The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a shortfall in the number of qualified financial professionals needed to meet the retirement and income planning needs of the 78 million Baby Boomers retiring over the next 20 years. InFRE is ready to help institutions like yours increase the number of knowledgeable and skilled graduates entering the retirement industry by raising awareness of:
- the types of careers, job and networking opportunities available
- a model retirement planning and income management curriculum
- an accredited retirement-specific certification program
Entry level jobs in the retirement industry are varied. Jobs range from very technical and specialized to a more generalized knowledge of products and services. Some of the most popular career paths in the industry include: retirement counseling, call center support, retirement plan administration, investment management, employee benefits specialists, insurance product sales and service, brokerage product sales and services, financial planning, and actuarial. Most jobs require a bachelor’s degree and many require some additional certification or licensing. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills in addition to math and analytical ability are important attributes to have for success in this industry.
Learn more here about the job potential in retirement industry in America today.
Read “How prepared is the retirement industry for the needs of retirement American workers?” from the September, 2008, Financial Services Review.
Learn more here about the history of retirement in America.
See "InFRE Retirement Career Guide" here. Download a copy of the Guide here.
Why we’re qualified to help you develop retirement career path opportunities for your students:
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The Certified Retirement Counselor® (CRC®) certification is the only retirement specific, accredited certification besides the CFP®*
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We’re headquartered at Texas Tech University (TTU), the leading financial planning university in the country
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We are aligned with the Financial Planning Association® (FPA®)*, National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators (NAGDCA), National Pension Education Association (NPEA), and the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP)
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InFRE® certificants include professionals from private and public sector employer-sponsored defined benefit and defined contribution plans, banks, financial advisors, wholesalers, financial services, CPAs, human resources… all those involved in increasing the retirement preparedness and security of the American worker.
How we can help you
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We encourage you to contact Dr. John Salter, Director, Personal Financial Planning, Texas Tech University or Dr. Nathan Harness, Texas A&M about how they’re preparing students for careers in retirement with the CRC® accredited certification program.
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If you’re beginning a new financial planning program, the CRC® program is a terrific stepping stone to build momentum for a financial planning program. As a perfect complement to the CFP®, students are able to build knowledge and earn a marketable specialty certification as they learn.
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For existing degreed financial planning programs, the CRC® helps financial planning students deepen their retirement-specific knowledge. We can provide:
• Guidance for a model retirement curriculum (expected 2011).
• Current practice analysis for the accredited CRC® certification
• Discounted student study guides and exams. Students may register online for the CRC® program and study materials, if needed.
• 150-200 instructor Powerpoint slides per each of four courses
• Access to our supplemental study elearning courses to prepare you to teach
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Waiver of study guide and exam fee for qualified professorsWe also have relationships with national retirement associations that provide access for you and your students to attend their professional conferences at discounted rates. There’s no better way for students to explore interest in potential careers and meet potential future employers!
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Every spring we administer the ANC Foundation annual scholarship essay competition available through NAGDCA, with the first place winner receiving tuition to pursue his/her certification as a CRC®, $1,000 to be used toward educational expenses for the upcoming school year, and all-expense paid travel to the NAGDCA Annual Conference. Six other winners earn funding to cover the NAGDCA annual conference fees.
Call Kevin Seibert, CFP®, CRC®, CEBS Managing Director of InFRE at 847-382-9032 for more information about how we can help you cost-effectively utilize the CRC® program materials to enhance the learning experience and marketability of your students.
Highlights from the 2011 NAGDCA Annual Conference in Albuquerque
This is a video of the NAGDCA 2011 Annual Conference student introductory session. It describes what a 457 retirement saving plan is, and the types of careers students from financial planning programs can find in this important component of retirement security for local and state government workers.
Twenty-one students and 8 professors from financial planning undergrad programs all over the U.S. participated in the 2011 NADGCA conference Student Mentoring Program, where they learned about career opportunities in public sector defined contribution/deferred compensation (section 457) plans. The students were matched with professionals from the private and public sector who specialize in administrating this type of plan for over 10 million state and local government workers.
If you are a professor or student part of a university financial planning program and are interested in finding out more about career opportunities in this part of the retirement industry, please email us for more information.
NAGDCA has partnered with InFRE to ensure the success of the NAGDCA student program.
Highlights from the 2010 NAGDCA Annual Conference in Philadelphia
*CFP® is a registered trademark of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. Financial Planning Association® and FPA® are registered trademarks of the FPA.
