Approved IAR CE Courses

This course examines the different types of annuities, their basic characteristics, and the different client profiles for whom they're best suited. The course will address the advantages of variable products, including the built in diversification, professional management, and tax-deferred growth.It will describe the entities covered by the annuity contract and the structure of the separate account,including the subaccounts available to annuitants. The different phases, payout options, and the role the assumed interest rate plays in determining the amount paid to the annuitant will be examined. The course will conclude by analyzing indexed annuities, the complexity of their structure, the indexing methods, and the importance of building an accurate investor profile to make suitable recommendations that involve any type of annuity.

This course examines the past and new SEC and FINRA rules related to advertising andcommunication with the public. Attention is paid to the FINRA definitions of key terms, includingcorrespondence, retail communication, and institutional communication. Next, the SEC's definitionof advertising and the rules regarding advertising by investment advisers will be covered. Throughthe use of case studies, readers will gain an understanding of the rules surrounding the use ofsocial media and mobile apps.

Introduce the basics of exchange-traded equity options. The course will provide a brief history ofoption markets in the U.S., as well as the functions of the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE)and Options Clearing Corporation (OCC). Students will learn about time and intrinsic value of calland put options. The course will also present strategies, breakevens, as well as, profits and lossesfor long calls and short puts. The final section teaches students about covered calls and usingputs to hedge long stock positions.

This course will provide historical context and identify the primary purpose for family offices. Since registration under the Investment Advisers Act can be burdensome, the conditions that must be satisfied to be exempt from registration will be examined. Because the clients served by family offices are different from general retail clients, the different investments and strategies utilized by family offices will be explained. The key challenges and opportunities for family offices also will be reviewed.

The course will cover the fundamental characteristics and benefits of life insurance policies and annuities. Life insurance is an integral part of an individual's financial plan and this will explain how risk is transfered through the use of life insurance, the terminology used in insurance, the importanceinsurable interest and the statements found on the application. The differences between term, wholelife, universal life, and variable life insurance will be reviewed, as well as the tax treatment of distributions from the policies. The course will also cover the use of annuities as a retirement vehicle,the parties to an annuity contract, and the types of annuities. A review of what takes place during the accumulation and annuity phases, the different payout options, and the suitability concerns when selling annuities.

The course will review the definition of real estate and how real estate fits into the U.S. economy.Students will also learn the legal defintion of a security and which real estate related investmentsare considered securities. Then the course will review the characteristics of two popular securitiestied to real estate, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real etate limited partnerships.

Over time, all types of clients have begun to appreciate the benefits of an account that assessesone fee to cover both investment advisory services and brokerage transaction costs. With the popularity of wrap fee accounts, a significant number of details must be provided to prospective clients. This course will examine the different types of wrap fee programs and the importance ofthe brochures that are provided to investors. The approaches taken by both FINRA and NASAArelated to wrap accounts will be examined. Additionally, suitability considerations will be reviewed forclients who may be interested in wrap accounts.

In this continuing education session, we review 2 articles from the Nerd Eye's View: Inspired Discovery: Asking Vision Questions to Focus on Clients' "Ideal Self" and 'ReFire' Instead Of 'Just' Retire: A Framework To Help Clients Plan For Purpose In Retirement. In the first article, Kathleen illustrates how retirement can be reframed not as an end, but as a phase of life centered on fulfillment, self-exploration, and purpose. In the second article, Meghaan Lurtz explains how advisors can restructure discovery meetings to start with vision-oriented questions that encourage ideal-self conversations, moving the meeting from a technical discussion to one that is more inspiring and meaningful for clients.