Are you an elite financial retirement advisor?  Have you successfully passed a comprehensive exam that confirms your elite status?    Would you like to transition from product sales to providing objective retirement financial advice?  The Certification Board of the Society of Certified Retirement Financial Advisors has developed a comprehensive examination that identifies advisors knowledge and skills.  Certified Retirement Financial Advisor is bestowed on advisors who are successful and pass the examination with a scaled score of 70 or greater.   Our professional advisors have a minimum of three years of experience as financial advisors serving retirement focused clients or possess three years of educational equivalency that equals the practical job experience.  Retirement issues are not "senior" issues, but issues for every client who seeks financial planning.   Our elite advisors help their clients plan their long range goals.  The client's goals may include education for themselves, maximizing their employer retirement plans, paying for their children's education, and planning the point in time when they can exit their career.     

Over 1200 financial advisors were invited to participate in our survey that identified the skills and knowledge an advisor should possess in order to provide outstanding ethical service to clients planning their retirement or clients entering the distribution stage of retirement.  The Certification Board of the Society of Certified Retirement Financial Advisor (SCRFA) and Schroder Measurement Technologies Inc (SMT) then compiled an examination with the help of our subject matter experts.  This comprehensive examination consists of 100 multiple choice questions that require the advisor demonstrate professional knowledge and skills.  Complete our application process and become a CRFA "Elite Advisor."  

CRFA is an elite certification.  We secured the services of SMT and their consultant to prepare the standards that were submitted to NCCA - National Commission for Certifying Agencies through ICE - Institute for Credentialing Excellence. NCCA is one of three certifying agencies recommended by FINRA.  The accreditation confirms that we have met standards required to demonstrate our dedication to identifying financial advisors who are ethical and provide professional comprehensive retirement financial services. 

This designation has been approved by: American Equity Insurance Company, Centaurus Financial Inc., FSC Securities Corporation (includes Sage & Royal Alliance), LPL Financial, PlanMember Securities Corporation (in Carpinteria, CA), Transamerica Insurance, Security Benefit Life Ins. Company and more.    We are contacting all insurance companies and state agencies to submit our accreditation certificate. 

ARE OUR ADVISORS TRULY ELITE?

CRFA is pleased to have one of our own, Jim Brogan CRFA,  named Advisor of the Year by Senior Market Advisor, the leading print publication for financial advisors specializng in retirement services.   The honor was announced in their September edition of the magazine.  See our CRFA in the News tab to view the cover and the article.   

CONGRATULATIONS TO JIM BROGAN

                    TIO

FREE WEBINARS FOR MEMBERS and anyone interested in retirement planning.  -  Please invite your friends.

No Webinars are scheduled until after our Annual Meeting in May. 

WE ARE SEEKING PRACTICE ENHANCEMENT WEBINARS AS WELL AS EDUCATIONAL WEBINARS.   iF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PRESENTATION TO OUR MEMBERSHIP PLEASE SEND YOUR INFORMATION TO This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

IF YOU ARE AN INVESTOR SEEKING A FINANCIAL ADVISOR, WHY SHOULD YOU SELECT ONE OF OUR ELITE ADVISORS?  

Our Certified Retirement Financial Advisors^TM have successfully passed a competency exam covering the following areas of importance for retirement minded individuals.   The testing program is unique due to the fact that we focus on the distribution years of retirement.    Has your advisor's knowledge and skills been successfully measured by an examination of knowledge and skills in the following areas?    

• Retirement taxation issues 
• How to reduce tax on social security income
• The real facts about deductibility of LTC premiums
• Reporting LTC benefits as income
• Use of rule 72t and 72q for early retirees-and the dangers
• Retirement distribution planning, which preferred share dividends qualify for the special tax rates
• Four ways to avoid capital gains tax
• The true comparison of tax free bonds and annuities
• 1035 and 1031 exchanges and much more
• Appropriate use of trusts and how trust can protect your beneficiaries
• Advance directives
• IRD, and elimination or reduction of estate tax
• How to build a low risk equity portfolio for retirees
• How to build a secure retirement income using fixed income ladders and annuity ladders

Regardless of any other designations or licenses that your advisor may hold, working with a Certified Retirement Financial Advisor^TM gives consumers the ability to work with an ethical financial professional with the knowledge to advise retirees on how to preserve and manage their financial assets during the golden years.