QPFC is the professional credential for financial professionals who sell, advise, market or support qualified retirement plans. The QPFC program provides an understanding of general retirement planning concepts, terminology, distinctive features of qualified plans and the role of retirement plan professionals. A candidate will be expected to demonstrate a general proficiency of plan administration, compliance, investment, fiduciary, and ethics issues.

Interest in the QPFC credential from the financial advisor community continues to grow steadily. Feedback from financial advisors who have achieved the credential has been outstanding. 

Input from the financial advisor community has helped ASPPA update the requirements to earn the credential for 2012. The QPFC learning objectives have been slightly condensed, but the same high quality standards you expect from ASPPA have been maintained, while better suiting the educational needs and schedules of the professional financial advisor. 

The RPF-1 and RPF-2 exams remain recommended for anyone new to the retirement plan industry, as well as any financial advisors who want to increase their competitive sales edge by gaining a deeper understanding of retirement plan administration. However, the RPF-1 and RPF-2 exams will no longer be required for the QPFC credential. See below for more information on this valuable certificate offering*. 

*Benefits of Retirement Fundamentals Certificate (RPF) to Financial Professionals
The QPFC curriculum is targeted specifically to financial consultants. Typically, these consultants work with other retirement plan industry professionals, including administrators, recordkeepers, actuaries, accountants and attorneys. While RPF-1 and RPF-2 are not required for financial consultants to obtain ASPPA's QPFC designation, they provide an overall retirement plan education and contain valuable information that supplement the QPFC curriculum. RPF examinations enhance the education of financial consultants, and review building blocks necessary to obtain additional ASPPA credentials.

Specifically, RPF-1 and RPF-2 review the actual calculations (with examples) for various plan limits, annual additions, nondiscrimination testing, HCE and key employee status, top-heavy testing and bonding requirements. The courses contain detailed information about various disclosures that administrators typically track including timing, method of delivery and rules regarding electronic delivery. Plan conversions are covered in depth, specifically administrative considerations in a balance-forward to a daily plan transition and in a trustee-directed to a participant-directed plan. A review of DFVC and VFC correction programs is also included.

Each RPF course offers 7.5 CPE credits. For more information, visit www.asppa.org/RPF.