A retirement "perfect storm" has been brewing in the United States and across the world:

The baby boomers are beginning to enter their retirement years, yet they need more thorough education and qualified counseling if they are to effectively plan and manage their retirement.

People are living in retirement for longer than ever before.

Fundamental changes are underway or foreseen in employer-sponsored pension plans, Social Security and the Medicare system.

Our nation's savings rate is lower than it has ever been. Retirement assets need to last longer than ever before. Combined, this makes an informed decision about when to retire and how much should be withdrawn from savings critical for many pre-retirees.

Retirees face medical and long-term care expenses of unknown cost and length.

New retirement products and investment management methods are being introduced regularly to meet retirees' needs for lifetime income and flexibility.

The definition of retirement is changing as people now phase into their retirement with bridge jobs, new careers or businesses, and people have to make decisions about where they will live and what they need to do to become retirement ready.

The confluence of these factors makes the jobs of retirement counselors and administrators increasingly difficult and complex — while at the same time increasingly more important. Moreover, many of the individuals who today are advising the American worker on how to achieve a secure and rewarding retirement have not been specifically trained and equipped to deal with these issues, particularly on the distribution side of the equation. These professionals have also not had access to quality educational materials to properly educate their employees and clients.

InFRE's goal is to provide credible retirement certifications and objective educational tools to help retirement professionals increase the retirement preparedness of the American worker.