A Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS) designation is for professionals whose primary focus is the design and administration of retirement plans. This designation identifies you as an expert in your field who can communicate effectively with other health care professionals, financial advisors and plan participants about the analysis and selection of benefit solutions. Have a financial question? Click here. A CRPS designation shows that you are committed to providing quality retirement plan design and administration. It also demonstrates your knowledge of retirement plan rules and regulations, allowing you to help clients maintain their tax-advantaged status. In addition, the CRPS designation can help you build relationships with financial advisors, who are often responsible for recommending retirement plan solutions to their clients. To earn the CRPS designation, you must pass a comprehensive exam that covers all aspects of retirement plan design and administration. You must also agree to abide by a code of ethics and maintain your designation through continuing education. To qualify for the Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS) designation: The CRPS designation is valid for three years. To maintain your designation, you must complete 30 hours of continuing education during each three-year cycle. The first step towards earning your CRPS designation is to choose which pathway you wish to pursue: Once you have met the education requirements, you are ready to take the CRPS exam. The exam is offered at testing centers throughout North America. The exam is a three-hour, closed-book test that covers all aspects of retirement plan design and administration. You are allowed to bring a calculator and one sheet of notes. After passing the CRPS exam, you must agree to abide by the CII’s code of ethics. This code of ethics requires you to maintain your designation through continuing education. After you have completed the educational requirements and successfully passed the exam, it will take four to six weeks for your designation credentials to be processed and mailed to you. The Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS) designation is a nationally recognized credential that demonstrates your knowledge and commitment to providing quality retirement plan design and administration. If you are interested in pursuing a career in retirement plan design and administration, the CRPS designation is the perfect starting point.Why Do You Need a CRPS Designation
How to Get Your CRPS Designation
Benefits of Having a CRPS Designation
The Bottom Line
Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS) FAQs
The CRPS designation is the CRPS certification. It's a hard designation to earn that shows you are knowledgeable in CRP rules and regulations, it also helps you understand CRP tax advantaged status.
You can get CRPS designation by meeting educational requirements, passing a comprehensive exam, and agreeing to abide by the CRPS code of ethics.
The CRPS designation requires 30 hours of continuing education during each three year cycle, as well as a CRPS exam which you must pass to earn your CRPS certification. Most CRP prerequisites can be completed online.
The CRPS designation can help you build relationships with financial advisors by demonstrating CRP knowledge, it also shows your commitment to CRP.
Four to six weeks is the time frame it takes for CRPS designation credentials to process and mail, once you have completed all CRPS program prerequisites and passed the CRPS exam.
True Tamplin is a published author, public speaker, CEO of UpDigital, and founder of Finance Strategists.
True is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF®), author of The Handy Financial Ratios Guide, a member of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing, contributes to his financial education site, Finance Strategists, and has spoken to various financial communities such as the CFA Institute, as well as university students like his Alma mater, Biola University, where he received a bachelor of science in business and data analytics.
To learn more about True, visit his personal website or view his author profiles on Amazon, Nasdaq and Forbes.
