CRPC case studies

CRPC · Put your knowledge to work in context.

The Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) is a professional designation for advisers who want to specialize in the retirement phase of a client's financial life rather than in accumulation alone. It is most often pursued by financial planners, insurance and annuity producers, bank and credit-union advisers, and CPA or tax practitioners who increasingly field retirement questions from clients nearing or in retirement. The CRPC case studies are 5 cases and about 4,588 words.

Two Retirement Dates, One Household: Discovery When the Client Won't Share the Pension

Ken, 61, and Diane, 58, come in 14 months before Ken's target retirement date. Ken earns 185,000; Diane earns 92,000 and intends to work until 65.

874 words, about 4 min 2

The Pension Election Window: Lump Sum, Single Life, or Joint and Survivor

Marcus, 60, retires from a regional utility at 62 and must elect a pension form within 60 days of his termination date. The options: a single-life annuity of 3,450 a month starting at 62; a 100% joint-and-survivor annuity of 2,910 a month covering his wife Renee, 58; or a 615,000 lump sum rolled to an IRA.

1,033 words, about 5 min 3

Priya's Seven-Year Bridge: ACA Subsidies, IRMAA, and the Conversion Window

Priya retired on December 31 at age 63; she was born in 1962. Assets: 1.5 million in a traditional 401(k) and rollover IRAs, 400,000 in a Roth IRA first funded in 2019, 520,000 of taxable brokerage with a 310,000 cost basis, and 60,000 cash.

1,003 words, about 5 min 4

The Survivor Benefit, the HSA, and the Medicare Trap

Frank, 67, was widowed three years ago. His wife had claimed at her full retirement age and was receiving 3,200 a month when she died.

704 words, about 4 min 5

Beneficiary Forms, a Grandchild With Special Needs, and the Charitable Lever

Eleanor, 74, is a widow with 3.4 million: a 1.9 million traditional IRA, a 500,000 Roth IRA, 700,000 of taxable brokerage with 260,000 of basis, and a 500,000 mortgage-free home. Her will splits everything equally between Paul, 51, a surgeon in the 37% bracket, and Claire, 48, who earns 58,000 and is the sole caregiver for her 12-year-old son with Down syndrome.

974 words, about 5 min