Approved IAR CE Courses

In this continuing education session, the learner will read 4 articles from the Nerd's Eye View blog: The Problem Of High U.S. Equity Valuations And How Advisors Can Factor In Current Evaluations Risks, Why Moving To A Lower-Tax State Doesn't Always Result In Lower State Taxes On Deferred Income, How Communicating Guardrails Withdrawal Strategies Can Improve Client Experience And Decrease Stress, and Why Guyton-Klinger Guardrails Are Too Risky For Most Retirees (And How Risk-Based Guardrails Can Help). Each of the 4 articles will discuss important aspects of retirement planning through the lens of investing and tax planning. In The Problem Of High U.S. Equity Valuations And How Advisors Can Factor In Current Evaluations Risks, Larry Swedroe, Head of Financial and Economic Research for Buckingham Strategic Wealth, explains how advisors can create more reasonable return assumptions for long-term financial planning. Swedroe explains the factors that have led to the high average equity returns from the last decade, why these high U.S. equity returns are not likely to continue into the future, and how to account for these high U.S. equity valuations in investment portfolios. In Why Moving To A Lower-Tax State Doesn't Always Result In Lower State Taxes On Deferred Income, Ben Henry-Moreland explains state taxation for deferred compensation and how to factor in state tax laws when relocating to minimize taxation on future retirement income. Derek Tharp is featured in 2 articles this month: How Communicating Guardrails Withdrawal Strategies Can Improve Client Experience And Decrease Stress and Why Guyton-Klinger Guardrails Are Too Risky For Most Retirees (co-authored by Justin Fitzpatrick). He explains the importance of explaining withdrawal guardrails to clients to reduce stress and provide clarity on how to cope with economic downturns in retirement. In the second article on retirement guardrails, the authors explain the strengths and weaknesses of the Guyton-Klinger guardrail method and explain how risk-based guardrails can be used to better manage retirement income risk.

The role of the investment adviser is governed by industry rules and regulations such as the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and the Investment Company Act of 1940. This course provides an overview of rules surrounding registration, as well as industry rules and regulations impacting your role. 

In this continuing education session, we will review 3 articles on client communication in financial planning client engagements. In the first article, '3 Question Types To Go From (Just) Retained To Highly Engaged And Happier Clients,' Meghaan Lurtz, PhD, FBS details research on client engagement and opportunities for advisors to engage clients proactively. In the second article, 'Reframing Risk In Retirement As 'Over- And Under-Spending' To Better Communicate Decisions To Clients, And Finding 'Best Guess' Spending Level,' Justin Fitzpatrick, PhD, CFP, CFA explains how the success/failure framing of Monte Carlo analysis can cause clients to focus on the possibility of failure and how to consider reframing retirement income discussion into a framing of overspending or underspending. Fitzpatrick further discusses how advisors can help clients determine a balanced spending level. In the third article of this series, '5 Questions Using Risk Assessment Data That Help Advisors Understand Clients' True Concerns About Risk,' Meghaan Lurtz walks advisors through transforming the collection of risk tolerance data from clients into risk conversations to help advisors more precisely understand how clients are impacted by risk and how to best serve them.

This course takes a closer look at today's housing market and the unique opportunities it creates for investors. We'll talk about the factors driving the housing shortage, compare single-family and multifamily strategies, and highlight why regions like Minnesota are worth paying attention to. We'll also learn about the risks that come with residential real estate and practical ways to manage them. Real-world case studies will bring the concepts to life and give you tools you can use in your own practice.

This course provides a structured approach to answering one of the most pressing financial questions: How much do I need to retire? Led by renowned retirement researcher Wade Pfau, the session explores essential retirement income styles, budgeting techniques, and financial planning strategies to ensure long-term security. Participants will learn how to calculate their Funded Ratio, identify potential risks, and align their assets with retirement goals. The course also covers contingency planning, legacy considerations, and practical strategies for underfunded retirements. By the end, attendees will be equipped with actionable insights to build a more confident and sustainable retirement plan.

Retirement account balances hit a record high, reaching $36.7 Trillion in the Second Quarterof 2023. This increased balance is excellent news for retirement account ownersand their beneficiaries. But sadly, retirement account balances could be lost to avoidabletaxes and penalties because of mistakes and/or unfamiliarity with the governing rules. Join retirement expert Denise Appleby as she explains how these mistakes are often madeand what you can do to protect your clients' IRAs. Topics Denise will cover includereal-life case studies and practical examples.

In this course, financial advisors can learn about in-depth life insurance policy review and then practice with realistic examples of life insurance documents and client scenarios. This course covers a general overview of the life insurance landscape and delves into the intricacies of reviewing term life insurance and 4 types of permanent life insurance. In each module, advisors can practice document reviews and answer knowledge reinforcement questions to help solidify the concepts. The course concludes with a capstone assessment for continuing education.

Financial planners can learn an immense amount of information about a client's circumstances by reviewing an individual income tax return. However, the reality is that the complexity of a tax return doesn't conform neatly to typical income tax planning strategies. In this whitepaperclass, we look, schedule-by-schedule as well as line-by-line to address key parts of an individual income tax return. Advisors will learn which schedules, lines, and sections should commonly be reviewed, as well as the sorts of critical information and tax planning strategies (or potential tax problems) that can be identified by reviewing a tax return.