Posted on May 22, 2024
Congratulations to the Newest U.S. CEBS® Graduates!
Congrats to the newest Certified Employee Benefit Specialists thru March 2024!
Do you recognize anyone? Be sure to celebrate your peers with a personal note or shout-out on social media, tagging #CEBSgoals. Earning the CEBS is a major career and personal achievement, and having peers recognize the work and demonstrated knowledge only sweetens the accomplishment.
Now picture yourself on this list! Continue on your path to earning your CEBS designation.
Do you need guidance on your CEBS journey? Whether you’re about to take your first step or getting close to earning your designation, we’re here to help! Give us a call at (800) 449-2327, option 3, or email cebs@ifebp.org.
#CEBSgoals
Posted on May 22, 2024
Congratulations to the Newest Canadian CEBS® Graduates!
Congrats to the newest Certified Employee Benefit Specialists thru March 2024!
Do you recognize anyone? Be sure to celebrate your peers with a personal note or shout-out on social media, tagging #CEBSgoals. Earning the CEBS is a major career and personal achievement, and having peers recognize the work and demonstrated knowledge only sweetens the accomplishment.
Now picture yourself on this list! Continue on your path to earning your CEBS designation.
Do you need guidance on your CEBS journey? Whether you’re about to take your first step or getting close to earning your designation, we’re here to help! Give us a call at (833) 886-3749 or email cancebs@ifebp.org.
#CEBSgoals
Updated on May 22, 2024
Course Corner: U.S. RPA 1 Revisions
As the employee benefits industry evolves, the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist® (CEBS®) designation’s curriculum is updated to reflect this reality. The U.S. RPA 1 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 1 conveys essential knowledge for understanding retirement plan design. The course outlines requirements for achieving tax-qualified status, distinguishes differences between defined contribution (DC) and defined benefit (DB) structures, and provides a framework for understanding DC plan types whose use depends on the sponsor’s legal entity and the employee group’s characteristics. It provides a comprehensive understanding of 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, 457 plans and other specialized niche plans. This course goes over the appropriateness of these plans, and the latitude sponsors possess in defining eligibility and establishing plan provisions. Unique situations involving executive talent, nonprofit employees and governmental workers are addressed. The course also examines the challenges of small employers in sponsoring a retirement plan. As such, it reviews simplified employee pensions (SEPs), SIMPLE plans, safe harbor 401(k)s and solo 401(k)s. Key plan issues such as fee transparency; environmental, social and governance (ESG) investments; and inclusion of cryptocurrency investments are also addressed. The course incorporates both currently applicable law and future, to-be-phased-in requirements from the SECURE 2.0 Act.
Study Materials for RPA 1, including a new Study Guide and textbook, are available for purchase. You’ll be able to take 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 U.S. course:
RPA 1—Directing Retirement Plans Part 1
Module 1: Private Retirement Plans: Background and Context
Module 2: Defined Contribution and Defined Benefit Structures
Module 3: Defined Benefit Approaches and Executive Plan Arrangements
Module 4: Overview of Defined Contribution Plan Structures and Stock Compensation Plans
Benefits in Action #1: Filing a Section 83(b) Election
Module 5: Profit-Sharing and Money Purchase Pension Plans
Module 6: Foundations of 401(k) Plans
Module 7: Defined Contribution Practice Issues
Module 8: Special Purpose Plans: 403(b)s, 457s and ESOPs
Benefits in Action #2: Retaining Key Executives
Module 9: Small Employer Retirement Plan Alternatives
Benefits in Action #3: Selecting a Small Employer Retirement Plan
Module 10: Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)
Benefits in Action #4: Leaving a Job: What to Do With Your Retirement Plan
Module 11: Integrated Case Study: Retirement Planning: Achieving Personal Goals for Plan Participants and Strategic Results for Senior Management
Questions?
If you have any questions about Study Materials or the new U.S. RPA 1 course, please reach out to our CEBS Customer Service team at cebs@ifebp.org.
Updated on May 22, 2024
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.
Updated on April 25, 2024
What’s Your CEBS Story? Scott Wertheim, CEBS
Earning your Certified Employee Benefit Specialist® (CEBS®) designation is a learning journey. Along the way, you acquire valuable employee benefits knowledge and relevant new skills. As you apply what you’ve learned to your work, you can forge a unique career pathway that is truly your own. Here’s a designee’s CEBS story.
A Chat With Scott Wertheim, CEBS
Scott Wertheim, CEBS
Principal, Financial Advisor
CAPTRUST
Could you describe how expanding your professional network has helped you attain success?
I obtained my designation a number of years ago (it feels like too many to count) when I was just starting out in the retirement plan advisory business. I selected the CEBS program because it covered the entire spectrum of benefits and, at the time, I had very little experience. My original goal was to gain some academic experience within retirement plans, but I quickly noticed the depth of topics available across the other remaining courses. While completing the coursework on my own, I started to network with benefit professionals who either had or were pursuing the designation. The initial connections helped keep me motivated to follow through with achieving the designation while also expanding my network of benefit professionals. This came in handy as I moved into a consulting role and started to engage directly with plan sponsors.
Could you share some insight about how pursuing your CEBS designation demonstrates that you’re a lifelong learner and an expert in your profession?
Obtaining the CEBS designation is only the first step on a long, never-ending journey for self-improvement and advancement of knowledge. Other credentials do not have the same breadth of coursework. I could have easily focused solely on retirement and not engaged in the other areas of the benefits world. However, selecting the CEBS designation shows a desire to constantly learn about all types of benefits, which is a challenging, broad field of study. There is no shortage of learning opportunities. I also believe that learning goes beyond the academic side of the program. Learning for me involves being active with my local chapter, colleagues and friends. This helps further my development and expertise in the field as well as be a positive member of our community.
Could you share a story about how you prepared for your CEBS exam and applied what you learned to your work?
I chose the self-study approach for my CEBS exams. I spent a lot of time prepping for exams during the evenings while trying to learn my job during the day. The two new skills were intertwined because the academic content I studied at night was fresh on my mind during the day. This turned out to be very helpful and allowed me to add value to our firm’s clients while building my own credibility since I was starting out with very little experience. Without being prepared and engaged in the program, I believe my career growth would have been slower and may have taken a different turn.
Could you describe how earning your CEBS designation has supported you in your role and professional growth?
Once I completed my courses and received the designation, I was immediately recognized by my boss, and my accomplishment was announced to the entire firm. This was viewed positively by senior management since it was not a requirement for my job and I was the only one in the firm at the time to have the CEBS designation. By this time, I was directly involved with supporting our retirement plan clients and starting to branch out into business development. It was during my initial sales efforts when I noticed that I was receiving favorable attention from fellow CEBS graduates or individuals working through the program on their own. To this day, the CEBS designation on my business card often results in discussions about the program. The CEBS designation has opened doors to opportunities for working with people who would otherwise not be interested in hearing from “another consultant.” It provides a common ground from which a relationship can be developed. Everyone who has completed the program or is in the process knows the commitment required to achieve the designation, and I have found that leads to a new level of respect.
Visit CEBS online for information about purchasing course materials, signing up for an Online Study Group, virtual exams and more details on the program. Do you need further guidance on your CEBS journey? Whether you’re about to take your first step or getting close to earning your designation, we’re here to help! Give us a call at (800) 449-2327, option 3, or email cebs@ifebp.org.
Updated on April 25, 2024
What’s Your CEBS Story? Sarah Corrigan, CEBS
Earning your Certified Employee Benefit Specialist® (CEBS®) designation is a learning journey. Along the way, you acquire valuable employee benefits knowledge and relevant new skills. As you apply what you’ve learned to your work, you can forge a unique career pathway that is truly your own. Here’s a designee’s CEBS story.
A Chat With Sarah Corrigan, CEBS
Sarah Corrigan, CEBS
Account Manager
Diverse Benefits & Financial Planning Inc.
Could you describe how earning your CEBS designation has supported you in your professional growth?
I work for a group benefits and retirement brokerage. Upon earning my CEBS designation, I became the account manager. Our industry is incredibly competitive. When a prospective client is searching for a broker and they see that they hold the CEBS designation, a trust is instantly formed because they know that anyone holding those letters has put in the time and effort to learn about what they’re selling. Clients know that the professional background and knowledge are there without having to dig deeper.
Could you share a story about how you prepared for your CEBS exams and applied what you learned to your work?
When I pursued my CEBS designation, I had been out of a learning environment for ten years. Not since university did I have to spend my nights buried in textbooks. I’ll admit, it was a daunting task to cram binders’ worth of benefit and retirement knowledge into my brain, but what I found amazing and unlike any previous learning experience was how quickly I was able to apply my new-found knowledge.
Take in the content in small chunks. There is a lot of information. It can be overwhelming to be staring at a massive Study Guide, but break it down. Coffee is your friend!
Could you share some insight about how pursuing your CEBS demonstrates that you are an expert in your profession?
The great thing about the CEBS program is that it has all relevant content that is constantly being updated. I was already working for my current employer at the time as an administrative assistant, and I was able to apply what I was reading to my work on day one. There is no wasted information in these courses, and even now, I find myself referring to the Study Guides.
Having the CEBS designation has earned me a level of credibility with our clients that I would not otherwise have. Earning your CEBS designation will open a whole host of doors for you.
Visit CEBS online for information about purchasing course materials, signing up for an Online Study Group, virtual exams and more details on the program. Do you need further guidance on your CEBS journey? Whether you’re about to take your first step or getting close to earning your designation, we’re here to help! Give us a call at (833) 886-3749 or email cancebs@ifebp.org.
Updated on April 11, 2024
Create Good Habits for CEBS® Success
Three Tips to Study Smarter
It’s important to be able to keep track of all the legislation that has shaped benefit plans. Here are some tips for creating a timeline to help you retain this information for your Certified Employee Benefit Specialist® (CEBS) exam.
1. Draw a box for each piece of legislation that has been enacted. Write the name of the law and the year it was passed inside the box.
2. Above each box, take note of the legal and economic climate at the time each law was passed. Why was the law enacted? What was happening in the benefits industry at that time?
3. Add several bullet points under each box describing the effect of the legal change.
Check out additional study tips from CEBS grads in the video below!
Do you need guidance on your CEBS journey? Whether you’re about to take your first step or getting close to earning your designation, we’re here to help! For assistance with the U.S. curriculum, give us a call at (800) 449-2327, option 3, or email cebs@ifebp.org. To learn more about the Canadian curriculum, contact us at (833) 886-3749 or cancebs@ifebp.org.
Posted on February 23, 2024
Congratulations to the Newest U.S. CEBS® Graduates
Congrats to the newest Certified Employee Benefit Specialists through December 2023!
Do you recognize anyone? Be sure to celebrate your peers with a personal note or shout-out on social media, tagging #CEBSgoals. Earning the CEBS is a major career and personal achievement, and having peers recognize the work and demonstrated knowledge only sweetens the accomplishment.
Now picture yourself on this list! Continue on your path to earning your CEBS designation.
Do you need guidance on your CEBS journey? Whether you’re about to take your first step or getting close to earning your designation, we’re here to help! Give us a call at (800) 449-2327, option 3, or email cebs@ifebp.org.
#CEBSgoals
Updated on February 26, 2024
Congratulations to the Newest Canadian CEBS® Graduates!
Congrats to the newest Certified Employee Benefit Specialists thru December 2023!
Do you recognize anyone? Be sure to celebrate your peers with a personal note or shout-out on social media, tagging #CEBSgoals. Earning the CEBS is a major career and personal achievement, and having peers recognize the work and demonstrated knowledge only sweetens the accomplishment.
Now picture yourself on this list! Continue on your path to earning your CEBS designation.
Do you need guidance on your CEBS journey? Whether you’re about to take your first step or getting close to earning your designation, we’re here to help! Give us a call at (833) 886-3749 or email cancebs@ifebp.org.
#CEBSgoals
Updated on February 2, 2024
24 Tips to Study Smarter—From Your CEBS Peers
Whether you’re beginning or continuing your Certified Employee Benefit Specialist® (CEBS®) journey, you’ll acquire strategic knowledge and skills that set you apart in the employee benefits industry. Small, repeatable, good study habits will help you absorb and retain new content and connect it to the big picture of the employee benefits landscape. As you apply what you’re learning to your work, you’ll embark on a learning journey that’s uniquely your own, transforming your career trajectory.
We recently surveyed holders of the CEBS designation. Below is a little advice from these benefits industry professionals on earning the CEBS designation and maximizing your professional development.
“Schedule time to study a bit at a time and honor it.”
Paul Ashley, CEBS
SVP and Advisor, NFP
“Take the time to really apply yourself! Set aside the time to study and fully immerse yourself in the subject matter. Not only will it help you prepare for the exams, but it will allow you to apply your knowledge to your role as you’re learning.”
Laura Lucyk, CEBS
Client Relationship Manager / Communication & Education Manager, Canada Life
“Think about this process as lifelong learning rather than cramming for a test.”
Trudy Fidyk, CEBS
Senior Group Underwriter, People Corporation
“Don’t just think about what you need for your current job when you study; think about your next job in your career!”
Joanna Gomes, CEBS
Director, Total Rewards and Corporate Programs, Bimbo Canada
“Be engaged! You will get way more out of earning your CEBS designation if you participate in a local chapter of ISCEBS.”
Michael Kohl, CEBS
VP of Sales – Strategic Accounts, Vida Health
“Too many new CEBS students underestimate themselves. I would tell them not to do that and encourage them to keep pursuing the designation.”
Heather Shaw, CEBS
Payroll & Benefits Lead, Elk Island Catholic School Board
“Make sure to allocate enough study time to be successful.”
Eric Powell, CEBS
Senior Pension Benefit Analyst, Willis Towers Watson
“Even if you must go slowly or take time off, it is a worthwhile process. Keep going! It’s worth the effort to be well-rounded in the employee benefits field.”
Paula Stop, CEBS
Director of Total Rewards, The Fresh Market
“The CEBS designation is an excellent professional development path to take if you’re interested in becoming an expert in employee benefits. Start early in your career!”
Cheryl Andrews, CEBS
Vice President, Alec G. Henley Group
“Learn the key employee benefits laws and principles. They matter the most in the workplace.”
Katrina Amoroso, CEBS
Benefits Manager, MRI Software
“Establish successful study habits from the start. Don’t expect that just skimming the materials is enough to pass the courses. Establish relationships with other CEBS students and benefits professionals who can serve as mentors and cheerleaders throughout the process.”
Melissa Zaino, CEBS
Director, Global Benefits, Zayo Group
“Don’t rush through it. Take your time and study for retention. Be patient and diligent.”
Jane Daniels, CEBS
Director, Benefits & Leave Management, O’Reilly Automotive, Inc.
“Focus on the current course and absorb the material, not just for passing your CEBS exam, but for the knowledge you’ll gain.”
Michael Picard, CEBS
Chief Financial Officer, SWBR Architecture, Engineering and Landscape Architecture, D.P.C.
“Learn the material by reading it carefully. Then, make sure you understand the key terms and learning outcomes. Don’t procrastinate.”
Kerry Lawson, CEBS
Director, Consulting Expert, CGI
“First, determine how you learn best and use that to build your study skills.”
Tara Tam, CEBS
Specialist, Group Benefits, OSCO Group Services Limited
“Take the practice exams over and over again!”
Jason Blair, CEBS
DC Domain Leader, Hewitt Associates
“Start with your expertise. For example, if you are working in pensions, start there. If you are working in group benefits, start there with your first course.”
Debbie Liska, CEBS
Account Manager, HUB International
“Try to connect with someone in the industry and be mentored, or at the very least, have pointed conversations with.”
Francoise Cassidy, CEBS
Director Payroll Pensions & Benefits, Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co.
“Keep pushing yourself. You’ll find that you have an amazing capacity to learn. You’ll become even more curious about employee benefits and being the bridge to employees who need your help!”
Shannon Tupper, CEBS
Benefits Specialist, State of Minnesota
“Keep on going, even if you fail an exam.”
Elaine Hsu, CEBS
Account Manager, The Dupuis Langen Group
“Take in the content in small chunks. There is a lot of information. It can be overwhelming to be staring at a massive Study Guide, but break it down. Coffee is your friend!”
Sarah Corrigan, CEBS
Account Manager, Diverse Benefits and Financial Planning Inc.
“Study, study, study.”
Jessica Ropelato, CEBS
Client Service Manager, Gallagher
“Continue and persevere. Keep your eye on the prize!”
Robert Fredericks, CEBS
President, Fredericks Benefits
Are you ready to elevate your career? Visit our website to learn more about attaining professional excellence with the industry’s most respected credential—the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) designation.