Course Description

295 pages + glossary

Retirement Planning is unique for a retirement course.  This course looks at subjects that are often overlooked or simply ignored by other retirement planning courses.  The unique subjects covered include agent education, ethics, and long-term home care.

There is often the mistaken belief that insurance agents do not need education in anything other than their own products.  Any agent who buys into this philosophy will miss vital education that can affect not only themselves (financially if lawsuits occur) but also the consumer.  When errors are made without malice, the effects of these errors often go unnoticed and even uncorrected.  Therefore, education in areas related to insurance is necessary.

Of course, this text also covers the bread-and-butter topics that are mandatory in any retirement planning course.  Social Security benefits are discussed since it would be impossible to plan for one's retirement without understanding what funding may be available from social programs.  Pensions are discussed as well.

Retirement plans always include some type of savings program.  Certainly some of these modes include insurances, such as annuity products and cash value policies.

Because every insurance agent must understand how his or her products will correspond with wills and living trusts, this is also discussed.  Agents are often the one consumers ask regarding beneficiary designations.  When suggestions are desired, the agent must understand how wills and living trusts affect their insurance products.  The ultimate goal of an agent is to benefit the consumer.  Only by having such an understanding of related fields will this be fully possible.

For the insurance agent who is making estate planning their specialty, this text also looks at the details of retirement planning.  This includes domiciles and property ownership, gifting, property transfers (which can include insurance products) and other areas related to this.  Of course, due diligence is also included.

Retirement Planning is considered to be an advanced course.  Although a beginner in the field could gain much knowledge from the information included, it could also be overwhelming if not studied well.  There is much detailed information involved.  The test is also more difficult than some of the other courses because of this detailed information.