Are you a current candidate in ASPPA’s exam program? To ensure a successful experience, please review the following:

• 2009/2010 E&E Calendar
• Fall 2009 Exam Registration Dates
• Online Open-book Exam Submission Deadline – Midnight, EST 12/15/09
• Prometric Scheduling and Registration System – New Feature: Enhanced Seat Availability Search!
• Candidate Corner
• Stay In Touch
• Web Site Redesign
• New ASPPA Customer Support Department

Looking for supplemental educational offerings? 

• ASPPA Annual Conference – Live Review Sessions
• Enrolled Actuary Review Course
• New Defined Benefit Web Course available
• Additional Webcasts: 
  • Restating Your Preapproved Plan and Loving It!
  • Compensation Consternation

Pursuing your Certified Pension Consultant credential?

• CPC Modules

Do you work with tax-exempt and/or governmental plans?

• Tax-Exempt and Governmental Plan Administration and Consultant Programs
• TGPC Free Informational Webcast – October 27 at 2:00 p.m. ET

Congratulations to 2009 award winners

• ASPPA Educator’s Award Winner
• Martin Rosenberg Academic Achievement Award Winners

If you have completed your credential pursuit – consider this:

• Call for Volunteers

 

2009/2010 E&E Calendar

*2010 CPC Module deadlines will be available on the ASPPA Web site early 2010.

Fall 2009 Exam Registration Dates

September 28 is the early registration deadline for the fall exam window. Registration is open, so sign up today to take advantage of early registration discounts. The final registration deadline is October 30. The 2009 fall proctored exam window will be November 2 – December 11. To learn more about ASPPA exams, visit the Education and Examinations page.

Remember to register early and contact Prometric to schedule your exam appointment immediately after you receive your eligibility e-mail. Please keep in mind that the most preferred spots do generally fill up quickly, so plan to make your appointment as soon as possible after receiving the e-mail from ASPPA.

Online Open-book Exam Submission Deadline – Midnight, EST 12/15/09

The submission deadline is fast approaching for the RPF-1, RPF-2 and TGPC-1 exams. Remember, if you have registered for these exams during the 2009 calendar year, they must be completed and submitted by December 15, 2009 (Midnight, EST).

Once registered for an RPF and/or TGPC-1 exam, you can access your exam from the Access Exams and Quizzes link on the right side of the Education & Examinations Web page of the ASPPA Web site. You may complete a portion of the exam, save it, and return to the exam at another time to complete it. Study materials for the exams are available to purchase through December 1, 2009 through the ASPPA bookstore. Before you begin and/or submit your exam, visit www.asppa.org/errata for updates to ASPPA’s publications and exams and remember to review the syllabi for additional reading materials.

Prometric Scheduling and Registration System – New Feature: Enhanced Seat Availability Search!

In an effort to improve candidate satisfaction with the Prometric Web scheduling system, Prometric deployed an update to its Scheduling and Registration system on Sunday, August 16. Candidates now will be able to quickly search for seat availability without needing their eligibility information from ASPPA. Candidates will be able to log on and search sites without providing any personal information. Prior to this upgrade, candidates were required to go through approximately 75 percent of the scheduling process to determine if there were seats available on specific dates/times.

The Search for Seat Availability feature is available after the candidate chooses his or her state on www.prometric.com/asppa.

Candidate Corner

If you are preparing for an ASPPA exam, be sure to visit ASPPA’s Candidate Corner at www.asppa.org/Candidate-Corner for the latest updates, test-taking tips, exam and Prometric policies, and other resources to help you prepare for your exam.

Stay In Touch

We need your help. Please don’t forget to update your contact information if you move, accept a new job, or simply change your e-mail address. It’s quick and easy to update your contact information by logging in to your online account on the ASPPA Web site. Keeping your information current ensures that ASPPA can communicate important exam and educational updates to you—whether we’re announcing an important change in policy or reminding you of exam deadlines. We want you to have the information you need to pursue your professional development goals, so please remember to let us know if your contact information changes.

Questions? E-mail education@asppa.org.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to review all of ASPPA’s exam policies and procedures, which can be found in the ASPPA Program Catalog or on Candidate Corner.

Web Site Redesign

ASPPA recently launched a newly redesigned Web site. We are very excited about the site and hope all of our members and exam candidates will find it easier to navigate. One of the great new features is the online shopping cart, which allows a candidate or member to purchase a book, exam, register for a conference, Webcast, etc., all in one purchase. Another great feature enables candidates to access their online exams and Web courses directly from the Web site – no more waiting for an e-mail with access information. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the new site. If there are any features or improvements you would like to suggest, please send us an e-mail to customersupport@asppa.org.

New ASPPA Customer Support Department

ASPPA has a new Customer Support department that was created to better serve ASPPA’s members and exam candidates. If a member or candidate calls ASPPA with questions about topics across multiple departments, instead of being transferred to members from each separate departments, the customer support reps within this new department will be the one-stop portal for questions and customer support. While the department is still in its infancy, its members have already begun the process of handling most of the calls that are made to ASPPA. Headed by the new Director of Customer Support, Diane Wallace, this department serves a key role in providing quality customer service and support to members and exam candidates. The Customer Support Department can be reached at customersupport@asppa.org.

 ASPPA Annual Conference – Live Review Sessions

The ASPPA Annual Conference has found a new home at the new Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center at National Harbor, MD. The ASPPA Annual Conference will be held November 1- 4, 2009.

During the ASPPA Annual Conference, DC-1, DC-2, DC-3 and DB Intensive Review Sessions will be offered. The review sessions are designed to address the most challenging topics covered about corresponding ASPPA exams. Each category will be divided into three 75-minute sessions. Attendees are welcome to attend as many sessions as they wish. There is no requirement that attendees be enrolled in any course program or that attendees ultimately take an exam. If you are considering obtaining or upgrading your professional credential, or desire continuing education credit, then the review sessions are for you!

The topics that will be covered in this year’s review sessions include:

DC-1: Defined Contribution Administrative Issues – Basic Concepts

Subject Matter: The law and regulations that govern the operation and qualification of retirement plans in general, including: qualification requirements; eligibility, participation, coverage and vesting; top-heavy plans; and annual reporting requirements.

DC-2: Defined Contribution Administrative Issues – Compliance Issues

Subject Matter: 401(k) basics, coverage and nondiscrimination; corrections of failed ADP/ACP tests; special ADP/ACP testing rules; Safe Harbor 401(k) and SIMPLE 401(k) plans; ERISA §404(c); defined contribution allocation methods; distributions; taxation; and participant loans.

DC-3: Defined Contribution Administrative Issues – Advanced Topics

Subject Matter: Controlled groups; affiliated service groups; compensation; average benefits test and other special rules; nondiscrimination; ESOPs; fiduciary standards; prohibited transactions; life insurance; and distributions.

DB: Administrative Issues of Defined Benefit Plans

Subject Matter: Administration and consulting for defined benefit plans, including: benefit calculations and limitations; nondiscrimination and permitted disparity rules; plan terminations and PBGC coverage; 412(e)(3) plans, cash balance plans and floor offset plans.

New this year! On October 31, the day preceding the ASPPA Annual Conference, ERPA Part I and Part II review sessions will be offered by AIRE LLC. For more information, visit www.erpaexam.org.

Students should not have the expectation that simply coming to a review session is enough to pass an exam, but your attendance should improve your chances of success! If you are considering obtaining or upgrading your professional credential, or desire continuing education credit, then the review sessions are for you!

For more information or to register for the intensive review sessions or the ASPPA Annual Conference, please visit www.asppa.org/annual.

Enrolled Actuary Review Course

In preparation for the EA-2A exam this fall, ASPPA is once again offering a weekend review course for the exam. The four-day EA-2A course is scheduled for October 2-5, 2009 in Chicago, IL.

ASPPA EA Review Courses are taught by David B. Farber, MSPA, EA, ASA. For more than 20 years, David has received excellent reviews for the EA preparatory and actuarial primer classes he teaches. David earned his B.A. in mathematics from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1976, his California mathematics teaching credential from the University of California in Los Angeles in 1977, and has been an Enrolled Actuary since 1982. He has been an associate of the Society of Actuaries since 1980 and a member of ASPPA since 1985. David is a frequent speaker at ASPPA conferences and seminars.

Review course participants are expected to have completed at least 150 hours of study time in preparation for the exam before attending the review course. Each student enrolled in an ASPPA EA review course receives Web access to a set of handouts, including practice problems and solutions to be worked prior to the course. The syllabus, suggested readings and other information regarding the EA exams are included in the program. Other relevant materials will be distributed on site.

The registration fee for the review course is $1,300. Review course enrollment is limited, so hurry and register now. Candidates can register online or download the registration form and send via mail or fax to 703.516.9308.

For more information, visit www.asppa.org/ea-review-courses.

New DB Web Course Available

The newly developed Defined Benefit (DB) Web course is now available! ASPPA and Institute of Pension Plan Management at IPFW recently launched a series of Web courses for the DB program. Instructed by Michael L. Bain, MSPA, the DB Web course encompasses seven Web courses with each Web course divided into two modules. The Web courses serve as excellent basic education for defined benefit plans, whether a candidate is new to the industry or a current candidate in the ERPA or QPA programs. The package of all the sessions is being sold at a discounted price of $325. Corporate pricing also is available. Individual sessions will not be sold separately. Web course sets for the RPF-1 and RPF-2 also are available. For more information, please visit www.asppa.org/db-webcourse.

ASPPA is offering the 2007 produced DC-1, DC-2, PFC-1 and PFC-2 Web courses. Updated DC-1 and DC-2 Web courses will be available in winter 2009 along with a new Web course set on DC-3. For more information, please visit www.asppa.org/ee-webcourses.

Additional Webcasts

The webcasts offered by ASPPA Education and Examinations serve as supplementary tools that will assist candidates in their exam preparations. Webcasts are also another way ASPPA provides continuing education to its members and to the industry as a whole. The webcasts available are:

CPC Modules

ASPPA is happy to announce that there are now three CPC modules available: Distribution & Loans, Fiduciary Topics and Related Groups & Business Transactions. The registration deadline for these modules is December 1, 2009, and the completion deadline is December 15, 2009.

While the remaining CPC modules are under development, candidates can register and take the available modules as well as the CPC proctored exam. Completion of the modules is not necessary in order for a candidate to successfully complete and pass the CPC proctored exam. The 2009 CPC exam will be held on November 12, 2009; please note the early registration deadline for the CPC exam is September 28, 2009, and the final registration deadline is October 30, 2009.

The CPC modules are designed to simulate the real-life client situations that Certified Pension Consultants face in their daily practices. In the professional practice, more than one statutory provision or retirement plan consideration often applies, and the pension consultant must be able to recognize and evaluate in depth each potential issue for his or her client.

Each module is offered online through Blackboard distance learning software. Each module includes study materials and an online exam. While candidates must submit the online exam using the Blackboard software, candidates can print the exam and use the printed copy while performing the research needed to answer the exam questions. Each module exam consists of 20 multiple choice or short answer questions, each worth five points. A score of 70 or above is required to pass the exam. Candidates receive their grades immediately upon submission of the online exam. Upon successful completion of the module, within 4-6 weeks, candidates will receive a certificate of completion.

Candidates are welcome to use any other publications and sources available to answer the questions in the modules. Additionally, candidates are not prevented from discussing questions with colleagues and other professionals who may be able to assist in the learning process. Candidates should exercise care in discussing the exam with other individuals who may be planning to take the exam. While discussing the facts and principles involved in a question is certainly allowed, and often important in the learning process, the exam submitted must reflect the knowledge of the candidate.

The time required to study for the CPC modules varies. An average candidate may spend 15-20 hours preparing for and taking the module exam, including reading the required materials, reviewing the exam, performing research and answering the questions.

Candidates can register online or download the registration form and send via mail or fax to 703.516.9308. Additional modules will be released on an ongoing basis, so please check the Web site regularly. The registration fee is $75 per module.

For more information, please visit www.asppa.org/cpc-modules.

Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Administration and Consultant Programs

ASPPA has successfully launched the Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Administration certificate program and the Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Consultant (TGPC) credential program.

Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Administration Certificate Program
The Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Administration certificate program focuses on the administration and compliance requirements of 403(b), 457(b) and other plans maintained by tax-exempt and governmental entities and is now open for registration. To complete the certificate program, candidates must successfully complete the Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Administration (TGPC-1) exam. Thereafter, the successful candidate will receive the Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Administration certificate.

The TGPC-1 exam is an open-book online exam and consists of 75 multiple choice and true/false questions. Registration is open! Candidates can register online or download the exam registration form and send via mail or fax to 703.516.9308. Exams must be submitted by December 15, 2009 (midnight, EST).

Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Consultant Credential
The Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Consultant credential is acquired by successful completion of the Retirement Plan Fundamentals Course, Parts 1 and 2 (RPF-1 and RPF-2), TGPC-1 and Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Consultant (TGPC-2) exams. The TGPC-2 exam covers issues affecting the sales and marketing aspects of 403(b), 457(b) and other plans maintained by tax-exempt and governmental entities.

The TGPC-2 exam consists of 65 multiple-choice questions and candidates have two and one-half (2½) hours to complete it. The early registration deadline for the TGPC-2 exam is September 28, 2009, for the fall window, November 2 – December 11, 2009. The final registration deadline is October 30. Candidates can register online or download the registration form and send via mail or fax to 703.516.9308.

Required & Supplementary Readings
The required reading for the TGPC-1 and the TGPC-2 exams is The Source: 403(b) and 457(b) Plans, Second Edition by Kristi Cook, JD and Ellie Lowder. St. Louis, MO: NTSAA. To order, visit the online ASPPA Bookstore or download the Publications Order Form and following the instructions to phone, fax or mail your order form and payment. Additional required and supplementary articles can be found within the TGPC-1 and TGPC-2 exam syllabi.

TGPC Free Informational Webcast – October 27 at 2:00 p.m. ET

On October 27, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. ET, ASPPA will host a free information Webcast about its new credentialing program, Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Consultant (TGPC), specifically designed for those who specialize in 403(b) and 457 plans. Presented by Chris Stroud, MSPA, and Sarah Simoneaux, CPC, ASPPA’s educational advocates, this presentation will familiarize you with both the Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plan Administration certificate program and the TGPC credentialing program. For more information or to register, please click here. A recording of the free Webcast also will be made available.

ASPPA Educator’s Award Winner

It is with great pleasure that ASPPA proudly recognizes Kathryn J. Kennedy, Associate Dean for Advanced Studies and Research and Professor of Law of The John Marshall Law School, as the recipient of the prestigious 2009 ASPPA Educator’s Award. Kathryn was selected by the ASPPA Board of Directors and the Education and Examination Committee’s Chairs and Vice Chairs in honor and recognition of his superior and dedicated commitment to education. 

Professor Kennedy joined The John Marshall Law School as a full-time faculty member after many years of private practice and as an adjunct professor specializing in employee benefits law. She practiced with the law firm of McDermott, Will & Emery in Chicago, and was an actuary with the actuarial consulting firm of Towers Perrin. She established the LL.M. program in Employee Benefits, expanding upon the graduate tax’s employee benefits concentration. In 2005, she developed an M.S. degree program in employee benefits law for non-attorneys.

She graduated from Drake University, with honors, in 1974, and from Northwestern University School of Law, summa cum laude, in 1980, where she was on the Law Review editorial board and a member of the Order of the Coif. She became a fellow of the Society of Actuaries in 1976. Due to her combined legal and actuarial background, she offers the law school a unique perspective in the area of employee benefits law. She has published numerous articles, portfolios for BNA Compensation Planning Journal, and a textbook about employee benefits and tax issues.

Professor Kennedy has testified before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee on several occasions and was invited to speak before the President’s Advisory Panel for Tax Reform. She was a member of the U.S. Department of Labor ERISA Advisory Board (2005-08) and was a delegate for the U.S. Department of Labor’s 2006 National SAVER Summit. She is a member of the IRS Great Lakes Area TE/GE Advisory Council (2005-09), and in 2009 she was named to the IRS Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt and Government Entities (ACT). She was the chairperson of the Chicago Bar Association Employee Benefits Committee and the Illinois State Bar Association Employee Benefits Section Council; and chairs the Distributions Subcommittee of the ABA Tax Section/Employee Benefits Committee.

The 2009 ASPPA Educator’s Award will be presented on Monday, November 2, 2009, during the luncheon at the upcoming ASPPA Annual Conference. All registered conference attendees are invited to attend the awards luncheon to congratulate Kathryn and other ASPPA award winners.

Martin Rosenberg Academic Achievement Award Winners

The Martin Rosenberg Academic Achievement Award is presented in honor of the late Martin Rosenberg, a fellow of ASPPA. Mr. Rosenberg served as an Education and Examination (E&E) Committee member from 1979 to 1985 and as E&E's General Chair from 1985 until his death in 1987. The award is designed to annually recognize top performing ASPPA examination candidates. ASPPA proudly recognizes three Martin Rosenberg Academic Achievement Award winners:

Steve Riordan, CPC, QPA, QKA, of Fairfield, OH, is the recipient of the Martin Rosenberg Academic Achievement Award for the fall 2008 Advanced Retirement Plan Consulting (C-4) examination. Steve currently serves as a Senior Technical Manager with Fidelity Investments Testing, Reporting, & QDRO Services. Steve has worked in the retirement industry in various capacities for more than seven years, but specializes in compliance testing. He has attained ASPPA’s CPC, QPA and QKA credentials and has been an ASPPA member since 2005. Steve is a graduate of Miami University, where he majored in finance.

Melissa Warner is the recipient of the Martin Rosenberg Academic Achievement Award for the spring 2009 Defined Contribution Administrative Issues – Compliance Issues (DC-2) examination. Melissa graduated cum laude in May 2003 from Nazareth College in Rochester, NY. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics and three teaching certifications from Nazareth College. After two years of teaching special education at Hope Hall School in Rochester, NY, Melissa joined the Retirement Services Division of Paychex, Inc., a leading provider of payroll and human resource services, in November 2005. She is currently a 401(k) conversions communication specialist, supporting clients who are changing their plan recordkeeping services to Paychex from other providers.

Leslie L. Wechling, QKA, is the recipient of the Martin Rosenberg Academic Achievement Award for the spring 2009 Defined Contribution Administrative Issues – Advanced Topics (DC-3) examination. Leslie has been a retirement plan professional for the past 18 years. As a compliance specialist, Leslie provided consulting services to her CIGNA clients for five years; as a relationship manager and trust officer, she provided administrative and consulting services to her Mercantile Bank clients; and as a senior Qualified Plan Consultant, Leslie provided underwriting and consulting services to her MetLife clients for more than nine years.

Currently, Leslie is a retirement plan consultant with Retirement Plan Services, LLC in St. Louis, MO. She acquired the CEBS and QKA credentials and is currently preparing for the Administrative Issues of Defined Benefit Plans (DB) examination to obtain ASPPA’s QPA credential. Leslie received her Master of Liberal Arts degree at Washington University, Bachelor of Arts degree at Maryville University, both located in St. Louis, and is a recipient of the Phi Beta Kappa key.

The 2009 Martin Rosenberg Academic Achievement Awards will be presented on Monday, November 2, 2009 during the luncheon at the upcoming ASPPA Annual Conference. Congratulations to all our Martin Rosenberg Academic Achievement Award winners!

Call for Volunteers

If you have recently completed ASPPA exams and have received your ASPPA credential, consider volunteering to assist the Education and Examination Committee. As an exam candidate, you can use your newly acquired knowledge to assist the E&E Committee with enhancing our educational opportunities. Volunteering will be on an ad-hoc basis and we will contact you when we need volunteers to review exam questions, publications, etc.

Volunteering is a great opportunity for networking. It also can be a pathway to ASPPA leadership positions, not to mention a means to obtain ASPPA Continuing Professional Education credits for your newly acquired credential. Members interested in volunteering should complete and submit the volunteer position application (check the Education & Examination box) found on the Volunteer Opportunities page.