Retirement Education for Advisors

The Retirement Income Industry Association (RIIA) has launched a retirement income planning educational program for advisors called Delivering Retirement Income Solutions, which is designed to provide an overview of the key risks and issues retirees face and also help advisors deliver the correct investment and risk management solutions to their clients. RIIA says the educational program will be the first in a series of programs that will result in an industry designation accrediting financial advisors as “Retirement Income Specialists.”

In announcing the program, John Curry, RIIA Board Member and Chair of RIIA’s Education Committee, said “Raising awareness of pre-retiree and retiree issues and how to address them is at the core of RIIA’s mission.” The educational initiative “stems from a belief that financial advisors are thirsty for an objective, high-quality, and action-oriented perspective addressing retirement, retirement income, and risk management in retirement.”

The Delivering Retirement Income Solutions program is a workshop consisting of a three-hour interactive session accompanied by a course workbook and a series of case studies designed to reflect the complex challenges pre-retirees and retirees face as they plan for a 20- or 30-year retirement, RIIA explained in its announcement. The course is the first of several planned for a comprehensive, detailed curriculum, and can be used by financial institutions on either a turnkey, sponsored or private-label basis. For the turnkey approach, pre-approved instructors will deliver the course on-site at the financial institution, RIIA said. Meanwhile, RIIA said it expects “larger institutions or firms will be attracted to the flexible and reasonably priced class sponsorship approach, or licensing arrangement, which allows private-labeling.”