CRPC study plan

Distinguish defined benefit formulas (flat-dollar, unit-benefit, final-average-pay) and calculate a sample accrual by hand

Compare 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), and profit-sharing plan contribution limits and eligibility rules from memory

Explain vesting schedules, top-heavy rules, and nondiscrimination testing in plain client language

Map the plan-termination, rollover, and loan/withdrawal options available to a departing employee

Identify which plan features drive employer cost versus employee retirement adequacy

Calculate a retirement income need using the replacement-ratio, expense, and capital-needs approaches and reconcile the three results

Build a inflation-adjusted gap analysis that separates essential from discretionary spending

Conduct a mock discovery interview covering cash flow, balance sheet, risk tolerance, family history, and health status

Translate discovery notes into three quantified, time-stamped client goals

Document how a client's stated risk tolerance conflicts with their required return and resolve the conflict

Compare traditional, Roth, SEP, and SIMPLE IRA contribution and distribution rules, including Roth conversion taxation

Explain annuity contract structures (immediate vs. deferred, fixed, indexed, variable) and when each is unsuitable for a client

Calculate the taxable portion of a nonqualified annuity withdrawal under the exclusion ratio and LIFO rules

Recommend an appropriate small-business plan for two contrasting employer profiles and justify the choice

Identify the penalties and exceptions that apply to early IRA distributions

Compare the systematic withdrawal, bucket, floor-and-upside, and annuitized income approaches on longevity and market risk

Compute sustainable withdrawal rates under two different return and inflation assumptions

Sequence withdrawals across taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free accounts and show the tax-year effect

Draft required minimum distribution timing and amount calculations for a sample client

Identify behavioral risks (loss aversion, anchoring) that derail a distribution plan and propose guardrails

Build an asset allocation for three client risk profiles and justify each with time horizon and required return

Explain how human capital, pension income, and Social Security act as bond-like assets in the total portfolio

Calculate the effect of a 1% fee difference on a 20-year retirement accumulation

Select and compare low-cost vehicles for each asset class in a model portfolio

Describe a rebalancing policy and glide path and defend when to deviate

Calculate a Social Security benefit estimate including early-claim reductions, delayed-claim credits, and spousal/survivor benefits

Explain the earnings test, taxation of benefits, and the file-and-suspend era rules currently in force

Map Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D coverage, enrollment windows, IRMAA surcharges, and late-enrollment penalties

Coordinate a claiming strategy with a client's retirement date and income needs

Identify which Medicare costs must be built into the retirement spending plan

Compare long-term care funding options (self-funding, traditional LTCI, hybrid life/LTC, annuity-based) on cost and suitability

Size a long-term care need using local cost-of-care assumptions and an expected care duration

Identify life insurance and annuity roles in a retirement risk-management plan, including survivor income needs

Explain the tax treatment of distributions, basis, and beneficiaries across account types

Draft the core estate documents and beneficiary designations a retiree should review annually

Complete two full-length timed practice exams and score each by domain

Re-teach the two lowest-scoring domains using original summary notes

Rehearse a 15-minute integrated case presentation from discovery through distribution recommendation

Consolidate all prior deliverables into a single indexed case file

Identify and schedule remediation for any remaining weak sub-topic