Financial Services Specialist (FSS) Whether
you
are
a new
financial
services
representative
or
you
provide
sales
support
to
financial
advisors,
or
if
you
are
an
experienced
advisor,
the
new
Financial
Services
Specialist
(FSS)
designation
provides
you
with
practical
sales
skills
and
the
essential
technical
knowledge
to
help
advance
your
career.
The FSS courses offer current knowledge on a wide range of products and services to help you explore new markets, retain your client relationships and compete for a larger share of their business.
FSS courses are delivered in classrooms using qualified moderators and a study-group approach that incorporates role-playing, sales planning projects, action projects, readings, and examinations.
|
| |
The
FSS Curriculum
FA
262
–
Foundations
of
Financial
Planning:
An
Overview:
This
course
covers
the
financial
planning
process
and
all
of
the
major
planning
areas
that
define
the
field.
It
provides
an
overview
of
the
six-step
financial
planning
process.
Each
of
the
major
planning
areas
(such
as
insurance
planning,
risk
management,
employee
benefits
planning,
investment
planning,
income
tax
planning,
retirement
planning
and
estate
planning)
that
should
be
included
in
a comprehensive
financial
plan
is
discussed.
In
addition,
the
course
also
covers
the
following
topics:
 |
FA
263
–
Foundations
of
Financial
Planning:
The
Process:
This
course
guides
the
financial
planning
advisor
through
the
eight
steps
of
the
selling/planning
process,
including
identifying
markets
and
prospects,
communications
skills
needed
to
approach
clients,
information
gathering
through
fact-finding,
analyzing
the
information,
developing
and
presenting
the
financial
plan
and
implementing
and
servicing
the
plan.
Time
value
of
money,
financial
risk
tolerance,
asset
allocation
and
financial
planning
applications
are
also
covered.
The
course
also
focuses
on:
-
The
importance
of
meeting
and
communicating
effectively
with
clients
including
the
main
types
of
structured
communication
used
in
financial
planning
- The
personal
financial
planning
fact
finder
and
goal
setting
- Financial
planning
tools
and
techniques
- The
importance
of
preparing
personal
financial
statements
in
financial
planning
including
financial
position
statements
and
the
process
for
analyzing
the
client’s
existing
plan
information
in
the
main
areas
of
financial
planning
- Financial
plan
development
and
presentation
- The
implementation
of
the
financial
plan
and
servicing
-
Funding
for
higher
education
-
Regulation
of
financial
advisors
|
FA
264
–
Foundations
of
Investment
Planning:
The
growing
importance
of
money
management
and
the
abundance
of
investment
opportunities
highlight
the
significance
of
this
course.
With
the
increasing
number
and
diversity
of
investment
opportunities,
financial
planners
must
be
aware
of
the
risk-return
tradeoffs
of
the
various
investments
instruments.
To
this
end,
this
course
covers
various
aspects
of
the
principles
of
sound
investments
and
their
application
to
financial
planning.
This
course
focuses
on:
- Risk-return tradeoffs of the various investment instruments
- Risk tolerance and analysis
- Risk diversification
- Principles of sound investments and their application to financial planning
- Principles of investment options and how they apply to financial planning
- The securities market and securities valuation
- Security analysis and selection techniques
The
course
will
not
be
available
until
2007.
FA
290
-
Ethics
for
the
Financial
Services
Professional:
This
course
provides
a
practical,
thought-provoking,
and
challenging
presentation
on
ethical
values
in
the
decision-making
processes
of
professionals
in
the
financial
services
industry.
The
course
goes
beyond
theoretical
concepts
by
presenting
a
practical
framework
for
making
ethical
business
decisions;
examining
legal,
compliance,
and
practice
standards;
and
discussing
ethical
approaches
to
placing
financial
products,
determining
suitability,
and
assessing
risk.
The
course:
- Describes
the
evolution
of
the
financial
services
market
and
its
ethical
problems
- Provides
a
framework
for
ethical
decision
making,
including
ethical
sensitivity
exercises
and
decision
processes
- Discusses
government
regulations,
compliance
limitations,
the
increasing
emphasis
on
professionalism
and
ethics
codes,
and
practice
standards
- Explores
the
ethics
of
specific
professional
practices
including
unnecessary
replacements,
misleading
sales
practices,
suitability
requirements,
and
rebating,
along
with
a
discussion
regarding
conflicts
of
interest
- Discusses
categories
of
investments,
types
of
investment
risk,
and
risk
management,
and
provides
a
useful
tool
for
assessing
an
individual's
risk
tolerance
and
investment
philosophy
|
FA
251
- Essentials
of
Business
Insurance:
This
course
examines
how
business
owners
can
use
life
insurance
to
continue
a business
beyond
their
death
or
the
death
of
another
key
person.
It
also
explores
the
various
organizational
forms
under
which
business
owners
operate
and
examines
what
to
say,
how
to
say
it,
and
when
to
say
it
to
capture
the
attention
of
the
business
owner.
The
course
suggests
effective
words
to
use,
sample
letters
and
fact-finding
forms,
and
presenting
and
closing
techniques.
It
covers
how
life
insurance
can
guarantee
the
control
and
value
of
a business
following
the
owner’s
or
key
person’s
death
through
buy-sell
agreements
and
key
person
insurance.
Course
highlights
include
the
following:
- Reviews
the
problems
and
solutions
to
those
problems
that
result
from
the
death
or
disability
of
a
business
owner
or
key
employee
for
the
business
and
its
dependents
-
Explores
succession
planning,
with
emphasis
on
buy-sell
agreements
funded
with
insurance
- Examines
ways
a
business
owner
can
retain
and
continue
the
value
of
the
business
in
the
case
of
death,
disability,
or
retirement
from
the
business
- Discusses
the
various
organizational
forms
under
which
business
owners
operate
- Presents
the
basis
of
estate
planning
for
the
business
owner
|
FA
261-
Retirement
Planning:
This
course
provides
an
overview
of
the
changing
demographics
that
are
creating
increased
numbers
of
prospects
for
retirement
planning.
It
also
addresses
how
the
responsibility
for
planning
continues
to
shift
to
individuals,
and
focuses
on
long-term
retirement
planning
goals.
The
course
guides
professionals
in
examining
the
retirement
planning
process,
fact-finders,
methods
of
analyzing
facts,
retirement
planning
tools,
and
sales
tracks.
It
also
touches
upon
the
role
of
government
mandated
old-age
social
security
programs
and
tax
policies
in
retirement
planning.
The
suitability
of
various
accumulation
vehicles
(such
as
stocks,
bonds,
mutual
funds,
life
insurance,
and
annuities)
for
retirement
planning
is
discussed.
How
retirement
planning
ultimately
creates
estate
planning
needs,
addressing
such
topics
as
payout
options
and
investment
strategies
are
explained.
The
course:
- Addresses
ways
to
accumulate
money
for
retirement,
to
fund
an
education,
to
satisfy
long-term
needs,
and
more
- Discusses
tax
policies,
etc.
in
retirement
planning
- Explores
the
suitability
of
accumulation
vehicles,
including
stocks,
bonds,
mutual
funds,
life
insurance,
and
annuities
|
|
|
|
FSS Designation
FSS Designation: A student is required to complete all of the above six courses and pass the final examination for each course. If a student is deemed to have satisfied all of the requirements for receiving the designation, then s/he receives a joint diploma FSS (IN)—IN stands for India—from IAIFM and The American College.
Alumnus of The American
College and IAIFM: Once
a candidate has earned the FSS (IN) designation,
s/he immediately becomes part of the alumni of both
The American College and IAIFM. Also, as an FSS
(IN), a candidate’s name is listed in the
relevant sections of both the IAIFM and The American
College websites.
|
|
Easy
Way
to
Earn
an
Additional
Designation
|
| If
a student earns a FSS designation, then that student
can earn the LUTCF designation by completing just 3
more courses as follows: |
- FA
201 - Techniques
for Exploring
Personal
Markets
|
- FA
202 - Techniques
for Meeting
Client
Needs
|
- FA
232 - Professional
Growth
|
Thus,
in order to earn both LUTCF and FSS designations, a candidate
must complete a total of 9 courses. |
|
|
|
|
|
