RICP® Retirement Income Certified Professional Specialized Designation

RICP® Retirement Income Certified Professional Specialized Designation
program
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RICP
Retirement Income Certified Professional
Best For
Experienced financial professionals seeking specialized retirement income planning strategies.
Complete In
As Few as Three Months
Format
Set yourself apart as a certified retirement planner through our online curriculum and support from the nation’s preeminent retirement planning thought leaders.
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100% Online
Tuition
Starting at
$1,025/course
Packages starting at $1,675
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Provide us with your information and we will get back to you with additional details.
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Prepare for Peak 65 Planning
Specialize for Success
Deliver holistic guidance that supports long-term security to enhance your value to clients and build relationships.
Take the Fast-Track
CFP® professionals and ChFC®s can earn their RICP® faster with only two courses — and save $870!
Get Started Today
Flexible Learning Options
Complete each course in as little as four weeks or take up to 10 weeks with the fully online RICP® Program.
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Specialize in Retirement Income Planning
Tour the Program Now
Join Program Director Eric Ludwig, PhD, CFP® and Assistant Provost Elizabeth Pearsall, PhD for a look inside the RICP® Program and a curriculum overview!
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RICP
Program Overview
Enroll Now
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Course Delivery
Earn your retirement planning designation online while studying the curriculum at your own pace and get support from our academic advising team and the top thought leaders in the industry today.
Finish Fast:
An accelerated learning path enables you to complete each course in as little as four weeks, though you have up to 10 weeks!
All-Online Resources:
All-virtual lessons organized in sequential units and supported by short videos, knowledge checks, quizzes, and case studies.
Flexible Start Dates:
Courses start the first Monday of each month and are accompanied by a “welcome” unit which is available two weeks before your start date. Register up to a month before or as late as two weeks after the course has started.
Grading:
Earn a final course grade of 70% or higher to pass, and quizzes count toward your final grades.
Testing:
There is no high-stakes final cumulative exam in the RICP® Program; each course features its own exams, quizzes, and knowledge checks.
NEW! -
AI learning assistance
through SPARK, a built-in generative tool delivering on-demand support and insights and built for accuracy and application
Admissions Requirements
There are no prerequisite courses, financial planning certifications, or prior experience in retirement income planning required to begin the RICP® Program, but you must have three years’ experience in financial planning or a related profession to use the designation.
To earn the RICP
designation, you must:
Successfully complete two required courses and one elective course (only two required courses for CFP® professionals and ChFC®s since the elective has already been satisfied)
Agree to comply with
The American College Code of Ethics and Procedures
Participation in the annual
Professional Recertification Program
is required to maintain the designation.
What You'll Learn
As a financial planning certification specializing in retirement planning, the all-online RICP® Program gives you the practical, applicable knowledge to build sustainable, holistic, and integrated retirement income strategies for every client situation and income style covering all of these elements:
Strategies for Social Security claiming
Approaches to contain healthcare and long-term care costs
Tools for estate and legacy planning
Managing taxation
Solutions for employee retirement plan savings
Investments, annuities, and other products
Enroll Now
Take a Tour
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Tuition Overview
Single Courses
Starting at $1,025
Packages
Starting at $1,925
Single Courses
Just $1,025 per course
Single courses in the RICP® Program are only $1,025 each. To complete the full program, complete three courses (two required courses and one elective) or only two required courses if you are a CFP® Professional or ChFC® designee. Eligible courses include:
RICP 353 Retirement Income Process, Strategies and Solutions (Required)
— Covers the process of creating an effective retirement income plan, including evaluating client goals, possible risks, and overall management strategies.
RICP 354 Sources of Retirement Income (Required)
— Explores sources of retirement income, including their application in building a retirement income portfolio.
RICP 355 Managing the Retirement Income Plan (Elective)
— Focuses on initial and ongoing retirement income plan management, including choosing the appropriate tax-efficient distribution options, navigating Medicare and other health care options, preparing clients for long-term care needs, and more.
HS 326 Planning for Retirement Needs (Elective)
— Focuses on helping businesses and individuals plan for retirement.
Three-Course Package
$2,795
Purchase the full RICP® Program containing all three courses for only $2,795 (a $280 savings from individual course purchases!).
RICP 353 Retirement Income Process, Strategies and Solutions (Required)
— Covers the process of creating an effective retirement income plan, including evaluating client goals, possible risks, and overall management strategies.
RICP 354 Sources of Retirement Income (Required)
— Explores sources of retirement income, including their application in building a retirement income portfolio.
RICP 355 Managing the Retirement Income Plan (Elective)
— Focuses on initial and ongoing retirement income plan management, including choosing the appropriate tax-efficient distribution options, navigating Medicare and other health care options, preparing clients for long-term care needs, and more.
HS 326 Planning for Retirement Needs (Elective)
— Focuses on helping businesses and individuals plan for retirement.
Two-Course Package
$1,925
For financial professionals who have earned their CFP® mark or their Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) designation (as well as those who have completed course HS 326 Planning for Retirement Needs), you can earn your RICP® with only two courses! With your elective requirement fulfilled, purchase a two-course package for $1,925 containing the two required courses and save $870.
Your two-course package includes:
RICP 353 Retirement Income Process, Strategies and Solutions (Required)
— Covers the process of creating an effective retirement income plan, including evaluating client goals, possible risks, and overall management strategies.
RICP 354 Sources of Retirement Income (Required)
— Explores sources of retirement income, including their application in building a retirement income portfolio.
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Why Enroll With Us?
You Want to Specialize in Clients’ Top Service
One Size Does Not Fit All
71% of your peers realize clients’ need for a retirement planning specialist
, and clients pick retirement planning as their most-desired service.
You Need More Than Foundational Skills
Gain Unmatched, In-Depth Knowledge
Only 18% of the CFP® exam covers retirement
– and most other retirement designations are introductory or incomplete and don’t apply the concepts taught in an integrated manner.
You Want to Catch the Peak 65 Wave
Secure Your Share of a Growing Client Pool
12,000+ baby boomers are retiring every day — and there’s a "massive expectations gap" between the retirement planning services clients want and those your peers deliver
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What Your Peers Say
Enroll Now
83%
Of RICP
designees report notable improvement in client conversations.
91%
Of RICP
designees report notable improvement in their retirement planning expertise.
45%
Higher growth in client retention reported by professionals with multiple College designations than those with one designation.
Enroll Now
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Course Overview
Courses to Complete
Two to Three
Typical Completion Time
As Few as Three Months
RICP 353 Retirement Income Process, Strategies and Solutions (Required)
Covers the process of creating an effective retirement income plan, including evaluating client goals, possible risks, and overall management strategies.
Upon completion of this course, you’ll be able to:
Understand the steps in creating an effective retirement income plan
Identify retirement income needs, objectives, and goals by evaluating the client's current situation
Determine how to choose the appropriate retirement income strategy
Evaluate income tax, estate issues, retirement risks, and other threats to achieving client retirement goals
Integrate risk management tools, products, and strategies into client plans
Help clients identify their retirement income needs and objectives and evaluate whether the goals are realistic
RICP 354 Sources of Retirement Income (Required)
Explores sources of retirement income, including their application in building a retirement income portfolio.
After completion of this course you will be able to:
Recommend the optimal age to claim Social Security benefits as appropriate for each client's situation
Help the client evaluate the factors to consider when determining an appropriate retirement age
Understand the role of annuities in a retirement income plan
Have a better understanding of how executive and retirement benefits for federal and military employees fit into the plan
Understand the different ways life insurance can be used in retirement planning and how to address the retirement needs of the small business owner
Understand how to build a retirement income portfolio
Become more familiar with the latest research ensuring that retirement assets last a lifetime
RICP 355 Managing the Retirement Income Plan (Elective)
Focuses on initial and ongoing retirement income plan management, including choosing the appropriate tax-efficient distribution options, navigating Medicare and other health care options, preparing clients for long-term care needs, and more.
This knowledge will help you:
Choose the appropriate tax-efficient distribution options for a retirement income plan
Help a client create a health expense budget and navigate the many decisions regarding Medicare and other health care options
Help a client prepare for their long-term care needs
Navigate retirement housing decisions and address home equity strategies
Identify the key ethical issues as a retirement income planner
Create and manage retirement income portfolios appropriate for each client’s situation
*CFP® professionals and ChFC®s may substitute HS 326 Planning for Retirement Needs and complete the RICP® Program with only the two required courses.
HS 326 Planning for Retirement Needs (Elective)
Focuses on helping businesses and individuals plan for retirement.
Upon completion of this course, you’ll be able to:
Analyze the factors affecting retirement planning
Understand the fundamental principles of qualified plans
Compare and contrast the various types of qualified pension plans
Compare and contrast profit-sharing plans, stock bonus plans, and ESOPs
Understand the tax treatment of distributions from qualified plans
Describe the steps involved in managing a qualified plan
Discuss the advantages, limitations, and taxation of IRAs and SEPs
Compare and contrast SIMPLE, 403(b), and 457 retirement plans
Discuss the taxation of nonqualified plans and Social Security claiming strategies
Compare and contrast employee fringe and group benefits
*CFP® professionals and ChFC®s may substitute this course for RICP 355 Managing the Retirement Income Plan and complete the RICP® Program with only the two required courses.
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See Where We Stand
Take a look at why our flexible online retirement planning designation program is the industry’s choice.
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See Where We Stand
Take a look at why our flexible online retirement planning designation program is the industry’s choice.
The American College of Financial Services
Retirement Income Certified Professional
(RICP
College for Financial Planning:
A Kaplan Company
Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor
(CRPC
Investments and Wealth Institute
Retirement Management Advisor
(RMA
Core Focus
Retirement income and decumulation planning
Broad pre- and post-retirement planning
Retirement management across client life cycles
Primary Emphasis
Sustainable retirement income and distribution strategies
Retirement readiness
Retirement planning framework
Curriculum Depth
Specialized
(post-CFP
Foundational (pre-CFP
Multidisciplinary
Time to Complete
As few as three months
(two months for CFP
/ChFC
s!)
Two to three months
Three months
Tuition
$2,795
(three-course package, full program)
$1,375
(full program)
$3,995
(full program)
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The difference between your client having a $900,000 nest egg and having maybe more than $3 million in the bank can sometimes be as simple as a few small adjustments – and that’s the knowledge the RICP® has given me.
Terry Parham, Jr., MSFP, CFP
, ChFC
, CLU
, RICP
, WMCP
TPCP
As a young advisor, earning the RICP® designation has helped me better understand the challenges our clients are facing as they approach retirement. Being able to confidently discuss their options and introduce new strategies has been a huge building block for my career.
Claire Herrmann, CFP
, RICP
The RICP® set the course for me as a career-changer. The coursework fit perfectly into my commute back and forth to my active duty position and has positioned me for a massive impact as I transition to financial planning. The RICP® changed my life and set me up for getting my dream position.
Lawrence Raymond, RICP
I’ve got more value from my RICP® than from all of my other designations combined. It shifted how I do financial planning dramatically. I have extreme confidence in my planning and it allows me to help clients make the right decisions – decisions that will impact them for decades.
Avshalom Gad, CFP
, RICP
, WMCP
, LLB, ChFC
, CLU
The RICP
is wonderful post-CFP
certification material for anyone that's interested in a retirement income planning designation. I learned a lot of relevant information that I can apply immediately in my practice.
Joseph Pearl, CFP
, RICP
Lots of advisors want to invest a client's assets, but few are prepared to help a client when it's time to start using those assets in retirement. The RICP® shows you have made the effort to gain the appropriate knowledge to help clients during the transition and in retirement.
Christopher Gurton, CLU
, RICP
, ChFC
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Learn From the Leaders in Retirement Planning
Eric Ludwig
PhD, CFP®, RICP®
Associate Professor of Retirement Income, RICP® Program Director, and Director, Center for Retirement Income
Read Bio
Steve Parrish
JD, RICP®, CLU®, ChFC®, AEP®
Adjunct Professor
Read Bio
Wade D. Pfau
PhD, CFA, RICP®
Professor of Practice
Read Bio
Ed Slott
CPA
Professor of Practice
Read Bio
Martin L. Bretz
CLU®, ChFC®, CASL®, RICP®
Adjunct Professor
Read Bio
Barry Feigenbaum
MA, MBA, RICP®, CFEI®
Adjunct Professor
Read Bio
Loren Flood
MSFS, CFP®, ChFC®, WMCP®, RICP®, AFC®
Director of Curriculum, Academics
Assistant Professor
Clark/Bardes Endowed Chair in Retirement Planning and Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation
Read Bio
01
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Eric Ludwig
PhD, CFP®, RICP®
Associate Professor of Retirement Income, RICP® Program Director, and Director, Center for Retirement Income
Read Bio
Steve Parrish
JD, RICP®, CLU®, ChFC®, AEP®
Adjunct Professor
Read Bio
Wade D. Pfau
PhD, CFA, RICP®
Professor of Practice
Read Bio
Ed Slott
CPA
Professor of Practice
Read Bio
Martin L. Bretz
CLU®, ChFC®, CASL®, RICP®
Adjunct Professor
Read Bio
Barry Feigenbaum
MA, MBA, RICP®, CFEI®
Adjunct Professor
Read Bio
Loren Flood
MSFS, CFP®, ChFC®, WMCP®, RICP®, AFC®
Director of Curriculum, Academics
Assistant Professor
Clark/Bardes Endowed Chair in Retirement Planning and Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation
Read Bio
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There’s Even More to Explore
Download the Brochure
Read more about the RICP
Access the Program Demo
Hear from a peer, a professor, and take a tour
Read Retirement Planning Thought Leadership
Navigate retirement planning topics, trends, challenges, and opportunities
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RICP
Program FAQs
The Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®) is a specialized certification for retirement income planning offered by The American College of Financial Services. The RICP® designation gives aspiring retirement income planners the knowledge and expertise to build sustainable, holistic, and integrated retirement income strategies for every client situation and retirement income style. It is similar in concept to designations such as the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor® (CRPC®), but offers a more advanced curriculum with a focus on integrated and applicable strategies to help you become a retirement planning specialist.
To become a successful retirement advisor through the RICP® designation program, you must complete all courses needed for the program, including all associated classwork and a final exam for each course. These online courses make earning this financial planning certification easier to tailor to your busy schedule.
RICP 353, 354, and 355 are ten-week courses but can be completed in as little as four weeks.
Yes! Learners can move through the course at their own pace. However, each unit builds on the previous one, and all learning activities within a unit must be completed before proceeding. To be eligible for the final exam, students must score at least 70% on all learning activities. While students may complete their exam before Week Five, their final course grade will not be posted until Week Five.
Learners must earn a final course grade of 70% or higher. The final course grade is a combination of required coursework which consists of quizzes and multiple-choice mini case studies (30% weight) and a 100-question final exam (70% weight.)
Learners who complete their course during the first five weeks will have their final grade posted at the end of Week Five. Learners who finish between Week Six and Week 10 will have their grades posted within two business days of completion.
There have been some important updates to the content in the new versions of the RICP® that are important to existing learners in the program. You can stay the course and continue in the existing RICP® Program or switch to the enhanced RICP® by reaching out to our RICP® advising team at
RICPadvising@TheAmericanCollege.edu
. Our academic advisors are ready to help you with the transition!
The RICP® Program is designed to be taken in the following sequential order:
Required Course - RICP 353: Retirement Income Process, Strategies and Solutions
Required Course - RICP 354: Sources of Retirement Income
Elective Course - RICP 355: Managing Retirement Income or HS 326 Planning for Retirement Needs
The RICP® Program can now be completed in as few as four months.
Yes! Learners who are recertifying designations earned through The College can use the new RICP® courses toward your Professional Recertification Program (PRP) CE requirement.
The Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®) designation can be completed in four months or less and is considered a specialized financial planning certification for professionals who want advanced knowledge in the field of retirement income planning. According to FUSE Research’s 2024 Designation Outcomes Study, advisors who earn the RICP® designation report 71% higher growth in client retention, 45% higher growth in their number of clients served, and 26% higher growth in earnings over a three-year period than their peers with no designations.
Adding the RICP® to complement another financial planning certification brings with it even greater benefits. Along with becoming a retirement planning specialist able to serve the 12,000+ Baby Boomers retiring every day better, advisors with multiple College designations showed an additional 45% higher growth in client retention and 19% higher growth in earnings than those with no designations. With stackable course credits, the RICP® designation fits perfectly into a lifelong learning path that can start with a foundational financial planning certification program like the Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) designation — which, if completed, allows those earning their RICP® to do it in two courses rather than three.
Each course follows a 10-week preferred schedule, however you can finish each course in as little as five weeks and then prepare to take your final course exam. You can expect to spend around 8-10 hours per week to complete each of the three courses. You must complete the entire three-course program within five years of enrollment; otherwise, you will be required to re-enroll.
You only need a high school diploma or the equivalent to begin the program. However, in order to be awarded and to use the designation, you must have at least three years of experience in financial planning or a related profession. For more information, view Admissions Requirements above.
SPARK is a built-in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) learning advisor designed to deliver on-demand support as you move through professional designation courses in programs like this one. SPARK is only trained by course content, College research, and insights and resources created and curated by the program faculty and advising teams.
You can ask SPARK to:
Answer questions and explain topics with links to course content
Suggest key strategies for immediate application with clients and prospects
Create personalized study strategies and guides to help you prepare for exams
Identify and provide answers about admissions requirements, enrollment, exam scheduling, and more
SPARK is freely available to students actively enrolled in select designation programs like this one!
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Take the Next Step and Enroll
As an RICP
, you'll stand out as a retirement planning professional with a growing pool of aging clients needing guidance on wealth transfer, retirement income products and strategies, life insurance, long-term care, and more.
Enroll Now
Get Retirement Insights
More FAQs
footnotes
FUSE Research Network. The American College of Financial Services Designation Outcomes Study. 2024. Based on reported three-year growth.
The American College of Financial Services. RIA Growth and Specialized Knowledge Survey. 2022.
CFP Board. 2025.
Spectrem Group. Expectations Not Always Predictable. 7/27/2021.