September 10, 2009 CRC© Accreditation Distinguishes Retirement Planning Professionals. Lubbock, TX – Combine the current economic crisis with the fact that there are 78 million Boomers getting ready to retire over the next 18 years, and the result is a whole new world for retirement planning professionals. At this critical juncture, earning the newly accredited Certified Retirement Counselor© (CRC©) certification developed by the International Foundation for Retirement Education (InFRE) is an effective way advisors can hone their skills and communicate their expertise to the oncoming wave of potential clients. “As the leader in retirement education for professionals, InFRE is keenly aware of our responsibility in maintaining a role that promotes competency in regard to the retirement planning profession,” says Kevin Seibert, CFP®, CEBS, CRC®, Managing Director at InFRE. “We knew accreditation of the CRC program was a vital building block to offering an industry-wide and consumer-accepted retirement certification.” In its mission to lead the way in retirement planning education, InFRE designed the CRC process to help retirement professionals understand increasingly complex issues and retirement risks facing retirees, as well as help pre-retirees saving through individual, private employer and government employer retirement plans become more retirement ready. This one-of-a-kind certification also acts as an indicator for consumers searching for a knowledgeable retirement professional that can help them with both their retirement accumulation and distribution planning needs. As of September 1, 2009 the CRC officially met the certification accreditation standards determined by the National Commission of Certifying Agencies (NCCA). Tackling the challenging process of independent certification program accreditation requires the CRC to be structured and administered under rigorous standards relating to governance, responsibility to stakeholders, exam process, and recertification. “Only a few financially-related certifications have achieved NCCA accreditation status because it is difficult to meet the standards,“ says Seibert. The CRC was established by InFRE in 1999 and developed with the Center for Financial Responsibility at Texas Tech University. John Salter, Ph.D., CFP®, AIFA®, Director, Division of Personal Financial Planning at Texas Tech University states, “As one of the leading financial planning university programs in the country, we encourage students to earn the CRC because it provides in-depth and focused content in all aspects of retirement, as well as opening new opportunities for careers in the retirement industry.” The CRC is also endorsed by both NAGDCA and NPEA – retirement industry associations that represent hundreds of state and local government retirement plans with millions of employees. “The InFRE CRC is one of the most comprehensive retirement programs available,” says Denise Appleby, CEO of Appleby Retirement Consulting Inc. “I know - I have reviewed quite a few.” To date, over 2,000 professionals have met the CRC certification eligibility and testing requirements. To learn more about the CRC visit www.InFRE.org on the web. For more information or to schedule an interview contact Joan Frank, at 248-330-0001 or joan@bfrankcommunications.com. ### |
