RICP case studies
RICP · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®) is a designation administered by The American College of Financial Services and launched in 2012, built around the decumulation side of planning: converting accumulated assets into sustainable retirement income. Coursework spans retirement income strategies and solutions, portfolio withdrawal approaches, Social Security claiming inside a broader plan, tax-efficient retirement planning, healthcare costs, risk-management tools and products, long-term care funding, and legacy planning. The RICP case studies are 5 cases and about 4,193 words.
1Retiring at 61 With a No-COLA Pension: Testing the Bridge Years
Dan, 61, and Elena, 59, plan to retire next year. They have 1.4 million in 401(k)s and IRAs, 180,000 in a taxable brokerage account, and a 60,000 emergency fund.
1,000 words, about 5 min2Lump Sum, Single Life, or Joint-and-Survivor: A Pension Election With a Spouse Seven Years Younger
Priya, 62, is retiring from a regulated utility after 31 years and must choose within 60 days: a 410,000 lump sum, a single-life annuity of 2,350 a month, or a 100% joint-and-survivor annuity of 1,970 a month. Her husband Raj is 55, healthy, and keeps employer health coverage until 65.
775 words, about 4 min3Guardrails in Year Two: A Panicked Client, a Bear Market, and a Request From the Daughter
Tom and Alice, both 66, retired last year with 1.1 million and began withdrawing 55,000 a year, on top of 36,000 of combined Social Security. Essential expenses are 70,000; discretionary spending, mostly travel and gifts, is 25,000.
739 words, about 4 min4The Roth Conversion Proposal That Costs More Than It Saves
Ken, 61, retired in January. He and Lisa, 58, need 85,000 a year.
850 words, about 4 min5A Widow With Early Cognitive Decline: Building an Income Floor She Can Actually Operate
Maria, 70, was widowed three years ago. She has 600,000 in an IRA, 100,000 in a taxable account (including a variable annuity with a 60,000 cash value and a 1.9% mortality and expense charge), 50,000 in cash, and a paid-off condo worth 420,000.
829 words, about 4 min