Approved IAR CE Courses

When it comes to homeownership and financing, mortgage planning and credit score management go hand in hand. A strong credit profile leads to better mortgage rates, lower borrowing costs, and increased financial flexibility. As a financial advisor, understanding how to guide clients in both mortgage planning and credit score optimization is essential for helping them secure better financing, manage debt strategically, and maximize long-term wealth.In this program, our experts will break down mortgage strategies and credit optimization techniques into separate, focused discussions, giving advisors the tools to guide clients through both areas effectively. Advisors will learn how to help clients improve credit scores before applying for a mortgage, manage mortgage debt at different life stages, and leverage home equity in retirement.

Many families have saved money for college, but most haven't saved enough money to cash flow college. Even well-prepared families often lack a clear strategy for how to use their education savings. This session will examine the ROI for a bachelor's degree, the purpose of the FAFSA (and why most families should complete it), the current gifting landscape, and strategies for using student loans effectively.

As the landscape of college funding continues to evolve, financial advisors must adapt to a new set of rules shaped by regulatory changes, shifting student loan dynamics, and the growing influence of AI in higher education. What was once a relatively stable planning domain is now a moving target, creating both uncertainty for families and opportunities for advisors who are prepared to serve as trusted experts in this space.
In this webinar, Joe Messinger explores policy changes that affect college planning strategies for 2026 and beyond, focusing on how advisors can deliver more proactive, high-value guidance. The session examines practical approaches to optimizing college funding outcomes, including strategies for navigating complex family situations (such as divorced households under new aid rules), maximizing the expanded flexibility of 529 plans, and implementing more tax-efficient distribution strategies.
To highlight key decision points in the college planning process, Joe uses case studies to illustrate when to prioritize need-based versus merit-based aid, how to reduce a family’s Student Aid Index (SAI), and how advanced techniques can be applied for high-net-worth families and business owners to improve tax efficiency and cash flow.

Investors often perceive their returns as a purely quantitative result of markets, risk, timing, or expertise. But emotions and behaviors can play an equally important role in performance. This presentation reviews the history and principles of behavioral psychology and explores the influence of emotion on decision-making. Using real life examples, we compare and contrast an investor’s narrative to that of a speculator and offer a framework for bridging behavioral finance and market efficiency. The presentation cites academic research and employs live audience-participation experiments to help attendees understand how people perceive investments and improve their thinking about wealth and the future. It will provide financial professionals with a framework for integrating these ideas into their investment plans.

This month, we review October blog articles. This quiz includes the following articles: Helping Nervous Clients Understand The (True) State Of The Social Security System And What It Means For Their Retirement, Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) Planning After TCJA Sunset: Preparing Clients To (Re)Encounter AMT After 2025, and Why Advertising 'Conflict-Free' Advice Could Violate The SEC's Marketing Rule.

This course provides financial professionals with a data-driven overview of today’s college admissions landscape, including key trends in selectivity, testing policies, and application strategies. Participants will learn how these changes impact planning considerations and how to incorporate admissions insights into more effective client conversations around education and financial planning.