Approved IAR CE Courses

One of the fundamental aspects of financial advising is creating diversified portfolios tailored to the client's needs. However, when it comes to long-term portfolio success, it's not just about what investments the client owns, but where they own them. Asset location is a commonly overlooked strategy in portfolio construction that can cost clients hundreds of thousands of dollars over their lifetime. In this webinar, Michael Kitces explains how asset location can be used to optimize after-tax returns and why the traditional 'pro rata' method may not be the most effective approach. Throughout the session, Michael illustrates how tax characteristics, account types, expected returns, and investor behavior intersect to drive wealth outcomes. Through the framework of the 'Asset Location Smile,' topics such as tax drag from dividends and turnover, the impact of time horizons, special considerations for Roths, 529s, non-qualified annuities, and held-away accounts will be discussed.

Introduction to the Six Steps of MedicareMany believe you just need to enroll in Medicare, pick your plans, and sign up for them, and you're good for life. However, there is much more to Medicare than that and it is the three overlooked steps that are most important.Step 1: Check Your TimingWhen to enroll in Medicare can be a big and permanent decision. Some will be enrolled automatically, others must enroll, and many can postpone Medicare. Making the wrong decision or missing the chance to enroll can be costly and hazardous to health and wellbeing. The Parts of MedicareJust about everyone has been taught that Medicare has four parts - A, B, C, and D. However, there are really three essential parts that combine to make two important paths.Step 2: Pick your Medicare PathMany do not want to face Medicare decisions and choose their Medicare coverage based on a friend or agent's recommendation, or a television commercial. And this easy way out can lead to problems in the future. Over 70% in a recent Nationwide survey wished they had a better understanding of Medicare basics before deciding what to do.

Selecting the right college and career pathway involves more than just academics and finances'it requires aligning a student's unique gifts, aptitudes, and purpose with the family's long-term financial strategy. Advisors play a critical role in helping families approach college planning as both an educational and financial investment.In Part 1, advisors will explore tools and coaching strategies that help students identify strengths and meaningful career paths, reducing costly transfers and misaligned major changes. In Part 2, advisors will learn how to evaluate a student's academic positioning, build strategic college lists, and manage the admissions process with a project-management mindset.By integrating personal purpose with academic competitiveness, advisors can provide families with a roadmap that contains both emotional and financial clarity'helping clients maximize admissions success while containing costs.

The Department of Labor (DoL) Retirement Security Rule (the "Final Rule") will go into effect on September 23, 2024. This rule significantly expands the application of the fiduciary standard, providing advisors with the task of reviewing their compliance programs and updating their processes to meet the new fiduciary standards. In this webinar, Jacqueline Hummel reviews the evolution of the Department of Labor's Retirement Security Rule, bringing advisors up-to-date with the latest information about the scope and implications of this fiduciary standard. She further explains changes to Prohibited Transaction Exemption (PTE) 2020-02 and provides practical, actionable tips on how advisors can comply with the Retirement Security Rule.

Ever go through the process of reviewing a client’s risk tolerance questionnaire, only to find that their responses do not match their behavior during a financial crisis? If so, you are not alone. Most advisors have stories of just this scenario, with the results ranging from a good opportunity for client connection or education to disastrous impacts on a client’s portfolio or on the advisor-client relationship.

In this webinar, Dr. Meghaan Lurtz shares research-based findings on how financial advisors can reframe conversations about risk to foster deeper client understanding and risk alignment. She challenges the limitations of traditional risk tolerance questionnaires, advocating for a more human-centered, behaviorally informed approach that recognizes risk as contextual, emotional, and multidimensional. Using the seven dimensions of risk, she illustrates how planners can have richer, more empathetic discussions about risk, moving the conversation from a perfunctory assessment to an exercise that builds client trust, emotional safety, and decision-making.

This course examines how Management Services Organizations (MSOs) can serve as a coordinated planning and execution framework for CPAs and RIAs working with business-owner clients. Participants will learn why traditional tax and investment advice often falls short without implementation and how MSOs help bridge that gap through governance, documentation, and disciplined execution. The session explores MSO mechanics, roles and responsibilities, lifecycle planning, and real-world applications, including advanced tax and exit strategies. By the end of the course, attendees will understand how MSO planning can improve client outcomes while supporting recurring revenue, retention, and long-term advisory value.

Upon completion of this self-study guide, financial professionals will have a better grasp around the expectations of regulators when it comes to privacy, cybersecurity and vendor due diligence. Best practices for maintaining regulatory expectations in these areas are included in the course materials and real-life examples are provided. Participants will have a demonstrated increase in awareness and knowledge as measured by a post-course assessment. Real-world scenarios help illustrate ethical dilemmas and proper conduct. Mastery of these principles protects not only the client relationship but also the advisor’s professional reputation.

Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are used to defer the recognition of income. In the Guide to Individual Retirement Accounts course, we discuss the various types of IRAs, caps on contributions to them, the deductibility of these contributions, required minimum distributions, and several related topics. The intent is to demonstrate how to maximize the deferral of income recognition while also minimizing the taxes and penalties associated with these accounts.

Guide to Social Security Benefits is an educational tool to help advisors through the maze of programs, rules and regulations that affect many if not all their aging Baby Boomer clients, their spouses and dependents.