Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020

The National Social Security Association in Cincinnati has selected Beau Henderson, CEO of RichLife Advisors, LLC of Gainesville, Ga., as its National Social Security Advisor (NSSA) Advisor of the Year.

The award was announced by Marc Kiner of Blue Ash, board member of the National Social Security Association. Kiner is partner at Premier Social Security Consulting of Cincinnati, which teaches the NSSA Social Security education courses to professional advisors across the nation.

“Beau has shown himself to be a dedicated advocate for Social Security education in his community and the surrounding area,” said Kiner. “He and his company have conducted more than 200 Social Security information seminars around Gainesville, including Hall, Gwinnett, Forsyth, and Fulton counties. He uses media, podcasts and social media effectively to help workers and soon-to-be retirees learn how to secure a more comfortable retirement by maximizing their Social Security income.”

The NSSA program is the nation’s only accredited Social Security education certificate program. Accreditation is provided by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) in Washington, D.C. The NSSA Advisor certificate is awarded to professional advisors who take the NSSA course and pass an assessment.

Henderson is the founder of RichLife Advisors, a financial advisor firm focused on retirement planning. He and his five employees have reached an estimated 3,000 clients over the past 20 years to help them improve their relationships with money and plan for a successful retirement that includes six components: maximizing income, including Social Security; optimizing assets for long-term growth; paying less in taxes; healthcare planning; protecting people and things they care about most; and helping them “live out their unique definition of a RichLife in retirement,” according to its website.

“Our philosophy is education first,” said Henderson. “We teach people how to realize their retirement goals by making the best decisions possible. If we teach people, they become much more capable about their money, which cuts down on regret and fear. With the right strategy, your retirement will be successful.”

Henderson was 23 years old and a graduate student in psychology when his father died of lung cancer at the age of 49. He helped his mother navigate difficult financial decisions as their family grieved, which led him to embrace a financial advising career as a way to help others and make a profound difference in their lives.

Henderson said the NSSA Advisor of the Year Award reinforces his company’s commitment to client education. “We’re grateful to be acknowledged for our commitment to financial education, including Social Security education,” said Henderson.

Henderson is the author of 10 books, including The RichLife: Ten Investments for True Wealth; The RoadMap to a RichLife: Success with Life, Relationships, and Money; Customized Social Security; and 12 Steps to a Successful Retirement. He is a podcast enthusiast and studio owner of North Georgia Business Radio X.

“There are more than 500 possible ways to claim Social Security,” said Jim Blair of Ross, Premier partner and a Social Security expert. “The best decision on when and how to claim goes back to your unique situation, which we call ‘Situational Social Security.’ More than 90 percent of workers today don’t claim optimally and can lose around $100,000 over the course of their retirement.

Premier teaches professional advisors the ins and outs of the Social Security system so they can in turn show their clients how to optimize Social Security income.”

The U.S. has an estimated 76 million baby boomers, which is about 20 percent of the nation’s population. Ten thousand boomers reach the full retirement age of 65 each day nationwide.

Blair is a 35-year veteran of the Social Security Administration. He is regularly interviewed by national media on Social Security issues.

The National Social Security Association has awarded certificates to more than 2,500 advisors nationwide since 2013. NSSA Advisor certificate training is offered during the pandemic via webinar training, where students participate in a live, one-day program with an NSSA instructor. They can also opt for a 19-module, video-based, on-demand course taught by NSSA instructors. On-demand students can complete workshop lectures and activities on their own time.

NSSA certificate holders receive ongoing Social Security support and education resources throughout the year. Ongoing support includes questions answered and monthly webinars. The webinars help NSSA certificate holders maintain Social Security knowledge and keep up to date.

Once pandemic concerns are lifted, NSSA training will be offered again in live classroom settings and for private groups in cities across the nation.

For more information on RichLife Advisors, LLC., visit https://richlifeadvisors.com or call (770) 249-7424.

For more information about the NSSA Advisor certificate program, visit https://www.nationalsocialsecurityassociation.com or call Kiner at (513) 247-0526.

Melinda Zemper, Oak Tree Communications

We emphasize SITUATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY in the NSSA® Certificate program, as all of your clients are UNIQUE. Your clients may be single, married with wide age differences, married with narrow age differences, divorced, surviving spouses, eligible to file a Restricted Application, public employees, etc. Advisors, (YOU), must understand the issues and questions that related to every unique client. You are your clients’ trusted advisor and must understand Social Security. Advisors attending the National Social Security Advisor Certificate program change their mindset and become PROACTIVE. NSSA® Advisors do not wait for clients to bring up the topic Social Security. NSSA® Advisors are confident in their knowledge, and actually BEGIN THE DISCUSSION. Which type of advisor are you? Hesitant to discuss SS? Confident in your understanding of SS? Proactive?

In this installment of Situational Social Security, we will discuss a very powerful SS option, the Restricted Application. The majority of advisors are clueless about the Restricted Application, but this is a very powerful Social Security strategy.

RESTRICTED APPLICATION – This strategy allows your client to file for a spousal benefit while their own benefit earns Delayed Retirement Credits. What? WOW! Impossible! Say what? Yep, your client can file for a spousal benefit while earning DRCs on their own retirement benefits. Let’s say that my FRA is 66 and that I am eligible for $2,000 of SS benefits at my FRA. Additionally, I am also eligible for a spousal benefit of $1,000 at my FRA as my wife worked and is eligible for her own retirement benefits. At my Full Retirement Age, I can file a Restricted Application and receive a spousal benefit off of her work record. I will receive $1,000 benefits for 48 months, ($48,000), and then at age 70 will turn on my benefits. At age 70, my benefits will have increased 32% due to DRCs, resulting in a monthly benefit of $2,640. WOW! WHAT? Kind of like having your cake and eating it too. I receive $48,000 in spousal benefits and earn Delayed Retirement Credits of 32%. This strategy, (Restricted Application), is only available upon reaching Full Retirement Age. A very powerful strategy. Unfortunately, only clients born by January 1, 1954 are able to use this strategy. SO, if you are meeting with a client that was born by January 1, 1954, you must consider a Restricted Application in your client’s Social Security options. Just think what your clients can purchase with $48,000 – 9,000 cups of coffee at Starbucks!!!!! Or a brand new car!!!!!

But the next question you should be asking is does the other spouse have to be receiving a Social Security benefit for a Restricted Application to be beneficial? YES, YES, YES and YES. I cannot file a Restricted Application if my wife is not receiving a SS RETIREMENT or DISABILITY benefit. I will repeat, my wife must be receiving a SS RETIREMENT or DISABILITY benefit, otherwise I am not able to file for a spousal benefit off of her work record. So, my wife turns on her Social Security allowing me to file a Restricted Application and receive a spousal benefit.

A very common strategy for married couples is for a wife to take her own benefits as early as age 62. This may allow the husband to delay to FRA or as late as age 70. And if the husband was born by January 1, 1954, he can file a RESTRICTED APPLICAITON for spousal benefits while he waits to begin his own benefits. In this scenario, widow benefits are maximized as the husband waits to age 70. Thus, sometimes it makes sense for folks to begin benefits prior to reaching FRA.

About half our our clients can still file a Restricted Application as they were born by January 1, 1954. The benefits of a Restricted Application will disappear in 2024. The RESTRICTED APPLICATION must be in your Social Security toolbox. If you are meeting with clients and discussing their Social Security options please ask this easy question – what is your birthdate? If born my what date? Oh yea, January 1, 1954, you MUST include the RESTRICATED APPLICATION in the discussion.

DO NOT FOREGET THE BENEFITS OF THE RESTRICTED APPLICATION. DO SO AT YOUR OWN PERIL!

For additional information about the National Social Security Advisor Certificate program, please visit www.premiernssa.com or contact Marc Kiner at 513.218.8505 or by email at mkiner@mypremierplan.com.

We emphasize SITUATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY in the NSSA® Certificate program, as all of your clients are UNIQUE. Your clients may be single, married with wide age differences, married with narrow age differences, divorced, surviving spouses, eligible to file a Restricted Application, public employees, etc. Advisors, (YOU), must understand the issues and questions that related to every unique client. You are your clients’ trusted advisor and must understand Social Security. Advisors attending the National Social Security Advisor Certificate program change their mindset and become PROACTIVE. NSSA® Advisors do not wait for clients to bring up the topic Social Security. NSSA® Advisors are confident in their knowledge, and actually BEGIN THE DISCUSSION. Which type of advisor are you? Hesitant to discuss SS? Confident in your understanding of SS? Proactive?

In this installment of SITUATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY, (SSS), we discuss the eligibility requirements to receive Social Security retirement benefits.

There are only two requirements to become eligible for Social Security retirement benefits;

1) Forty credits – you can earn a maximum of four, (4), credits per year. Thus, you need 10 years of part time work to earn 40 credits. Social Security Administration used to refer to this requirement as “quarters” but changed this to “credits”. How is a credit earned? By working in every quarter? No. A credit is earned based on earned income (wages and net s/e income). In 2020, one credit is earned when you have earned income of $1,410. If you earn $5,640 in 2020, you will receive four credits. It does not matter when the $5,640 is earned. If it takes all twelve months to earn $5,640 or you earn this amount in January alone, you will earn four credits. Many advisors believe that clients must work in every quarter. This is not the case. Clients earn credits just by having earned income. If you earn $1,410 you will receive one credit. If you earn $2,820 you will receive two credit. Pretty simple!

Your clients, Tom and Cindy, come into your office to discuss their Social Security benefits. You review their Social Security benefit statements and see that Tom is eligible for retirement benefits as he has earned more than 40 credits. Cindy only has 36 credits. How can Cindy obtain four additional credits to qualify for her own SS retirement benefits? Qualifying for her own benefits might allow Tom to wait until his FRA or longer, (up to age 70) to claim his benefits resulting in increased benefits for himself along with an increased widow benefit to Cindy. If Cindy works in 2020 and earns $5,640, she will receive the additional four credits. Cindy can earn this amount in one month and not work another day the rest of the year. If Cindy only has 32 credits, she can work in 2020 and 2021 to obtain the additional eight credits. If Tom owns a business, Cindy can do some administrative work to earn compensation and receive the necessary credits to be eligible for her own benefits. As your clients’ trusted advisor please understand how credits are earned and how you can help your clients to obtain the necessary credits to be eligible for retirement benefits.

2) Must have attained age 62 for the entire month. Attained age 62? Whoa! What do we mean by “attained”? What is the difference between turning age 62 and attaining age 62? You turn age 62 on your birthday and your attain 62 the day before your birthday. Thus, if Albert turned age 62 on June 18th, then he actually attained age 62 on June 17th. Your clients must have attained age 62 for the entire month to be eligible for SS retirement benefits. If Samantha turned age 62 on June 18th, she would not be eligible to begin Social Security retirement benefits until July. The only folks that can begin their retirement benefits in the birth month of turning age 62 are those that were born on the 1st or 2nd of the month. Everyone else is not eligible until the month after reaching age 62. I was born on February 13th, thus am not eligible to begin my benefits until March!

So your clients must have 40 credits and have attained age 62 for the entire month to qualify for SS retirement benefits. Now the question is when will SSA begin sending your clients SS benefits? Your clients must file for benefits. The Social Security Administration will not automatically send benefits upon reaching age 62. Furthermore, SSA will not automatically send benefits upon reaching age 70. Your clients MUST file!

To learn more about the National Social Security Advisor Certificate program, please visit www.premiernssa.com or contact Marc Kiner by phone 513.218.8505 or by e-mail mkiner@mypremierplan.com.

Catherine Siskos – Kiplinger’s Retirement Report

The pandemic that shuttered businesses and left 40 million Americans unemployed also means fewer dollars flowing into Social Security’s coffers. What does the pandemic economy bode for people already collecting benefits or who hope to do so one day?

The good news is that Social Security can pay 100% of benefits for the next dozen or so years and about 75% of benefits thereafter, even if 1 in 5 people are unemployed for the next 24 months, according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

The bad news is that changes baked into the program are coming home to roost, and the effect is that benefits keep getting stingier. “Once we get through this pandemic, the attention should be on fixing the program,” says CRR’s director Alicia H. Munnell.

Fixing Social Security isn’t insurmountable. Hiking payroll taxes 1.6% for employers and employees would fully fund the program for the next 75 years, according to a CRR report. Social Security is already tapping interest from the program’s trust fund to pay benefits and will begin dipping into fund assets next year, the first time that’s happened since 1982. Left alone, the fund could be depleted by 2033, two years sooner than originally projected because of the pandemic economy.

After that, the program would rely entirely on annual payroll tax revenue. At first, retirees would get 79 cents for every dollar they’d earned in benefits, dropping to 73 cents per dollar by the end of the century. No one, of course, expects that to happen. “Politically, it’s untenable,” says Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, a nonprofit advocacy group.

But even if Congress fixes Social Security’s funding, benefits are still shrinking. In fact, they have been for some time because of the rising retirement age. In 1983, Congress gradually raised the full retirement age for people born between 1938 and 1960. Because of the way Social Security’s actuarial formula is calculated, the replacement rate – the amount of money a beneficiary receives compared to preretirement earnings – fell as the retirement age rose, with the steepest cuts hitting those born in 1960 or later.

Social Security’s benefits table bears this out. The full retirement age for someone born in 1937 is 65. A monthly benefit of $1,000 drops to $800 if that individual retires early at 62, which makes sense given that benefits accrue the longer you wait to take them.

But someone born a year later in 1938, who would have received $1,000 at the full retirement age of 65 and two months, gets just $791 per month at age 62. The benefit amount continues to drop with those born in 1960 or later getting just $700 at age 62 of the $1,000 benefit they would have received at the full retirement age of 67. “Raising the retirement age is cutting benefits,” says Munnell. As long as Congress keeps the full retirement age at 67, the replacement rate will level off in 2022 and benefits should stop shrinking.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for their purchasing power, which continues to fall. Social Security’s annual cost of living adjustments can’t keep up with health care costs, which have been rising faster than other goods and services, translating into a 30% loss of buying power for benefits since 2000, according to a Senior Citizens League study. Seniors spend more than twice as much on health care as younger adults.

Benefits are also staying frozen more often. Since COLAs began in 1975, only three years – 2010, 2011 and 2016 – had no increases, but all occurred in the past decade. The pandemic’s weak economy and crashing oil prices mean no COLAs are expected for 2020.

If there’s a bright side, says Kurt Czarnowski of Cznarowski Consulting, a Social Security and retirement planning firm, it’s this: “There’s no provision for taking money away from beneficiaries,” in years when the cost of living doesn’t increase.

Read full article here.

[The COVID-19 pandemic has catapulted all financial services professionals, their vendor partners, and their clients into a new virtual operating environment; one that many were not prepared for or adept in. The need for answers to truly scary questions, evaluating sudden changes to better understand impacts, and determining quickly what best course of actions to take – all needed to be explored and communicated virtually. This became the focus of a new business reality. It also quickly led to the unquestioned realization of the need for rapid learning on how to navigate this new, unprecedented world of volatility, uncertainty, confusion, and ambiguity.

In the middle of all this, it was very heartening to see a number of major digital forums and virtual meetings that were quickly conceived of and implemented to start addressing these massive concerns. Exhibiting leadership in the middle of crisis demonstrates courage, especially as definitive answers were hard to come by.  But, it was also very practical as it pushed them to learn by doing, sharing ideas, and engaging in meaningful discussions. They began modeling the leadership and positive actions needed for this new landscape — build stronger strategic partnerships, offer many varied perspectives, and learn together with your audience.

With this article, the Institute is starting a new series on Virtual Engagement Leaders and review some recent virtual events as case studies to examine and learn from their experiences. One such event that bears review was the May 6th Virtual Advisor Summit put together by Jeremiah Demarais, CEO of Advisorist and Kevin Darlington, general manager of Broadridge Advisor Solutions. Their event was singular in the size and scope of their virtual offering.

Over the course of one day, they provided six live presentations from industry leaders and 15 on-demand sessions to choose from by a broad range of specialists from marketing, social media consulting, growth hacking, practice management, retirement planning, organizational psychology, and successful advisors with unique growth strategies.

Presenters included co-producers Desmarais and Darlington, Ed Slott (Ed Slott & Co), Michael Kitces (Kitces.com), Brad Swineheart (White Glove), Luke Acree (ReminderMedia), Duncan Macpherson (Pareto), Tom Hegna (economist, best-selling author), Frank Maselli (best-selling author), Dan Collison (Advice2Advisor), and Marc Kiner (Premier Social Security Consulting LLC).

Topics covered an extensive arsenal of specific skills and tools for the current environment including selling in the era of social distancing; new advanced retirement/tax updates; virtual presentation strategies; virtual marketing strategies; virtual communication techniques; social marketing frameworks; niche marketing to women; virtual seminar best practices; world class e-learning; secrets to blog and podcasting success; situational social security; and marketing master strategies.

The event was free to live participants but also provided the ability to pay for ongoing VIP access and download (which is still available) to all speaker presentations and tools across this wide range of topics. The response they received demonstrated the need for this kind of information, guidance, and outreach of support as the co-sponsors reported over 6,110 advisors registered for the Virtual Summit representing $194.8 Billion in AUM.

I reached out to Jeremiah Desmarias to ask about the mechanics of how they developed and implemented such a large engagement event for and with such a cross section of advisors and industry leaders. I particularly asked them to share their experiences and lessons learned in order to encourage and help advisors and other industry leaders on developing their virtual skills and create their own virtual engagement strategies for their clients and community.]

Bill Hortz: What were the main steps and time frame you took from idea to launch for your Virtual Summit?

Jeremiah Desmarais: The Summit was designed to share best practices and lessons in the field of virtual financial advising. From team assembly to go-live was five weeks. FIVE. It was mammoth, but we knew we needed to get to our audience ASAP with some time-sensitive content.

Picture project management along two separate but parallel tracks. Track one was on the human logistics — the planning you would see for an in-person two-day event, vetting speakers, staging promotions, and driving excitement.

At the same time, we had to move FAST. So, track two was focused on the tech logistics which we ran like a bullet train. All turnaround times were checked and then compressed from days to hours. One part of the team worked on track one with a few days lead time, setting the framework. Another part of the team then sprinted from one task to the next to execute the plan.

We kept our teams fluid to keep bottlenecks out – one person may be assigned to different points on both tracks. If you want to pull something like this off and have it be amazing, you need to be creative and adaptive. Basically, this was the same message we conveyed to attendees who needed to learn themselves how to pivot with little warning!

Hortz: How did you bring in so many industry leaders and solutions providers so quickly?

Desmarais: We placed feelers around to a number of people we worked with previously where we knew they would be high energy, positive, and bring value. We wanted expertise and energy to sustain such a long day. We asked people from our carefully vetted list hoping for five live and 10 on demand. You know what happened? Twenty-six said yes!

Our speakers started talking it up in their own circles and networks, they were that excited. We had to cut it off after a point to ensure all would bring unique insight to the advisors and there was no duplication in content. We were able to sequence speakers for the live event for the best flow and provide an unbelievable depth and breadth of experience specifically for the industry in the on-demand content for the Summit.

Hortz: What were the key dynamics of making this event happen?

Desmarais: Like we said earlier, you have to remain fluid. We had changes in technology needs, marketing channel algorithms, and a constant need for redundancy in talent. Normally, you do that to speed up a delivery date. In this case, yes, it helped us stretch the workday, but the reality also was that team backup availability was critical in case anyone became ill themselves or needed time off to take care of someone. So, we ran separate teams at Broadridge and at Advisorist — and while each had a point person – we also had pivot options for development, webinar tech, and speaker management.

Hortz: What were the major obstacles and how did you solve for them?

Desmarais: Time was not on our side. Five weeks to host a successful, meaningful, and well-attended event is a blip on the calendar. Key obstacles included:

Platform selection: There were several systems out there we looked at: One had several audio issues when tested so we eliminated them. Another has long been a gold standard we have used for many years but, we felt, did not carry the same ‘intimate feel’ that Zoom does. Ultimately, we feel like we took a bet on Zoom because we had never tested it with large groups of 500+ or more.

Platform stability: We knew systems were secure and messaging would be travelling through the firewall left and right, but the speed and volume could stress any system. For each registration promo we ran, we knew our speakers were running promos as well to spread the word. That causes exponential exposure but can create shakiness in systems if not well planned.

Bandwidth: This may sound redundant to the last point, but we literally meant the day-of bandwidth. With so many working from home, internet speeds can be strained. Now, we were going to have thousands connecting for 10 hours, into a single Zoom webinar.

We rehearsed, set up redundant technology in advance to roll over if needed, and set up communication channels outside of the room for updates and emergencies. We were in parallel on a YouTube stream in case users had lost Zoom access when underway.

We also asked everyone to send us “good virtual meeting” vibes so it would come off with minimal issues! And then, we also prayed a bit.

Hortz: Any last thoughts about what you learned through this event and wanted to share with financial professionals?

Desmarais: The response we received to our event reinforced that the financial services industry is at a unique inflection point. We were overwhelmed with over 6,000 registrations. We were amazed how many attended live and stayed through the full event. Feedback was unreal it was so good.

All of these are indicators that financial professionals recognize the need to adjust on how they conduct business with their clients and that they are really uncertain how to do it well. Based on the feedback, it is not just a passing lock-down fad.

We also learned that we all need to be as open to opportunities, embracing all the expertise there is out there in the industry, and start implementing the latest technologies and solutions as we transition from physical to a virtual advisory role.

We are committed to working with advisors by compiling the best Financial Advisor marketing strategies and best range of marketing expertise available to inform you of the creative options that are available. I would also like to invite you to our free weekly advisor classes every Wednesday, which we call our Virtual Advisor Power Hour, taught by experts on successful front-line marketing experiments working in today’s pandemic environment.

Each advisor will move through the year and into the next a little differently than the advisor next to them, and that is fine. Whether fully virtual or a hybrid, assemble the best team for you, and the best tools for your practice so you are focused and passionate about your practice’s future.

The Institute for Innovation Development is an educational and business development catalyst for growth-oriented financial advisors and financial services firms determined to lead their businesses in an operating environment of accelerating business and cultural change. We position our members with the necessary ongoing innovation resources and best practices to drive and facilitate their next-generation growth, differentiation and unique community engagement strategies. The institute was launched with the support and foresight of our founding sponsors – Perishing, Voya Financial, Ultimus Fund Solutions, Fidelity, and Charter Financial Publishing (publisher of Financial Advisor magazine). For more information, click here.

Cincinnati Enquirer – 06/20/2020

Premier Social Security Consulting of Cincinnati, which teaches the National Social Security Advisor (NSSA) program to professional advisors, will offer online instruction only during the coronavirus outbreak.

“Social Security offices nationwide have closed due to the pandemic, which makes the need for qualified advisors who know the Social Security program more valuable than ever,” said Marc Kiner of Blue Ash, partner at Premier. “We’ll resume live classes later in 2020, but for now will offer only live webinars and taped, on-demand videos. The education is the same, regardless of educational format.”

Kiner said he and Premier partner Jim Blair of Ross recognize online learning is the right solution for them and clients who interact with the elderly or people with compromised immune systems. Live teaching will resume when social distancing measures are lifted.

“We pay attention to the coronavirus situation, just as we pay attention to the details of the Social Security retirement program,” said Kiner. “Understanding Social Security is especially important for advisors in order for them to understand client issues and questions, as well as help maximize Social Security income. A little work now will help advisors come out of the pandemic sprinting, not walking.”

There are 76 million baby boomers in the U.S. today, and each day 10,000 of them turn 65 years old. Full Retirement Age (FRA) for workers to access Social Security income is between 66 and 67 years old.

“Each client is unique,” said Kiner. “Advisors must understand questions and issues relating to each and every client. Prepare now for the many questions you will receive from clients about Social Security.”

“Whether a person is single, married, divorced, a surviving spouse, has children, or is a public employee should help determine your Social Security strategy,” said Blair. “Smart advisors will get ahead of the Social Security learning curve so they can help clients maximize Social Security income by becoming qualified and competent advisors.”

Ninety percent of American workers do not maximize benefits when claiming Social Security, which can mean leaving up to $200,000 on the table during retirements that can last 20 years or longer.

NSSA Certificate Program tuition is $685 and includes education, the certificate in all instances after passing the assessment, and Premier’s Gold Standard of Support. Support includes monthly webinars with personal counsel on Social Security questions from Kiner and Blair.

“We understand that this is a difficult time, as many advisors have experienced a reduction in revenues and profits,” said Blair. “But this is also a great time for advisors to learn about Social Security in anticipation of the economy opening up later in 2020.”

Premier offers two incentives to advisors due to the coronavirus, said Kiner: a $50 discount by using discount code “covid19” and a payment plan (discount code: paymentplan) that allows for a payment of 25 percent at registration, with 75 percent payment in six months.

For information, call (513) 218-8505 or e-mail mkiner@mypremierplan.com. Visit www.premiernssa.com to register.

Melinda Zemper, Oak Tree Communications

Professional advisors attend an NSSA Social Security education certification course. (Oak Tree Communications Photo)

We understand that this is a difficult time, as many advisors have experienced a reduction in revenues and profits… But this is also a great time for advisors to learn about Social Security in anticipation of the economy opening up later in 2020.

CINCINNATI (PRWEB) JUNE 10, 2020

Premier Social Security Consulting of Cincinnati, which teaches the National Social Security Advisor (NSSA) program to professional advisors nationwide, will offer online instruction only during the coronavirus outbreak. “Social Security offices nationwide have closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which makes the need for qualified advisors who know the Social Security program more valuable than ever,” said Marc Kiner, partner at Premier. “We hope to resume our live NSSA classes later in 2020, but in the meantime, we’re offering only live webinars and taped, on-demand videos. The education is the same, regardless of educational format.”

Kiner said he and Premier partner Jim Blair enjoy teaching the National Social Security Advisor (NSSA) program in person because a live classroom setting is socially interactive and builds relationships. Still, they recognize that to help flatten the COVID-19 transmission curve, online learning is the right course for them and clients who may have connections to the elderly or those with compromised immune systems.

“We pay attention to the details of the coronavirus situation, just as we pay attention to the details of the Social Security retirement program,” said Kiner. “Understanding Social Security is especially important for advisors in order for them to understand client issues and questions, as well as to help clients maximize Social Security income. Dedicate yourself now to learning about Social Security so you can ask clients to call you with their questions and help them with their Social Security strategies. A little work now will help advisors come out of the pandemic sprinting, not walking.”

There are 76 million baby boomers in the U.S. today, and each day 10,000 of them turn 65 years old. The Full Retirement Age (FRA) for workers to access Social Security income is between 66 and 67 years old.

“Each client is unique,” said Kiner. “Advisors must understand the questions and issues related to each and every client. Don’t wait until the economy recovers and you are super busy. Prepare now for the many questions you will receive from clients about Social Security.”

Kiner, a 35-year public accountant and entrepreneur who sold his accounting firm to form Premier, and business partner Blair, a 35-year employee of the Social Security Administration and a former SSA office manager, coined the phrase “Situational Social Security” because each worker in the U.S. has a unique Social Security situation.

“Whether a person is single, married, divorced, a surviving spouse, has children, or is a public employee should help dictate your Social Security strategy,” said Blair. “Workers born before June 1, 1954 are in a slightly different category than younger workers with an FRA of between 66 and 67 years old. Smart advisors will get ahead of the Social Security learning curve so they can help clients maximize Social Security income by becoming qualified and competent advisors.”

Ninety percent of American workers do not maximize benefits when claiming Social Security, which can mean leaving up to $200,000 on the table during retirements that can last 20 years or longer.

“That’s a big chunk of money that could provide for long-term, health care expenses for yourself or loved one as you age,” said Blair.

The NSSA curriculum covers Social Security from A to Z and emphasizes Situational Social Security. At the end of the class, advisors will understand the issues and questions related to each of their clients, said Kiner.

NSSA certification program accreditation is provided by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) in Washington, D.C. Tuition for the NSSA Certificate Program is $695 and includes the education, certificate in all instances after passing the assessment, and Gold Standard of Support. Support includes monthly webinars with personal counsel on Social Security questions from Kiner and Blair.

“We understand that this is a difficult time, as many advisors have experienced a reduction in revenues and profits,” said Blair. “But this is also a great time for advisors to learn about Social Security in anticipation of the economy opening up later in 2020.”

“We’re offering two incentives to advisors due to the difficult times we have encountered,” said Kiner. “We have a $50 discount by using discount code “covid19” and a payment plan (discount code: paymentplan) that allows for a payment of 25 percent at registration and 75 percent payment in six months.”

For more information about the NSSA program, contact Kiner at (513) 218-8505 or by e-mail at mkiner@mypremierplan.com. Visit http://www.premiernssa.com to register.

Contact: Marc Kiner
Email: mkiner@mypremierplan.com
Phone: (513) 247-0526

About Premier Social Security Consulting:
Premier Social Security Consulting, LLC of Cincinnati educates professional advisors nationwide on the national Social Security program so they can counsel their clients on how to maximize Social Security income. Premier partners Marc Kiner and Jim Blair teach the NSSA certificate program.

About the National Social Security Advisor program:
Marc Kiner and Jim Blair are partners at Premier Social Security Consulting of Cincinnati, which teaches the National Social Security Advisor (NSSA) certificate program. NSSA is the nation’s only accredited Social Security education certificate program.

How much do you know about the Social Security Retirement program? Are you able to help your clients to understand and maximize the SS benefits? Do you shy away from helping clients with their SS strategies? Do you tell your clients to call SSA with questions?

Understanding Social Security is very important for advisors working with the 76 million baby boomers. Advisors must understand Situational Social Security. Every client will be in a unique Social Security situation:

• Single
• Married
• Surviving Spouse
• Divorced
• Children
• Public Employees
• Clients born by 1/1/1954
• Full Retirement Age range between 66-67

Every client is unique. Advisors must understand the questions and issues relating to each and every client. Advisors should take this time to learn about Social Security, thereby increasing value to clients. Don’t wait until the economy recovers and you are super busy. Prepare yourself now for the many questions you will receive from clients about Social Security.

Our education covers Social Security from A-Z and emphasizes Situational Social Security. At the end of our class you will understand the issues and questions relating to each of your clients. We offer our education in three formats – live classroom, live webinar and taped ondemand. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we have cancelled the live classroom format for the immediate future. We hope to resume our live classes later in 2020. Thus, we are concentrating our live webinars and taped ondemand videos. The education is the same regardless of educational format.

Tuition for the National Social Security Advisor Certificate Program is $695 and includes the education, certificate after passing the assessment and Gold Standard of Support. Support includes questions and monthly webinars. We are offering two incentives to advisors due to the difficult times we have encountered:

1. $50 discount by using discount code “covid19”
2. Payment plan (discount code is “paymentplan”)
   1. 25% at registration
   2. 75% in 6 months

We understand that this is a difficult time as many advisors have experienced a reduction in revenues and profits. This is also a great time for advisors to learn about Social Security in anticipating of the economy opening up later in 2020. Advisors should take the time now to learn about a topic that 76 million baby boomers have a vested interested to consult with a qualified and competent advisor.

Take the time to learn about Situation Social Security so you can help clients and prospects and come out of the pandemic running (sprinting), not walking.

Also, with the closure of the Social Security offices across the country, advisors have a need to seek our qualified advisors. Impress your prospects and clients with your vast understanding of Social Security. Your prospects and clients will be greatly impressed.

Take advantage of the $50 immediate discount or the payment plan. Contact Marc Kiner at 513-218-8505 or by e-mail at mkiner@mypremierplan.com with any questions. Visit www.premiernssa.com to register.

Orlando, Florida, October 22, 2019 – The Wealth Engineering Institute is pleased to announce its selection of Premier Social Security Consulting as the exclusive provider of Social Security consulting and educational services for it’s network of over 2,100 wealth management firms.

“We are excited to add Premier to our Expert Sourcing Team,” said WEI CEO and Managing Partner, Nick Gregory, ChWE, CEBA, ChFWA. “Social Security Consulting and Education are extremely important for advisors serving the needs of 76+ million baby boomers. Social Security “knowledge” is a necessity when it comes to comprehensive financial management. Premier Social Security Consulting’s national presence and expertise in this market make them a natural fit for our team.” Premier Social Security Consulting also offers advisors the ability to earn the National Social Security Advisor Certificate. To date, over 2,000 certificates have been awarded to advisors nationwide.

Premier’s president, Marc Kiner, added, “Our mission, pure and simple, is to help folks across the country maximize their Social Security benefits by educating their financial advisors. We are honored to join the WEI Expert Sourcing Team.”

With this announcement, Premier Social Security Consulting joins an arsenal of best-of-breed expert sourcing firms that provide a vast array of services to WEI’s network of wealth management firms, accounting firms, investment and insurance advisors and attorneys across the nation. The result is the fusion of advanced knowledge, experience, services, and products with sound engineering principles to create a synchronized hub for family and business wealth building.

Premier Social Security Consulting LLC is the leader in Social Security consulting and education. To date, more than 5,000 advisors have attended Premier’s Social Security education programs nationwide. Every client has a unique Social Security situation. Therefore, our education platform focuses on Situational Social Security Planning. Advisors attend the training and also receive support thru one-ono-one advice and monthly webinars. Advisors learn the ins and outs of Social Security; increasing their value to clients. Owners, Mr. Kiner and Mr. Blair also created the National Social Security Advisor Certificate program. This educational program received accreditation by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence and is the only accredited educational program in the nation. For additional information relating to our suite of services visit www.premiersocialsecurityconsulting.com and for information relating to the National Social Security Advisor Certificate program visit www.premiernssa.com.

Headquartered in Orlando, FL, the Wealth Engineering Institute (WEI) serves over 2,200 wealth management firms, investment and insurance advisor, CPAs and attorneys across the nation. WEI helps these professionals harmonize the complex wealth of families and businesses through the organization’s Wealth Engineering Process. WEI is also the governing body and grantor of the Chartered Wealth Engineer (ChFE) professional designation. For more information about The Wealth Engineering Institute, visit thefei.com or call 407.878.3520.

Jim Blair was recently asked to help answer a reader’s question for InvestmentNews.com. The reader’s client had a difficult and nuanced case regarding their divorce and how that should affect their Social Security strategy moving forward. While the situation may seem straightforward, there are some exceptions that would allow them to take better advantage of their benefits. Read Jim’s response here.