CE Credits for Financial Professionals

Current Courses for Financial Professionals

We offer a variety of educational events for Financial Professionals. Please see our offerings for CE courses listed below:

1) Partners in Estate Planning

(2 Life and Health Insurance CE, 2 CFP and 2 CPE Credits) States: VA, MD, & DC
In this course, you will learn how to integrate Estate Planning into your practice with specific strategies to attract new business as well as strengthen existing relationships. This course focuses on how financial advisors and attorneys can collaborate to provide high quality planning to their client. The program raises key legal issues often not raised or properly addressed with clients regarding their estate planning.

Specific Topics Covered:

What is the definition of estate planning?
Disability
How to build “Protections” into your estate plan (asset protection planning)
How various financial products (Long Term Care Insurance, Disability Insurance, Life Insurance, Annuities, etc.) can be integrated seamlessly with your client’s estate plan.
Current Estate Tax Laws and How to Explain it Effectively to Clients.
The Estate Plan Process integrated with the Financial Planning Process Reference Binders including case studies are provided to all

2) Ethics and Retirement Planning

(2 CFP Ethics Credits, 2 Life & Health Insurance CE and 2 CPE Credits) States: VA, MD, DC
This course is designed to teach the Financial Professional the ethical issues involved when discussing retirement planning options for clients. We will discuss a case study that raises important estate planning issues that ethically must be considered when going through the retirement planning process. Course Objectives include:

Defining the elements of the Fiduciary Standard CFP® are held to when working with clients;
Identify and Determine when the Fiduciary Standard applies in various financial planning scenarios’
Identify and determine when the Fiduciary Standard applies in various financial planning scenarios;
Understand the CFP Board’s Compensation Disclosure requirements;
Understand the CFP Board’s Conflict of Interest

3) Retirement Planning with Trusts

(2 Life and Health Insurance CE, 2 CFP and 2 CPE Credits) States: VA, MD, & DC (The impact of the Supreme Court Case Clark v. Rameker)
This course is designed to teach the financial professional the key issues to consider regarding beneficiary designations for retirement plans.

What is the legal impact of naming a trust as beneficiary of your client’s 401k, 403(b), TSP, IRA, Annuity, ?
Different Beneficiary Designation Options (individual, sub-trust, stand alone trust, etc.) and their impact on the client’s plan.
Key issues to discuss with your clients when counseling them on proper beneficiary designations for retirement
How do the Required Minimum Distribution Rules interact with a client’s beneficiary designation?
Tax consequences and issues regarding accumulation and conduit trusts & How to take advantage of the IRA stretch rules through the use of a properly drafted Trust
What are the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing a Trust in connection with IRA planning?
The Basics of Inherited IRA Planning and Current Case Law

4) Blended Family Planning with Retirement Plans

(2 CFP, 2 Life and Health, 2 CPE Credit) States: VA, MD, & DC
This course will teach financial advisors the legal issues to consider when planning for clients with children from a previous marriage. We will use a case study to illustrate the various nuances of how to integrate financial planning with the client’s estate planning goals. Specific topics covered:

the validity of pre and post-nuptial agreements in regard to retirement planning;
the use of trusts and the legal and tax consequences involved when integrating with qualified plans;
issues to consider when counseling a client on their retirement planning options

5) Asset Protection Planning Series

(All Asset Protection Courses are approved for 1 Life and Health Insurance CE, 1 CFP and 1 CPE Credits) States: VA, MD and DC
Asset Protection for Physicians

Physicians are targets for litigation not only from malpractice suits but other legal actions such as:

Employee lawsuits for sexual harassment and discrimination
Business related personal guaranties
Protecting Business Equipment
Unwise investments
Billing and coding errors

In this course, you will learn the legal strategies and techniques that can be implemented to help protect a physician’s assets.

Asset Protection for Real Estate Investors

The Washington Metropolitan area is a haven for real estate investors. This course will teach you the basics of how to integrate land trusts, management companies, and LLCs to protect real estate holdings.

The Virginia Domestic Asset Protection Trust

Virginia has adopted the Domestic Asset Protection Trust statute originally created in states such as Nevada and Delaware. Learn how your clients can take advantage of this relatively new statute to protect their hard earned wealth.

6) Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT) Basics and Mechanics

(2 Laws and Regulations CE, 2 CFP and 2 CPE Credits) States: VA, MD and DC
The new tax act has created increased planning opportunities for clients that involve insurance trusts. The fact that ILITs are often misunderstood by the client and many advisors means that many solid planning opportunities are being overlooked. This course is designed to impart financial professionals with easy to understand techniques involving ILITs. After completing this course, the financial professional should be able to:

identify suitable ILIT candidates;
explain to clients how an ILIT works in plain English;
understand how different insurance products can be used to fund different types of
understand how current tax laws interact with your client’s estate plan

7) Buy-Sell Agreements for Financial Advisors

(2 Life and Health Insurance CE, 2 CFP and 2 CPE Credits) States: VA, MD and DC
This program is designed to teach financial advisors how to perform an initial review of a client’s buy-sell agreement. Attorney Bobby Feisee will teach advisors how to perform a “buy-sell” audit with an easy to use check list. The audit is designed to identify and motivate suitable candidates to review their current business planning structure which includes proper funding of the buy-sell agreement through life insurance.

8) The Life-Cycle Buy Sell

(2 Life and Health Insurance CE, 2 CFP and 2 CPE Credits) States: VA, MD and DC
This course is designed to teach the advisor how a business owner can achieve their business succession planning, retirement planning and estate planning goals through the use of life insurance owned by a Limited Liability Company. This sound planning technique has been often overlooked by advisors and is a powerful tool for suitable clients. A case study will be provided and discussed during the program.

9) Estate Tax Law Update

(2 Life and Health Insurance CE, 2 CFP and 2 CPE Credits) States: VA, MD and DC
This course offers the financial advisor an insider’s look at the new Estate Tax laws. We will examine the key provisions every financial advisor needs to know about the new Tax Laws as well as how the role of financial services and products has changed in the era of the new legislation. We will also explore new ways the Financial Advisor can assist clients in achieving their planning goals. Additionally, we will look at how to work with and set proper expectations with estate planning attorneys to achieve a mutually successful professional relationship. This course is designed for advisors of all experience levels.

10) Trust Funding for Financial Advisors

(2 Life and Health Insurance CE, 2 CFP and 2 CPE Credits) States: VA, MD and DC
For a living trust centered estate plan to achieve the client’s goal, all assets a client owns must be properly titled in the name of their trust or name their trust as a beneficiary. This course provides the financial advisor with a comprehensive overview of which assets should be titled in the name of the trust and which assets should name the trust as a primary or contingent beneficiary and why. We will also examine the client circumstances and counseling issues that may affect how the trust is funded, as well as allocation of assets between separate trusts for married clients. We will discuss the documentation necessary to confirm accurate and complete trust funding. Finally, we will explore how the financial advisor can assist clients with funding their trust, and how the funding process may be used to increase assets under management. This course is designed for advisors of all experience levels.

11) Special People, Special Planning

(2 Life and Health Insurance CE, 2 CFP and 2 CPE Credits) States: VA, MD and DC
Millions of Americans cope with special needs and the rising associated expenses and special needs planning involves both legal and financial planning issues. The goal is to provide for and protect a beneficiary with special needs while preserving entitlement to needs-based public assistance programs. Many of the issues involve both the attorney and financial advisor collaborating to ensure suitable financial products are integrated into the client’s plan. This course also explores different options for special needs planning including first party special needs trusts and third party supplemental needs trusts. Also, we will discuss eligibility requirements for certain government programs and how to achieve the most cost effective and efficient plans for different circumstances.

12) Nuts and Bolts of Trust Settlement for Financial Advisors

(2 Life and Health Insurance CE, 2 CFP and 2 CPE Credits) States: VA, MD and DC
When a client dies with a living trust, there are a number of specific steps required to wind down the client’s affairs. This course explores trust settlement related issues such as changing trustees, retitling accounts, fiduciary safe investing, the use of stop losses, the creation of sub-trusts, securing tax releases and tax ID numbers, educating beneficiaries, and your role in providing counseling to the next generation to ensure you retain your book of business after the death of a client. We will also explore various post-death planning strategies such as disclaimers, purchasing life insurance in a credit shelter trust, and terminating an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust. This course is designed for advisors of all experience levels.

13) Disability Planning: A Guide for Financial Advisors

(2 Life and Health Insurance CE, 2 CFP and 2 CPE Credits) States: VA, MD and DC
This course is designed to teach the financial advisor the estate planning attorney’s perspective and techniques to help clients through a loved one’s disability. Topics covered include the definition of disability, the concept of a disability panel, dangers in relying solely on a general durable power of attorney, educating disability “helpers”, and various health care planning options.

14) The Truth About Business Planning

(2 Life and Health Insurance CE, 2 CFP and 2 CPE Credits) States: VA, MD and DC

This course is designed to highlight the key issues that Advisors should be addressing when talking to business owners. Business owners often overlook key planning issues when starting a business which can have a negative impact on the success of the business. A financial advisor who understands the business planning process can provide great value to his/her clients. Specific topics covered:

Common challenges for business owners
Business entity choices and taxation
Basic issues that must be discussed between business owners before setting up the business
Types of contracts between business owners
Transfer restriction options
Business exit strategies

Please contact our office at 703-654-6019 to schedule a CE for your planning partners.