Russell highlights how advisors can work with, not against, these human traits by leveraging framing, language, and social norms to better guide clients through sensitive mortality-related decisions and improve engagement.