Retirement Academy Syllabus

Society of Certified Retirement Financial Advisor's Retirement Academy Syllabus - this is an example of the training

This syllabus is used in all training programs but modified as to presentation based on the format of the program. Seminars offer 20-24 hours of training. If you wish to take the certification exam you should plan an additional 30-50 hours of self-study. The additional study time is based on your level of competence, as the certification exam is a test of competence in retirement planning.

Check the Search option on the left if you would like to speak to a member of our Society.

DAY 1- Retiree Financial and Tax Issues

7:00am - 8:00am	Continental Breakfast and Registration
8:00am - 9:30am	*Retirees' Financial and Tax Issues* How to read a tax return and spot unique opportunities for retirees to save money Learn how to calculate and reduce income taxes on Social Security benefits How to determine the impact of an annuity on Social Security taxation Find out how to present the before-and-after-tax impact of your recommendations Understanding the Alternative Minimum Tax How to read investment statements
9:30am - 10:00am	Break
10:00am - 11:00am 11:00am to 12:00 noon	*Retiree Financial and Tax Issues (continued)* How to calculate the exclusion ratio on immediate annuities and the taxable equivalent yield Most preferred share dividends are not subject to the 15% tax Discussion of tax-qualified and non-tax qualified LTC plans Who can deduct long-term care premiums and who can't Why LTC benefits are usually tax free-tax qualified policy or no Open book exam over the material that has been covered during the morning hours.
12:00 noon - 1:00 pm	Lunch
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm	*Discuss open book exam* *Asset Protection and Time Horizon* How do retirees view time? How long should retirees plan on protecting their assets? How to help clients understand the importance of long-term care planning Learn what to look for in homeowners and car policies, and asset titling
3:00 pm - 3:15 pm	Break
3:15 pm - 4:45pm 4:45 pm - 5:45 pm	*Medicaid Planning* Medicare vs. Medicaid Should you ever propose Medicaid planning? Non-countable assets Half-a-Loaf Plan What should clients do with their home? How to use trusts to protect assets Divorce as an option Open book exam over the items coverd during afternoon class,
EVENING ASSIGNEMT	CASE PROJECT COVERING TAXES
4:15pm - 4:30pm	Break
4:30pm - 6:00pm	*How to Construct Retirees' Portfolios* Review: TIPS, preferred shares, bonds, fixed annuities, mutual funds vs. individual instruments, GNMA, FNMA, and FHLMC Real estate investment trusts Find out what the Morningstar numbers mean Learn how to structure portfolio withdrawal rates for retirees How to make the most of technology Four ways to avoid capital gains tax Discover how to calculate the optimal balance between fixed-rate investments for income and investments in stocks for growth

DAY 2 - Investment and Estate Planning

7:00am - 8:00am	Continental Breakfast
	*UNDER CONSTRUCTION*
8:00am - 9:30 am	*How to Construct Retirees' Portfolios (continued)* Learn how to use the Dow Dividend Strategy Understand the Value Line Ranking system An introduction to Monte Carlo simulation Asset allocation The Grangaard Strategy S&P Model portfolio
9:45am - 10:00am	Break
10:00am - 11:45am	*Annuities and Income Sources* What is the true cost of the guarantees in today's variable annuities? EIAs-How they have really performed and which structures have been the best? Is there a difference among the insurance rating companies? How to reduce the risk of fluctuating interest rates Create dependable income for retirees that will let them sleep at night Reverse mortgages What to do with old life insurance policies
11:45am - 1:00pm	Lunch
1:00pm -2:30pm	*Health Insurance* HMO vs. Medigap Insurance Why would retirees want Medigap insurance? The basic benefits in all (10) standardized plans How to select the best plan for your clients What can early retirees do for health insurance before Medicare kicks in?
2:30pm - 2:45pm	Break
2:45pm - 4:15pm	*Estate Planning and Asset Preservation* How to identify retirees who are most at risk Will your clients' biggest asset lose 90% when they die? IRAs-The missing link in many retirees' estate plans Uncover potential tax problems that the estate attorney or accountant may have missed Why clients should be concerned even if the estate tax disappears Beneficiary designations Learn how to use future tax dollars to finance solution
4:15pm - 4:30pm	Break
4:30pm - 6:00pm	*Estate Planning and Asset Preservation(continued)* Revocable living trusts Irrevocable living trusts Crummy provisions Spendthrift clauses QTIP trusts Perpetuity Advance directives Special-needs beneficiaries Private annuity trusts Choosing an executor

DAY 3 - Retirement Plans and Survivor Planning

7:00am - 8:00am	Continental Breakfast
8:00am - 9:45am	*Retirement Plans* Review how the 2003 Tax Law can determine what assets retirees should own in their retirement plans to obtain the lowest lifetime taxes Over 4000 people turn 70 1/2 each day-become up-to-date on the latest distribution and estate tax rules on retirement plans How to handle pre-tax and after-tax retirement plan contributions When should you recommend a Roth conversion? How to calculate the savings on a Roth-review the estate advantages and surviving spouse advantage
9:45am - 10:00am	Break
10:00am - 11:45am	*Retirement Plans (continued)* Why it's not only those over 70 1/2 who are at risk How to leave a spouse tax-free money How to calculate Section 72 distributions IRA asset wills Should clients ever name a trust as an IRA beneficiary? Creditor protection-what's safe-IRAs, annuities, Keoghs? Special tax provisions for company stock (NUA) Prohibited IRA investments
11:45am - 1:00pm	Lunch
1:00pm - 2:30pm	*Post-death Issues* Stretch IRAs Titling of inherited IRAs Should a beneficiary ever disclaim an inheritance? Changing beneficiaries after death What should you know to help a surviving spouse? How to work with non-spouse beneficiaries
2:30pm - 2:45pm	Break
2:45pm - 4:15pm	*Funding Grandchildren's Education* Financial aid considerations UTMA/UGMA Coverdell education savings 529 Plans Life insurance Annuities Roth IRAs Educational trusts
4:15pm - 4:30pm	Break
4:30pm - 6:00pm	*Charitable Giving* Donor advised funds Community foundations Charitable lead trusts Charitable remainder trusts How to gift a home and still live in it Using land easements for clients who are property rich and cash poor Private foundations Maximum tax deduction