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Retirement readiness and retirement planning lead to the best retirement income plans. In other words, today’s retirement-income designations provide you with only one-third of the professional knowledge you need to help your clients have a successful retirement.

The CRC^® study guides were developed over a two-year period in accordance with the academic guidance of the Center for Financial Responsibility at Texas Tech University. The CRC^® program distinguishes itself with being the only retirement-specific, accredited certification that covers accumulation, at retirement and distribution planning. It also extends beyond purely financial topics, and covers counseling skills needed to effectively communicate with clients of various generations and life cycle needs.

The five CRC^®study guides include:

CRC^® 1: Fundamentals of Retirement Planning
CRC^® 2: Fundamentals of Investments
CRC^® 3: Fundamentals of Retirement Plan Design
CRC^® 4: Fundamentals of Retirement Income Management
CRC^® 5: Principles of Retirement Counseling and Education

Please click here to find previews for each of the study guides.

Free bonus worth $249! When you purchase the complete set of Study Guides, you will also receive access to the CRC^® Elearning Review Courses to supplement your self-study preparation for exams.These 38 online sessions, totaling more than 18 hours of content, may be viewed by candidates at their convenience to clarify concepts and answer questions on the more difficult topics. Click here to view a sample.

CRC^® 2 & 3 are approved for 5 CFP^® CE credits. After passing each exam, CFP^® credits can be self-reported for free or InFRE can report credits for $25 per course.

Contact us for more information about group discounts. If you have questions regarding the optional educational resources offered by InFRE, please call 847-756-7350 ext. 134.

Note: You may determine your own study path to prepare for the CRC^® exam and are not required to purchase study materials offered by InFRE or any other source. When purchasing InFRE study materials, there is no advantage given to CRC^® Candidates related to meeting eligibility requirements, scheduling an exam or any other certification related policies and procedures.

The five study modules are:

The InFRE five-part print study guide bundle helps CRC^® candidates prepare for the CRC^® examinations. Buy all five guides at once, a perfect addition to your professional library, and receive a quantity discount while also saving money on shipping! Read more!

$499.00

Purchase your study guides and pay your exam fee now to save time and money!

The CRC^® exam fee is $525 and may be paid at the time you are ready to take the exam. The total fee when paying for your study guides and the CRC^® examination fee separately is therefore $1,024 ($499 study guides + $525 exam). You can save $99 off the study guides by paying only $925 for both the study guide and exam fees now.

$925

Preview the course contents here

Course #1: Fundamentals of Retirement Planning

By taking a close look at how to plan for retirement at different career stages, CRC^® Course #1 provides techniques for understanding the broad variety of factors that can affect a client’s retirement goals. With a strong emphasis on how the basic tools of financial planning can be used to best prepare for retirement, this course establishes the foundation of the CRC^® series.

CRC^® #1 features methods for motivating and educating clients on the need to save for retirement, and the importance of taking personal responsibility for their own financial futures. Read more!

Print: $130.00

Preview the course contents here

Course #2: Fundamentals of Investments

For a retirement program to work as envisioned, retirement professionals must thoroughly understand the basic concepts and terminology needed to help clients/participants/employees invest wisely for their long-term retirement goals.

In this course, you’ll learn investment concepts that are critical to effective retirement counseling. Emphasis is on training the retirement counselor to assist members/participants in feeling comfortable with the investment decisions that must be made to achieve a financially worry-free retirement. The course includes a discussion of how to present the information in the course to members/participants.

In CRC^® #2 you’ll gain familiarity with investment concepts that are critical to effective retirement counseling. Read more!

Print: $130.00

Preview the course contents here

Course #3: Fundamentals of Retirement Plan Design

Clients have distinctive retirement planning needs. There is no one-size-fits-all best retirement plan that is tailored to everyone’s unique requirements. CRC^® #3 arms retirement professionals with the key plan concepts and features to help them guide and assist clients in determining which types and combinations of retirement plans are likely to be best for them.

CRC^® #3 helps the retirement professional translate the complex and often confusing information to clients/participants of various backgrounds need as they consider their retirement planning needs. Read more!

Print: $130.00

Preview the course contents here

Course #4: Fundamentals of Retirement Income Management

In InFRE’s CRC^® #4 you will study InFRE’s unique Retirement Income Management content. This guide allows professionals to finalize the knowledge needed to create a lifetime income stream after retirement. The focus is on how to use a process to help clients evaluate and manage retirement risks.

CRC^®#4 teaches you to coordinate the work you do as a retirement professional with other advisors essential to the retirement planning process. Read more!

Print: $130.00

Preview the course contents here

Course #5: Principles of Retirement Counseling and Education

This course will help you become a true retirement “counselor” in every sense of the word by teaching how to communicate with various personality types and provide educational content using a variety of media. Helping employees/clients understand when and how to work with other retirement professionals is part of being a counselor.

CRC^®#5 also includes the CRC^® Code of Ethics which must be well understood and applied by all CRC^® certificants.
Read more!

Print: $65.00

Refund Policy

Study guides may be returned in unused condition within ten business days from the date of receipt. No refunds will be granted when study guides are returned more than ten business days from the date of receipt or in damaged condition.

CRC® Exam Preparation Study Materials

CRC^® Exam Preparation Study Materials

To help Candidates prepare for the CRC^®examination, InFRE offers a set of five study guides. These study guides were developed over a two-year period in accordance with the academic guidance of the Center for Financial Responsibility at Texas Tech University. The CRC^® content is unique in that it not only covers retirement planning accumulation and distribution concepts, but also how to counsel clients and plan participants based on behavioral finance tendencies, different communication styles and gender/generational considerations.

The five CRC^®study guides include:

See a preview for any of the study guides by selecting from the list above.

When purchasing a set of all 5 CRC^® study guides, to help confirm an understanding of important concepts you will have access to:

Quiz questions at the end of each chapter
18 hours or prerecorded elearning review courses. View a sample.
Over 300 practice exam questions.

Contact us for more information about group discounts. If you have questions regarding the optional educational resources offered by InFRE, please call 847-756-7350 ext. 134.

Note: Candidates are not required to purchase study materials offered by InFRE or any other source and you may determine your own study path to prepare for the CRC^® exam. When purchasing InFRE study materials, there is no advantage given to CRC^® Candidates related to meeting eligibility requirements, scheduling an exam or any other certification related policies and procedures.

Continuing Education Credits Available

All five CRC^®study guides are approved for CRC^® CE credit. For more information on CE credit opportunities, link to the individual study guide descriptions below.

CRC^® Study Guide Descriptions:

The CRC^®five-part print study guide series will be a comprehensive and cost-effective CRC^® exam preparation resource that you will refer to long after you have become CRC^® certified. Purchase all five guides at once and receive a $95 discount while also saving on the cost of shipping study guides individually.

Read more!

$540.00

Save $95 on study guides

Plus

Purchase your CRC^®five-part print study guides and pay your exam fee now to save more!

The CRC^® exam fee is $575 and may be paid separately at the time you are ready to schedule your examination. Save an additional $100 on all five study guides when purchasing your study guides and paying the exam fee at the same time. ($575 exam + $440 study guides = $1,015 total cost).

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$1,015.00

Save $195 on study guides

CRC^®Course 1: Fundamentals of Retirement Planning

Establishes the foundation for the CRC study guide series by providing techniques for understanding the broad variety of factors that can affect a client’s/plan participant’s retirement goals.

Read more!

$140.00

CRC^®Course 2: Fundamentals of Investments

Provides a comprehensive review of investment products and presents investment concepts that are critical to effective retirement counseling.

Read more!

$140.00

CRC^®Course 3: Fundamentals of Retirement Plan Design

Covers concepts needed to guide your clients/plan participants in maximizing assets within different types of retirement plans and understanding Social Security benefits.

Read more!

$140.00

CRC^®Course 4: Fundamentals of Retirement Income Management

Presents a well-developed retirement income planning process that will help you help clients/plan participants shift from retirement accumulation planning to retirement distribution planning.

Read more!

$140.00

CRC^®Course 5: Principles of Retirement Counseling and Education

Provides the finishing touches for becoming a true retirement “counselor” in every sense of the word by exploring how to communicate with various personality types and deliver educational content using a variety of media.

Read more!

$75.00

Refund Policy

For questions about the exam procedures or to pay your exam fee by phone, call 847-756-7350 ext 134.

How to Prepare for the Exam

You may determine your own study path to prepare for the CRC^® exam and are not required to purchase study materials offered by InFRE or any other source. When purchasing InFRE study materials, there is no advantage given to CRC^® Candidates regarding meeting eligibility requirements, scheduling an exam or any other certification related policies and procedures. InFRE provides optional print, and online exam preparation resources to help Candidates prepare for the CRC^®exam.

InFRE’s CRC^® Study Guides contain quiz questions at the end of each chapter to use in confirming your knowledge.

CRC^® Candidates who purchase study materials may be eligible to take online quizzes to receive credit toward CFP^® continuing education requirements. InFRE CRC^® courses 2 & 3 are approved to meet your CFP^® continuing education requirements. After passing the course exam, CFP^® credits can be self-reported for free or InFRE can report credits for $25 per course.

Review the 18 hours of elearning review courses to confirm your understanding, which are free when you purchase a complete set of CRC^® Study Guides.

About the Exam

Prepare for the CRC^® examination by first reviewing the CRC^® Test Specifications. The four-hour, 200-question multiple-choice exam covers the domains of practice and knowledge required to perform tasks listed in the CRC® Test Specifications and should be well understood before taking the exam. 175 of the questions are operational and contribute equally to each Candidate’s total score. Each question has a single correct response and there is no penalty for guessing. The remaining 25 are pilot questions which do not count towards the Candidate’s score. Pilot questions are randomly dispersed throughout the examination and there is no indication of whether a question is an operational or pilot question.

You may choose to use your own study materials and other resources to prepare. InFRE also provides optional print, and online exam preparation resources to help candidates prepare for the exam. Please note that the exam may test your knowledge of the most recent retirement plan contribution limits and thresholds. Click here to download and review the current year updates.

For information about how the CRC^® exam items are developed, constructed, administered, scored, analyzed and reported refer to the CRC^® Policies Manual, Section 4.

Click here to view a summary of the Practice Analysis conducted to determine the CRC^®Test Specifications.

How to Schedule Your Exam

When you are ready to take the CRC^® exam, you may pay your exam fee online, or call 847-756-7350 ext. 134. After paying your exam fee, you will receive an email from InFRE with information about how to schedule your exam approximately two months prior to the exam week.

Special arrangements will be provided to Candidates with a disability (as defined by Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act) who submit the Special Testing Accommodation Request and Documentation of Disability-related Needs by Qualified Provider Forms. Note: These forms must be submitted and approved by InFRE prior to scheduling your examination. If you require special testing accommodations due to a disability, access the Request for Special Testing Accommodations form here.

Exam Schedule and Fee Payment Deadlines

Exams are administered at Prometric computer-based testing centers. Testing windows for upcoming exam administrations are as follows:

Testing Window	Exam Fee Payment Deadline
April 13 – 25, 2020	March 21, 2020
July 13 – 25, 2020	June 22, 2020
October 12 – 25, 2020	September 21, 2020

Your exam may be scheduled on Monday through Saturday during the testing period.

Additional Information

On the Day of Examination

What to Expect at the Prometric Testing Center

Candidate Check-In
- Candidates will be asked to present their IDs.
- Candidates will be asked to empty and turn out their pockets.
- Candidates may be “wanded” or asked to walk through a metal detector.
- Inspection of eyeglasses, jewelry, and other accessories will be conducted. Jewelry other than wedding and engagement rings is prohibited.
- Religious headwear may be worn into the testing room; however, it may be subject to inspection by a testing center administrator before entry into the testing room is permitted.
- Prometric provides lockers for Candidates to store backpacks, purses, mobile phones, jackets, food, drinks and medical supplies.
During the Exam
- An online calculator will be enabled for use during the exam.
- No breaks are scheduled during the exam. Candidates who must leave the testing room to take a restroom break will not be given extra time on the exam.
- Accessing mobile phones or study materials during the examination is prohibited.
- Smoking is prohibited at the testing center.
- All examinations are monitored and may be recorded in both audio and video format.

In the event of inclement weather, check the Prometric website for closures: www.prometric.com/closures.

Pass Point Determination and Failing the Exam

The pass point for each form of the examination is determined by the Board of Standards and Policy Development based on credentialing industry accepted practice. Candidates who fail the exam may retake the exam during the next testing window and there is no limit as to the number of times one can take the exam. Retesting during the same testing window is not allowed. Click here to view a summary of how the CRC^® pass point is determined.

To Reschedule/Cancel Your Examination:

If you decide to reschedule your exam within the same testing window or cancel your examination appointment, to avoid additional fees you must do so 30 days or more before your scheduled appointment. Examination appointments cannot be rescheduled or cancelled less than five days of a scheduled appointment. Candidates who do not arrive to test for their appointment will be considered a no-show and must submit an exam window transfer fee before scheduling their exam for another testing window. For more information about exam scheduling policies, please review the CRC^® Candidate Handbook.

Examination Fee Refunds

Candidates who have not tested for the CRC® examination may request an examination fee refund less a $150 processing fee within one year of their registration date. No examination fee refunds will be granted after one year of the Candidate’s registration date. It is the Candidate’s responsibility to know and understand the CRC® eligibility policy as stated in Section 3.1 of the Certified Retirement Counselor^® (CRC^®) Program Policies Manual and no examination fee refunds will be granted after a Candidate has tested and fails to meet the eligibility requirements.

Confidentiality

The following information is taken from the CRC^® Policies Manual, Policy 2.6 – Confidentiality Conflicts of Interest. The Board of Standards and Policy Development (BOS) and its testing administrator stores, processes and uses data collected from registration forms and test score reports. Data is stored only to the extent necessary for processing and validating registrations/examination scores and in compliance with related record-retention policies and regulations. The BOS may develop and publish statistical data regarding the exams provided that the identities of the Candidates are not divulged. Under no circumstances will individual data or test scores be shared with any entity outside of the BOS and its testing administrator, unless permission is obtained from the Candidate or Certificant or otherwise required by law.

Contact Us

For questions about the exam procedures, email or call 847-756-7350 ext. 134.

The CRC^® Candidate Handbook contains essential information for Certified Retirement Counselor^® (CRC^®) program candidates. Please read it carefully and keep it readily available as a reference until you have achieved Certificant status. Candidates are responsible for knowing the contents of this Handbook.

About the CRC® Examination

About the CRC^® Examination

Prepare for the Certified Retirement Counselor^® (CRC^®) examination by first reviewing the CRC^® Test Specifications. The four-hour, 200-question multiple-choice exam covers the domains of practice and knowledge required to perform the tasks listed in the CRC^® Test Specifications and should be well understood before taking the exam. 175 of the questions are operational and contribute equally to each Candidate’s total score. Each question has a single correct response and there is no penalty for guessing. The remaining 25 are pilot questions which do not count towards the Candidate’s score. Pilot questions are randomly dispersed throughout the examination and there is no indication of whether a question is an operational or pilot question.

InFRE offers optional CRC^® exam preparation study materials to help Candidates prepare for the exam. You may also choose to use your own study materials and other resources to prepare.

Note that the exam may test your knowledge of the most recent retirement plan limits and thresholds.

The CRC^® Candidate Handbook contains essential information for CRC^® program Candidates. Please read it carefully and keep it readily available as a reference until you have achieved certificant status. Candidates are responsible for knowing the contents of this handbook.

How to Schedule Your CRC^® Examination

When you are ready to take the CRC^® examination, you may pay your $575 exam fee online, or call 847-756-7350 ext. 134. After paying your exam fee, you will receive an email from InFRE with information about how to schedule your exam approximately two months prior to each testing window.

Exam Testing Window and Fee Payment Deadlines

The proctored CRC^® examination is administered at Prometric computer-based testing centers during two-week testing windows in January, April, July and October. Your exam may be scheduled on Monday through Saturday during the testing window.

Testing windows for upcoming exam administrations are as follows:

Testing Window	Exam Fee Payment Deadline
January 13 – 25, 2025	December 16, 2024
April 14 – 26, 2025	March 17, 2025
July 14 – 26, 2025	June 16, 2025
October 13 – 25, 2025	September 15, 2025

On the Day of Examination

Candidates should plan on arriving at their designated testing center at least 30 minutes prior to their scheduled exam time. If you arrive after your exam start time, you may not be admitted to the testing center. When checking-in to the testing center you will need to provide a valid government ID. In the event of inclement weather, refer to the Prometric website for closures: www.prometric.com/closures. Refer to the CRC^® Candidate Handbook for more information about what to expect when arriving at your testing center.

To Reschedule/Cancel Your Examination

If you decide to reschedule your exam within the same testing window or cancel your examination appointment, to avoid additional fees you must do so 30 days or more before your scheduled appointment. Examination appointments cannot be rescheduled or cancelled less than five days of a scheduled appointment. Candidates who do not arrive to test for their appointment will be considered a no-show and must submit an exam window transfer fee of $150 before scheduling their exam for another testing window.

Pass Point Determination

The pass point for each form of the examination is determined by the Board of Standards and Policy Development based on credentialing industry accepted practice. Scores on the CRC^® examination are reported as a scaled score based strictly on the number of questions answered correctly (not a curve). Scaled scores allow for consistent reporting of results among different exams used to test the same subject matter. Candidates who fail the exam may retake the exam during the next testing window and there is no limit as to the number of times one can take the exam. Retesting during the same testing window is not allowed. The examination retake fee is $275.

Examination Fee Refunds

Candidates who have not tested for the CRC^® examination may request an examination fee refund less a $150 processing fee within one year of their registration date. No examination fee refunds will be granted after one year of the Candidate’s registration date. It is the Candidate’s responsibility to know and understand the CRC® eligibility policy as stated in Section 3.1 of the Certified Retirement Counselor® (CRC®) Program Policies Manual and no examination fee refunds will be granted after a Candidate has tested and fails to meet the eligibility requirements.

Confidentiality

The Board of Standards and Policy Development (BOS) and its testing administrator stores, processes and uses data collected from registration forms and test score reports. Data is stored only to the extent necessary for processing and validating registrations/examination scores and in compliance with related record-retention policies and regulations. The BOS may develop and publish statistical data regarding the exams provided that the identities of the Candidates are not divulged. Under no circumstances will individual data or test scores be shared with any entity outside of the BOS and its testing administrator, unless permission is obtained from the Candidate or Certificant or otherwise required by law.

Additional Information

For information about how the CRC^® Test Specifications were determined view a summary of the Practice Analysis
For information about how the CRC^® exam items are developed, constructed, administered, scored, analyzed and reported refer to the CRC^® Program Policies Manual, Section 4.
For information about how the CRC^®examination pass point is determined, view a summary of the pass point study.
For more information about exam scheduling policies, review the CRC^® Candidate Handbook.
For more information about InFRE’s confidentiality policy, review the CRC^® Program Policies Manual, Policy 2.6 – Confidentiality and Conflicts of Interest.

For questions about the exam procedures or to pay your exam fee by phone, call 847-756-7350 ext 134.

Category: Prepare for the CRC exam

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