Approved IAR CE Courses

This course examines the application of existing fiduciary obligations and federal securities law to the use of artificial intelligence in investment advisory practice. Drawing on the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, SEC anti-fraud provisions, Regulation Best Interest, and FINRA Regulatory Notice 24-09, the course addresses three core compliance areas: identifying AI-related conflicts of interest, meeting disclosure obligations through Form ADV, and building supervisory and recordkeeping frameworks for AI-assisted advisory activities. The course is designed for investment adviser representatives, CFP professionals, and compliance personnel at registered investment advisory firms.

This course introduces investment adviser representatives to the fundamentals of annuities and their role in retirement planning. Learners will explore the parties involved in an annuity contract, the different types of annuities, and the phases of accumulation and annuitization. The course also examines payment options, contract riders such as income and long-term care benefits, and how these features can be matched to client needs. By the end, participants will have the knowledge to explain annuity structures, evaluate their suitability, and help clients make informed decisions about using annuities as part of their financial strategy.

This course provides investment professionals with an in-depth understanding of the key provisions and features found in annuity contracts. Learners will explore common elements and how they impact both consumers and insurers. The course also examines administrative charges, commissions, and state premium taxes, as well as the role of financial strength ratings, reserves, and guaranty associations in safeguarding annuity owners. By mastering these concepts, participants will be able to evaluate annuity products more effectively and guide clients in making informed decisions about their retirement planning.

This course provides investment professionals with a comprehensive overview of how annuities are taxed during accumulation, payout, and at transfer to beneficiaries. Learners will explore the distinctions between qualified and non-qualified annuities, key concepts such as tax deferral, exclusion ratios, Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), and the impact of early withdrawals and penalties. The course also addresses special tax provisions, including 1035 exchanges, long-term care exceptions, and beneficiary rules, equipping advisers to guide clients toward strategies that maximize tax efficiency while avoiding costly mistakes.

This course provides investment professionals with a comprehensive understanding of anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT). Learners will explore how criminals disguise illicit funds, the evolving tactics used in placement, layering, and integration, and the economic and reputational damage these crimes cause. The program also covers U.S. and international laws, regulatory bodies, and industry responsibilities in preventing financial crime. Through real-world examples and red flag identification, participants will gain the skills to recognize suspicious activity and uphold ethical and professional standards in protecting the integrity of the financial system.

This course introduces the fundamentals of anti-money laundering (AML) and financial crime prevention in the securities industry. Learners will explore how criminals use placement, layering, and integration to disguise illicit funds, along with the regulatory framework designed to stop them. Real-world examples, red flag indicators, and preventative measures highlight the critical role securities professionals play in safeguarding markets. By the end, learners will be prepared to identify suspicious activity and support compliance programs that protect both clients and the financial system.

This course provides a comprehensive, practical examination of anti-money laundering (AML) obligations for financial services professionals — with direct integration of the evolving risks posed by digital assets and crypto transactions. As highlighted in FINRA's 2026 Annual Regulatory Oversight Report, AML compliance remains one of FINRA's highest examination priorities, with significant findings related to inadequate suspicious activity detection, deficient Customer Identification Programs (CIP), and — critically — the failure to establish AML programs reasonably designed to detect and report suspicious crypto asset transactions.

Developed in alignment with FINRA's 2026 Annual Regulatory Oversight Report (Anti-Money Laundering, Fraud and Sanctions topic), FINRA Rule 3310 (Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program), the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and its implementing regulations, FinCEN guidance, and FINRA's Member Firms' Nexus to Crypto findings, this course equips registered representatives, investment adviser representatives, CFP® professionals, compliance personnel, and supervisory staff with the knowledge to understand AML program requirements, recognize red flags across traditional and digital asset contexts, fulfill SAR and CIP/CDD obligations, and apply current enforcement lessons to real-world compliance scenarios.

When a client shares their income, assets, debts, family circumstances, health considerations, and long-term fears with a financial planning professional, they are extending a form of trust that has no parallel in most other professional relationships. The ethical obligation that arises from that trust — the duty of confidentiality — is not simply a compliance requirement. It is a foundational expression of the fiduciary relationship itself.

This course examines client data stewardship and privacy as an ethics and professional responsibility issue, grounding the analysis in the fiduciary duty framework applicable to investment adviser representatives and CFP® professionals. Drawing on the NASAA IAR Model Rule's ethical standards, the CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, and the fiduciary obligations that define the financial planning profession, the course equips learners to understand the ethical — not merely regulatory — dimensions of how client information is collected, used, protected, shared, and disclosed.

Regulation S-P and related regulatory requirements appear throughout the course as context, but they are not the subject. The subject is professional ethics: what the fiduciary relationship demands of a financial planning professional with respect to client information, how to reason through situations where ethical duties conflict, how to fulfill the duty of candor when something goes wrong, and how to assess whether minimum regulatory compliance is sufficient — or whether professional responsibility demands more.

This course is designed for IAR CE credit in the Ethics & Professional Responsibility competency category under the NASAA IAR Model Rule framework, and for CFP CE general credit mapped to Principal Knowledge Topic A.6 (Fiduciary Standard and Application). It does not satisfy the CFP Board's mandatory Ethics CE requirement, which requires a CFP Board-approved ethics course addressing the CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct specifically.

This course addresses FINRA Rule 2210 and the principles-based communications framework that governs how member firms communicate with the public. As highlighted in FINRA's 2026 Annual Regulatory Oversight Report, communications with the public remains a persistent area of examination focus — with particular emphasis on inadequate supervision of social media influencers, false or misleading information in mobile apps and digital channels, and failures in electronic communications review processes.

Developed in alignment with FINRA's 2026 Annual Regulatory Oversight Report (Communications and Sales — Communications with the Public topic), FINRA Rule 2210, FINRA Rule 2220 (Options Communications), and MSRB Rule G-21, this course equips registered representatives, investment adviser representatives, compliance professionals, and supervisory personnel with the knowledge to classify communications correctly, apply content standards, fulfill supervision and recordkeeping obligations, and address the unique challenges posed by digital channels, social media influencers, mobile applications, and GenAI-assisted communications.