In “Ally, Ally, InFRE” from Kerry Pechter of the Retirement Income Journal, Pechter explains how the certification firm InFRE has now become certified itself. The International Foundation for Retirement Education (InFRE), directed by Kevin S. Seibert, gives educational presentations at retirement income conferences around the United States. With slide shows and speeches, the InFRE presents to financial advisers mostly from banks and insurance companies, helping to certify them since 1997.
During his presentations, Seibert talks about an epiphany he had about annuities. Once he realized that fixed annuity products and other types of lifetime annuities were an important part of retirement income planning, he has been telling financial advisers about their importance ever since. While traditional thoughts about annuities say that one of their cons is the fact that they “take away from your estate”, Seibert says that they actually can help to preserve it because your basic needs are always met, even better the longer you live.
Recent regulations regarding “senior designations” have helped to rid the market of shady so-called specialists. The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and the American National Standards Institute are the two top organizations that certify the certifiers of financial advisers. That is why Seibert and his colleague Betty Meredith have worked for two years to get the Certified Retirement Counselor designation, with which InFRE confers, accredited by the NCCA. With their nearly 300-page study guide and thorough 4-hour CRC exams, InFRE works to make sure all the financial advisers that they certify are well-informed to make the best decisions for their clients.
