InFRE Update and
Opportunity for Two Free CE

 

What is the status of accreditation for the CRC®?

InFRE submitted an application for accreditation of the CRC® by the National Commission of Certifying Agencies (NCCA) on April 30, 2009. The application includes the results of the 2008 CRC Practice Analysis and the new CRC Exam Test Specifications.  The NCCA commissioners will be meeting soon to review our application and we'll let you know as soon as we hear from them.

We extend special thanks to the retirement professionals who contributed dozens of hours of their time and subject matter expertise to create the CRC Practice Analysis and new comprehensive examinations. We are deeply grateful for your generous contribution to the profession of retirement counseling.

Unauthorized Use of the CRC® Marks

We have received reports of prior CRCs who have not maintained their certification and continue to use the marks.  Section 6.2 of the CRC Policy Manual states that the use of the Certified Retirement Counselor and CRC marks are limited to those qualified Certificants who have been granted the certification by the InFRE Board of Standards, who remain in good standing, and who satisfy all other certification and renewal requirements established by the Board.  When someone has failed to complete the CRC renewal requirements, they are deemed to have relinquished the right to use the CRC marks. Continued use of the marks in such circumstances is viewed by InFRE Board of Standards as unauthorized use. The Board considers unauthorized use an extremely serious matter and is prepared to take necessary steps to protect its certification marks in such cases.  It is in the best interests of all CRCs who properly maintain their certification to inform InFRE of those who are not in compliance with the use of marks in order to maintain the integrity and value for those who choose to comply with renewal requirements. If you know of someone improperly using the marks, please contact Amy Hayes, Customer Care Manager at 847.756.7350 ext. 134, or by email at ahayes@infre.org.

Recent changes in CRC® policies adopted by the InFRE Board of Standards

In order to meet rigorous accreditation requirements and increase the credibility of the CRC marks, over the past year your Board of Standards and Policy Development have implemented several new important CRC policies. These new policies primarily impact new CRC candidates and will not have a significant impact on current CRC certificants.  The new CRC eligibility policy is as follows:

“InFRE’s Certified Retirement Counselor® certification will be awarded upon successful demonstration of meeting the following requirements:

  • Completing a bachelor’s degree (or higher), or its equivalent, in any discipline, from an accredited college or university and a minimum of two (2) years relevant retirement related professional experience (within the last five (5) years).

OR

Completing a high school diploma or its equivalent and five (5) years relevant retirement related professional experience (within the past seven (7) years).

  • Passing a complete background check.

  • Completing a signed initial Certificate Holder’s Statement indicating adherence to the CRC Code of Ethics and annual continuing education requirements.This document must be receivedby InFRE within three (3) months of notification of passing the exam or Candidate must retest.

  • Demonstrating mastery of subject matter by successfully completing a proctored examination.
It is highly recommended that CRC certificants should be familiar with all CRC Policies.  Go to http://www.infre.org/CRCCertificants.shtml to download the most recent Certified Retirement Counselor Program Policies Manual.  If you have any questions about these policies, please contact us at info@infre.org

InFRE teams up with the Society of Actuaries and LIMRA to survey
“Will Retirement Assets Last a Lifetime?”

InFRE certificants can earn 2.0 FREE CE credits by taking a 20 question quiz about this survey.

The Society of Actuaries' (SOA) Committee on Post Retirement Needs and Risks, LIMRA and the International Foundation of Retirement Education (InFRE) are pleased to make available a research report based on the findings of a 2008 survey posed to approximately 1,500 retirees with $100,000 of investable financial assets.  The survey questions explored how retirees made decisions about investing their assets, purchasing financial products and the use of retirement advice prior to the recent financial crisis.  An update of the survey reflecting 2009 opinions will be available late July.  Click here to view the 2008 report and supporting materials.
 

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