There is no charge to register for the CRC® program.
After completing this registration form, you will receive an email confirmation with information about the CRC® exam and upcoming exam dates. We will also keep you informed about other important information via InFRE NewsBriefs.
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The Certified Retirement Counselor® is an independently accredited retirement counseling certification program. As a CRC®, you will demonstrate a mastery of subject matter, a commitment to the retirement planning profession, and adherence to a Code of Ethics and continuing education.
“The CRC® retirement certification has enabled me to articulate my specialization in retirement income planning.”
Independently accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies
Developed by professionals for professionals and is continually kept up-to-date and relevant
Demonstrates a mastery of both accumulation and distribution retirement counseling concepts
Tangibly conveys your commitment to the retirement planning profession
Requires Certificants to adhere to a Code of Ethics and annual continuing education
To earn the CRC® certification and the right to use the marks, Candidates are required to pass a comprehensive 200 question, multiple-choice exam and have two years of experience with a college degree (five years of experience required with a high school diploma or equivalent). Optional print and online exam preparation resources are available to help Candidates prepare for the exam. Register online today! If you have any questions about the CRC® retirement designation or would like to register by phone, call 847-756-7350 ext. 134.
Register to Become a CRC® Retirement Counseling Professional Today!
If you have any questions about the CRC® program or would like to register by phone,
call 847-756-7350 ext. 134.
The CRC® retirement counselor certification is appropriate for:
A high percentage of American workers who are still saving for retirement, have a real risk that their retirement savings will not last as long as they do. At the same time, the burden of preparing for retirement continues to shift more and more to the individual. They need and want help from a qualified retirement financial planning advisor to provide counseling they can rely on.
The CRC® was created to fulfill the need for a retirement specialist program that demonstrates Certificants have mastered required subject matter, made a commitment to the retirement planning profession, and pledged to adhere to a code of ethics and continuing education.
Certificant Comments about the CRC® Program:
Independently accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies
Developed by professionals, for professionals and is continually kept up-to-date and relevant
Demonstrates a mastery of both retirement accumulation and income distribution planning concepts
Requires Certificants to adhere to a Code of Ethics.
The CRC® is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
Achieving accreditation status is a rigorous process specific to the certification. It includes creating an up-to-date comprehensive retirement planning practice analysis, linking the practice analysis to a psychometrically valid and reliable assessment instrument/exam and meeting extremely detailed requirements in regard to governance, responsibility to stakeholders, exam process and recertification. As an accredited program, you can be assured that the Certified Retirement Counselor® has been evaluated by an independent group of experts to ensure the program is meeting best practice standards on an ongoing basis. An independently accredited retirement certification program with a holistic retirement planning curriculum can be at least one answer to helping advisors provide services under a duty of care standard in our new fiduciary world.
The Certified Retirement Counselor® (CRC®) is a one-of-a-kind retirement financial advisor designation program that enables financial professionals to address the challenges facing today’s retirees. The CRC® retirement counseling program was developed over a two-year period of original research and analysis by a team of 100 highly-respected retirement financial planning advisors in partnership with the academic guidance of the Center for Financial Responsibility at Texas Tech University, one of the leading financial planning universities in the country. The CRC® Test Specifications address retirement planning and income management issues from multiple perspectives—including those faced in both private and government sector employer-sponsored retirement plans. The Certified Retirement Counselor® is InFRE’s only certification, allowing us to focus full attention on ensuring that the program stays relevant and up-to-date.
Today’s other retirement credentials typically cover only accumulation planning OR only distribution planning – not both. The CRC® program is the only retirement specialist certification that prepares retirement financial planning advisors for meeting today’s comprehensive retirement planning needs. The CRC® content also covers how to offer counseling based on behavioral finance tendancies, different communication styles and gender/generational considerations.
The CRC® Test Specifications outline in detail the knowledge and task proficiency needed for Candidates to pass the CRC® examination. The five domains of practice are as follows:
Now more than ever, it is a significant differentiator to have the real and perceived knowledge that comes with CRC® retirement counseling certification. As one valuable component of your personal professional development, becoming a CRC® will tangibly convey your commitment having the knowledge and skills required to help your clients or retirement plan participants make better and more informed retirement planning decisions.
CRC® Certificants also make a commitment to ongoing education. To maintain certification status, CRC® retirement counselors must earn and submit fifteen (15) hours of continuing education (CE) annually. CRC® CE requirements may be fulfilled with firm element training and other required internal training programs. Insurance license and other license/certification CE may also apply. All CRC® CE is self-reporting and does not require pre-approval. More than 90% of Certified Retirement Counselor® Certificants renew their certification each year.
At the time of certification and each year thereafter, a Certified Retirement Counselor® must indicate adherence to the CRC® Code of Ethics.
Importantly, and as it pertains to today’s new fiduciary environment, the CRC® Code of Ethics includes “Acting in the best interest of the client or retirement plan participant” as one of its principles. A Certified Retirement Counselor® also agrees to follow within his or her retirement financial planning activities both traditional ethical principles and the letter and spirit of the state and federal laws that regulate retirement advice, records, and transactions.
Become a CRC®!
If you have any questions about the CRC® program or would like to register by phone,
call 847-756-7350 ext. 134.
InFRE is committed to the principle of equal opportunity for all certification applicants, employees and outside contractors. InFRE does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its policies, employment and other administered programs and activities.
The Certified Retirement Counselor® (CRC) certification is independently accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). Of over 100 financial designations, the CRC® is one of only a very few retirement and financial planning-related certifications independently accredited by the NCCA.
There can be a substantial difference between what may be a non-academically based certificate offered by an accredited institution of higher learning, and an academically-based certification that meets rigorous independent third-party, “program accreditation” standards. Although “institutional accreditation” is an appropriate and valid means of ensuring the public that institutions of higher education meet certain standards, “program accreditation” is a long and rigorous process specific to the certification program itself. It may take up to two years for a certification program to become accredited while completing a process that includes creating an up-to-date comprehensive practice analysis, linking the practice analysis to a psychometrically valid and reliable assessment instrument/exam and submitting a comprehensive application.
The Certified Retirement Counselor® (CRC®) certification meets the highest of these standards, including, but not limited to:
Accreditation of designations with required professional standards is the best approach to ensure protection of the public interest, but it is a challenging process and many organizations may not achieve the high standards that are required.
InFRE is keenly aware of its responsibility to maintain its role as the pre-eminent certification in the field of retirement counseling. In light of this responsibility and recent regulatory developments regarding the use of “senior designations”, InFRE has recognized that independent accreditation is the right thing to do to distinguish the CRC® among other retirement-oriented designations. After successfully completing the lengthy accreditation process, InFRE was able to demonstrate that the CRC® met the professional standards determined by the National Commission of Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
Accreditation is also an indication to consumers that all who hold an accredited certification possess an appropriate level of knowledge and competency pertaining to their profession. Independent accreditation is an important way to distinguish between a “certification” designed to help prepare retirement counselors to competently address retirement issues and a “designation” that may only indicate completion of a course. InFRE’s independent third-party “program” accreditation signifies that CRC® Certificants are an elite group of qualified retirement professionals among the array of retirement-related designations available today.
Accreditation requires a certification to be structured and governed in a way appropriate for the profession and that ensures autonomy in decision making over essential certification activities. The exam is based on the domains of knowledge and tasks determined in an industry practice analysis and generally accepted psychometric principles. The certification program must also demonstrate that its recertification requirements measure or enhance the continued competence of Certificants. NCCA uses a peer review process to establish accreditation standards, evaluate compliance with the standards, and recognize organizations/programs which demonstrate compliance.
InFRE’s purpose is raising the retirement readiness of American workers through retirement-specific, accredited certification and training for professionals. Texas Tech University, recognized nationally for their outstanding undergraduate, graduate and PhD financial planning programs, is a key partner. By having obtained independent third-party accreditation of the CRC® program, InFRE continues to lead the retirement profession as it has done since its inception in 1997.
The following comments are from CRC® certificants who recently completed a survey asking how their certification has increased their credibility as a retirement professional and how the training has helped them address the retirement planning needs of clients and retirement plan participants.
Blog Post #3 A comparison of content from today’s retirement-specific designations and certifications; links to FINRA site, Kitces, others.
Blog post #2 What should you look for in a professional credential?
Why get certified? No need to figure out what you need to know and don’t know by yourself.
The highest-quality certifications are created by professionals, for professionals. Thousands of professionals have determined what you need to know to be successful/best serve your clients and members (write a statement for each behavior style)
