Course Corner: Canadian RPA 2 Revisions

As the employee benefits industry evolves, the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist® (CEBS®) designation’s curriculum is updated to reflect this reality. The Canadian RPA 2 course has been fully revised to meet the changing retirement plans landscape. This new CEBS course will help you gain valuable skills that you can put into practice on the job today as well as provide emergent, cutting-edge knowledge that will prepare you for future roles.

RPA 2 presents investment theory that is transferable to management of assets in any type of employer-sponsored retirement plan, whether pension or nonpension. This includes plans such as group tax-free savings accounts and employee savings plans, which are mostly unrestricted by government regulations and contribution limits. Investment environment, financial markets and instruments, risk and return, asset allocation, performance measurement and portfolio management techniques are addressed. The practical application of this theory is identified through examination of investment-specific legislation and regulations, roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, management of issues in each step of the investment cycle, reporting and communication practices, and industry tools and guidelines that support sound plan investment management. Text-based reading is supported with regulatory guidance and industry-based practice guidelines.

Study Materials for RPA 2, including a new Study Guide and textbook, are available for purchase. You’ll be able to write exams for the new course beginning in the third testing window of 2024. Online Study Groups With Instructor Support for the new courses will be offered for the first time during the fall 2024 session.

Below is an outline of the new Canadian course:

RPA 2—Managing Retirement Plans Part 2

Module 1: Navigating the Investment Environment of Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans

Module 2: Inventorying the Major Asset Classes

Benefits in Action #1: What should you know about your DC plan investment options before enrolling?

Module 3: Managing Investment Risk and Return

Module 4: Constructing an Investment Portfolio—Part 1

Module 5: Constructing an Investment Portfolio—Part 2

Benefits in Action #2: How do we decide on the assets to include in our pension fund?

Module 6: Evaluating Active Management Performance

Benefits in Action #3: How do Retirement Plan Committees review DB plan investment activities?

Module 7: Leveraging Managed Funds to Achieve Investment Objectives

Benefits in Action #4: How can we use managed funds to meet tests of investment prudence?

Module 8: Complying With Legislative and Best Practices in Plan Asset Investment

Module 9: Developing the Statement of Investment Policy

Module 10: Implementing the Defined Benefit Pension Plan Investment Policy

Module 11: Implementing the Capital Accumulation Plan Investment Policy

Module 12: Capstone Case: Managing Pension Plan Investments in Accordance With Governance and Regulatory Requirements

Questions?

If you have any questions about Study Materials or the new Canadian RPA 2 course, please reach out to our CEBS Customer Service team at cancebs@ifebp.org.