Approved IAR CE Courses

Between life insurance, disability insurance, and long-term care insurance, insurance planning can be the focus of financial planning engagements when clients need to address gaps in their risk management. However, when addressing these risk management concerns, advisors commonly make the mistake of helping clients move forward with applying for insurance without proactively planning for the application process. This can lead clients to have a tougher application process and higher premiums that could have been planned for in advice. Carolyn McClanahan, MD, CFP' gives advisors the inside scoop on coding in medical records and their impact on client medical histories, common illnesses and their impact on insurability, and how to proactively plan for insurance applications to minimize insurance premiums for clients.

Conducting a plan presentation meeting process can be the difference between recommendations that gather dust and strategies that transform clients' financial futures. Yet, many advisors struggle to move beyond simply delivering complex analyses to creating compelling, actionable presentations that inspire client confidence and commitment. This critical gap in the planning process often results in delayed implementations, client hesitation, and missed opportunities to demonstrate true advisory value. This course provides a comprehensive framework to overcome that challenge by equipping advisors with practical strategies to lead more engaging and effective plan presentation meetings. Advisors will learn proven techniques for structuring collaborative presentations, translating complex recommendations into clear client benefits, and securing meaningful implementation commitments. Through demonstrations and application-based learning, participants will develop the skills to transform technical planning work into collaborative and actionable client conversations to create the foundation for swift implementation, enhanced client trust, and successful long-term financial plans.

This self-study course equips Registered Investment Advisers and Investment Adviser Representatives with practical tools to establish and maintain professional boundaries while strengthening client relationships. Using current NASAA and SEC expectations as the ethical and regulatory backbone, the course clarifies role boundaries, highlights risks of boundary erosion, and translates rules into everyday practices across modern communication channels. Through scenarios and policy templates, learners will practice identifying red flags, resolving boundary challenges, documenting decisions, and building firmwide procedures that promote trust, fairness, and compliance.

This program fulfills the requirement for CFP Board approved Ethics CE. It has been designed to educate CFP' professionals on CFP Board's new Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct effective October 1, 2019. In this engaging and thought-provoking webinar on CFP ethics, Shelitha Smodic will delve into the ethical considerations and responsibilities of Certified Financial Planners. Explore the intricate balance between client relationships, fiduciary duty, and personal integrity, as we navigate the complex ethical landscape in the financial industry.

Ethical missteps in financial planning don’t always stem from bad intentions. Often, they arise from misunderstandings or outdated interpretations of evolving standards. With updates to ethical standards from certifying organizations now in effect (such as those from the CFP Board), even experienced advisors may find themselves unsure about what’s changed and how to apply it in real-world scenarios. Further, staying compliant isn’t just a regulatory necessity. It’s foundational to building trust and maintaining the integrity of client relationships. In this session, compliance expert Shelitha Smodic guides attendees through the latest ethical requirements, clarifies expectations, and helps attendees identify how to uphold standards with confidence and clarity in their daily practice. This session fulfills CFP Ethics: A Practical Application of CFP Board's Code and Standards.

This course teaches financial professionals how to deliver insights that clients can hear, understand, and act upon during periods of market stress. Drawing on financial counseling principles and applied behavioral psychology, the program explains why client emotions often block rational decision-making and how advisers can ethically work through that resistance. Participants learn how framing, contrast, anchoring, and social proof influence client perception of risk, return, and long-term outcomes. The class emphasizes translating market data into real-life meaning that aligns with client goals and values. By the end of the program, advisers will be better equipped to communicate expertise in ways that strengthen trust, improve client outcomes, and reinforce fiduciary responsibility.

This course explores the transformative power of DEI within financial advisory firms, emphasizing its ethical implications and strategic advantages. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how DEI principles foster innovation, enhance client relationships, and create equitable opportunities for employees. Through real-world case studies, actionable strategies, and regulatory insights, the course provides tools to integrate DEI into workplace cultures, client interactions, and long-term business strategies. This course empowers advisors, leaders, and compliance professionals to drive meaningful change, and position their firms as leaders in inclusivity and equity. By the end of the course, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to create a more equitable financial ecosystem that benefits employees, clients, and the broader community

In this session, advisors will gain a comprehensive understanding of the SEC Marketing Rule (Rule 206(4)-1) and how to apply it to create effective, compliant marketing strategies. Compliance experts Joseph Antonakakis and Jeffrey Lang with discuss the foundational aspects of the Marketing Rule, including its history, scope, and key changes from prior regulations. Additionally, advisors will learn how to navigate complex requirements surrounding testimonials, endorsements, third-party ratings, and rankings, while understanding the necessary disclosures, accuracy standards, and best practices for each. By the end of the session, advisors will be equipped with practical strategies for balancing compliance with creativity, enabling them to enhance their marketing efforts while adhering to regulatory expectations and upholding their ethical duty to prospects and clients.[

To heighten the standard of conduct for broker-dealers, and their registered representatives, the SEC introduced Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI). Reg BI holds broker-dealers and their representatives to a set of standards that exceed suitability requirements. Reg BI requires broker-dealers and their reps to act in their retail customers' best interest when a recommendation is made, without placing the interests of the firm ahead of their customers' interests. Reg BI alsorequires firms to either eliminate or disclose and mitigate, conflicts of interest. This course describesRegulation BI in detail, including who it applies to as well as the obligations that it carries. The course also compares Regulation BI to the suitability standard that has been required for broker-dealers, and to the fiduciary standard standard that is required for investment advisers and their representatives. The course also describes the content, goals, and scope of the new Form CRS. The course ends with a discussion of compliance issues related to Reg BI and Form CRS.