Meet Your US CEBS Instructor: Elizabeth Allen, CEBS

Would you like to feel prepared to take your next CEBS® exam by the end of summer? Get started and stay on track with CEBS Online Study Groups! Many CEBS candidates rely on CEBS Online Study Groups With Instructor Support for extra help on their learning journeys.

CEBS​​ Online Study Groups are an optional educational resource designed to complement the self-study approach. Offered over a 12-week session, Online Study Groups provide structure to your study efforts and are facilitated by established and experienced CEBS professionals.

What does an online instructor do? Your online instructor has many roles, including:

• Designing all content and activities in your class to help you retain knowledge and study for your CEBS exam
• Facilitating live review sessions
• Monitoring the discussion forum to provide clarification and guidance to learners
• Creating discussion questions for each module and Benefits in Action Mini Case to stimulate engagement and enhance learning about employee benefits
• Sharing their real-world experience as a benefits professional
• Answering questions that students submit via the discussion forum, email and private messages.

A Chat With Elizabeth Allen, CEBS

Elizabeth Allen, J.D., CEBS
Vice President, Benefits Compliance and Counsel
NFP
Instructor: RPA 1—Directing Retirement Plans Part 1

How has earning the CEBS designation enhanced your career?

Earning my CEBS designation has allowed me to bring a more comprehensive context to discussions with plan sponsors and their service providers. Learning the ins and outs of plan design and administration on both the retirement and health sides has proven valuable in helping employers understand how their benefit strategy and compliance obligations allow them to be the best plan sponsors they can be.

What will benefits professionals learn from RPA 1?

Benefits professionals taking RPA 1 will come away with an understanding of how retirement plans began in this country, the laws that were passed to encourage corporate-sponsored retirement savings, the different types of retirement plan vehicles that are available and the requirements employers must meet to sponsor qualified plans.

Are there any interesting current events, regulatory updates or industry trends related to concepts or issues your course explores?

There are so many interesting things going on. Chief among them on the retirement side is the passage and now the implementation of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act. It’s interesting because the changes made had and continues to have true bipartisan support, in fact, so much so that we can expect a SECURE Act 2.0 in the near future. The fact that everyone, including federal and local players, can agree that we need to do things to bolster our citizens’ retirement savings is inspiring and gives me hope that we can help people improve their retirement.

What are your best study tips for CEBS students?

My best study tips are to utilize the Study Tools offered through the Online Study Group to learn the content. I also recommend that students be able to speak to the ‘bigger picture’ of the concepts—in other words, know how a particular subject fits into the larger benefits picture. This may help to ensure that you understand the information. Obviously, going through the Practice Exam is also a must. At the same time, don’t be too married to the specifics of the Practice Exam. Come away from the practice with an idea of the areas you need to dive into deeper.

What sort of success stories have you heard from your students? Why would you encourage people to earn their CEBS designation?

Students have reached out to me to mention that their CEBS designation has allowed them to advance in their careers or even just helped them bring greater knowledge to the table in their current jobs. I would encourage people to earn their CEBS because it remains one of the most well-rounded ways to learn about employee benefits offerings.

Learn more about CEBS and the CEBS Online Study Groups With Instructor Support.

Do you need guidance on your CEBS journey?  Whether you’re about to take your first step or you’re getting close to reaching your designation, we’re here to help!  Give us a call at (800) 449-2327, option 3 or e-mail cebs@ifebp.org.