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Retirement Plan Certification Programs

Certification in retirement planning can open up new career opportunities and pathways for advancement within the financial services industry.

A retirement plan certification offers several benefits, both for professionals in the financial industry and for individuals seeking personal improvement. Some of the key benefits are expanded knowledge and skills, improved compliance with regulatory requirements, and career advancement opportunities.

What Are The Key Elements Of Retirement Plan Administration

Retirement plan administration involves several key elements to ensure the smooth operation and compliance of retirement plans. Here are some of the key elements:

Plan design
Enrollment and communication
Contribution management
Investment management
Compliance and reporting
Participant services
Recordkeeping
Plan review and evaluation

Common Administrative Errors

Retirement plan administration can be complex, and mistakes can have significant consequences for both employers and employees. Here are some common mistakes in retirement plan administration:

  • Failure to follow plan documents
  • Incorrect employee eligibility
  • Missed or incorrect employee contributions
  • Late or incorrect employer contributions
  • Inaccurate vesting calculations
  • Errors on non-discrimination testing
  • Incorrect distribution processing
  • Failure to monitor investment options
  • Lack of knowledge of regulatory changes
employee being blamed

To mitigate these risks, employers should invest in proper training for plan administrators, consider outsourcing certain administrative tasks to qualified professionals, and regularly audit their retirement plans for compliance and accuracy.

Overall, obtaining certification in retirement planning can be a worthwhile investment for both professionals and their clients, offering benefits that extend beyond just the acquisition of knowledge and skills.

How The Programs Work

Each Training & Certification Program features multiple chapters on regulatory compliance, with clear "Lesson Goals", training pages, and End Of Lesson Quizzes. Courses also include practical "Examples", "Administrative Tips", and "Procedural Recommendations" to aid understanding and help ensure correct administration.

HideLesson Goals
Each self-paced Training & Certification Program is delivered to your desktop and packed with information, examples, tips, and interactive questions. You'll learn compliance processes, proactive design options, and cost-reduction strategies, starting with clear "Lesson Goals" for each topic.
HideGreat Content And Easy-To-Use Navigation
Each Training & Certification Program is divided into several easy-to-use lessons that outline the materials to be covered in that lesson. "Glossary" and "Help" buttons are included, as well as a special "Bookmark" feature so you can save your place as needed.
HideEnd Of Lesson Quizzes
Lesson goals and learned content are tested through interactive questions during and at the end of each lesson. Answers to each question are provided right on that page to give you immediate feedback.
HideCertification
Upon completion of the training portion of your program, you can test for "Certification". Certification helps provide confidence to Managers and Administrators that the person handling COBRA administration has a good understanding of the complex requirements necessary for proper compliance.
lesson goals

See What Satisfied Customers Say About Our Courses

Great class. The trainer was wonderful and I gained great insight.Shelley Everhart Poer
This was one of the best trainings I have every attended in my career. Awesome class!Nicole Ganter
I walked away with so much. We have some changes to do and all for the better. Great training.Tesa Wilson
The program was amazing and extremely informational. There was a great deal that I did not know!Tiffany Ballard
I highly recommend this to anyone who conducts internal investigations.Roschelle Winston
I really liked the hands-on, interactive role playing of exercises. Nothing helps you prepare for real life like putting yourself into situations you may not have thought of.Robin Becher
I loved this training. It was all together amazingly helpful and insightful. I would recommend this class to anyone.Patricia Mulvihill
This was a great "crash course" for HR. I am new to the field and I will be able to apply the training I received in my new role. Extremely useful seminar, I would highly recommend.Logan Brink
Great class full of information. Well worth the time and expense!Rachel Haff
Couldn't have asked for a better experience. From the customer service to the trainer and the presentation, it was a 10/10 for sure.Andrea Mikina
I gained so much from the course and would recommend it to any HR professional.Victoria Nix
The presentation and the information provided will help me tremendously. I have reffered to my book numerous times since I have been back in the office.Waverli Kimbell
I loved this course!! It was so much fun and yet so informative.Katie Osborn
This is a great training, highly recommend it for all HR Professionals!
Most helpful part of the training was the interactive discussions with the instructor and understanding the multiple considerations that need to be made regarding employment law.Eric Johnson
This was the best FMLA/ADA training I have had.Melissa Sisson
Overall, this was an excellent training. I really enjoyed the instructor, and she sited relevant cases and examples related to the course material. Thanks!Laura Judkins
I found this course to be robust and comprehensive.Renee Kaucnik
Excellent training, one of the best HR training programs I've been to.Martha Richards
The entire course was very beneficial. We regularly conduct administrative investigations and the training and materials provided for use are great!Colbert Stancill
I rate the training 5 stars!Kay Hammer
This training session was wonderful - all of the information was very useful and laid out in a way that made it easy to follow.Fay Wong

Frequently Asked Questions

How do the online Training & Certification Programs work? Hide
Our online courses follow Instructional Design requirements, meaning the course is broken into multiple Lessons. Each Lesson has a 'Lesson Goals' page showing the two or three key points to learn from that Lesson. It then provides training - in English, not legalese - with lots of Tips, Examples, and Procedural Recommendations, then concludes with "End Of Lesson Quizzes" that are multiple-choice question that state a potential situation that you, as the administrator, must handle.
How does the Certification Exam work? Show
Your Certification Exam consists of 50 questions that are randomly selected from our database of questions. You scroll forward or back through the Exam at any time to check or review your answers, and click on the "Score My Exam" button to submit your Exam for scoring. Your score is shown on screen. Users with non-passing scores are shown a list of incorrectly answered questions and given tips for passing on their next attempt; users with a passing score can print their Certificate immediately.
Can I see any Exam questions I answered incorrectly? Show
Yes. This feature was requested specifically by our pre-launch focus groups who, even if they passed the Exam, wanted the ability to correct any potential "weak" areas they may have.
What does your investigation course cover? Show
While many people think investigations primarily cover fraud or theft, in reality the majority of workplace investigations are based upon employee and management behavior, and handling these situations correctly can mean a happy workforce or a lawsuit. For instance, how would your organization respond to claims of bullying, negligence, or retaliation? How does it identify whether there is a complaint that should he handled by a supervisor or actually investigated? Does your organization have a process for interviewing witnesses or writing reports? The key here is to get trained on how to do an investigation before you actually have to do one! [View Course Agenda]
Do your courses provide updates whenever the laws change? Show
Absolutely - and we do it for free! In essence, we notify you with both an overview of any changes and directions as to where and what changed in your courseware.
Do your seminars qualify for SHRM or HRCI re-certification credits? Show
Yes. Each qualifies for 18 or more SHRM or HRCI re-certification credits.
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Bring Our Training To Your Location!

Have several people you need trained? Save time and money by having us come to your location!

The benefits are simple: not only do you get the same great training as if you came to one of our regular training sessions, but you get to customize some of the content - and save up to 50% off of the cost!

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Multiple Purchase Pricing

We offer great Training & Certification Programs like 401(k), Defined Benefit, QDRO, Cash Balance Plans, Plan Loans, Required Minimum Distributions and others with discounted pricing available for multiple-Program or mutiple-person training needs.

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