Approved IAR CE Courses

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.

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.

Change is constant, yet navigating it is often a challenge for individuals, especially during pivotal financial moments. This session equips financial advisors with the tools and frameworks to become effective agents of change, leveraging the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) to guide clients through the complexities of financial decision-making. Attendees will explore real-world case studies, uncover techniques to manage client ambivalence, and develop strategies to foster client confidence and self-efficacy. By mastering the art of adaptive communication and scenario planning, advisors can help clients align their financial behaviors with long-term goals, creating meaningful, lasting change.

Behavioral finance shapes financial planning, and AI is changing client behaviors. With more than half of Americans turning to AI for financial guidance, clients increasingly arrive with conclusions already formed (JD Power). Join us for a presentation where we will discuss:

- How Dual Process Theory explains client decision-making, and why AI now acts as a third processing system
- The core cognitive biases shaping client behavior, including herd mentality, loss aversion, heuristic simplification, present bias, and deference to algorithmic answers
- Practical planning strategies to account for AI influences and framing techniques that resonate with client needs

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.