Fundamentals in Retirement Plans
Upon enrolling in the Fundamentals in Retirement Plans certificate, you will get access to five e-learning courses. To earn the certificate, you must complete two required courses and one elective course of your choice. You will retain access to the remaining two elective courses that you don’t choose to complete if/when you want.
Each course is available 24/7 for 180 days after purchase. Courses are self-paced, interactive and accessible from any type of device. Enjoy various course features to support your learning including real-life scenarios that help you to apply your knowledge, video clips, quick quiz questions and a complete glossary of important benefits terms.
Required Courses
Plan sponsors have many options when designing a retirement plan. Learn about the history and objectives of retirement plans, income sources in retirement, the role of plan sponsors, different plan structures available and how to educate employees. This course will also review Internal Revenue Code (IRC) and ERISA requirements that retirement plans must meet to qualify for tax advantages.
Meet all the key players involved in designing, administering and growing a retirement plan. Review the unique responsibilities of plan sponsors, trustees, fiduciaries, retirement plan committees, investment consultants and managers, actuaries, recordkeepers and third-party administrators (TPAs), and learn how to manage relationships with each of these groups.
Elective Courses
Take one elective course to earn the certificate, but get access to all three and complete the remaining two courses if/when you want.
This course covers defined benefit plan options available to plan sponsors, including the different pay- and service-related benefit formulas, plan funding responsibilities, investment decisions and risks, distribution methods and plan termination.
A defined contribution plan offers great flexibility to the plan sponsor and places all investment risk on the participant. Study how profit-sharing plans, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), money purchase pension plans, employer-sponsored IRAs, simplified employee pension (SEP) plans and savings incentive match plans for employees (SIMPLE plans) provide different retirement savings opportunities to employees.
The 401(k) plan has emerged as the primary retirement savings plan for many employees because of the unique tax advantages it provides. This course looks at the many considerations for structuring and administering a compliant 401(k) plan, including participant eligibility, contribution options, nondiscrimination testing, safe harbor plan design, automatic enrollment features and plan distributions.