Investment Adviser Representative (IAR) Continuing Education FAQ
Every Investment Adviser Representative (IAR) registered in a state that has adopted the NASAA IAR Continuing Education Model Rule must complete annual IAR CE requirements.
A common misconception is that the requirement depends on where your firm is registered. In reality, the requirement is based on the states where you, the individual IAR, are registered, regardless of where your advisory firm is located.
The jurisdictions listed below have informed NASAA they have an IAR CE requirement.
Jurisdictions
- Arkansas (effective in 2023)
- California (effective in 2024)
- Colorado (effective in 2024)
- Florida (effective in 2024)
- Hawaii (effective in 2024)
- Illinois (effective 1/1/2026)
- Indiana (effective in 2027)
- Kentucky (effective in 2023)
- Maryland (effective in 2022)
- Michigan (effective in 2023)
- Minnesota (effective in 2025)
- Mississippi (effective in 2022)
- Nebraska (effective in 2025)
- Nevada (effective in 2024)
- New Jersey (effective in 2025)
- North Dakota (effective in 2024)
- Oklahoma (effective in 2023)
- Oregon (effective in 2023)
- Rhode Island (effective in 2025)
- South Carolina (effective in 2023)
- Tennessee (effective in 2024)
- Vermont (effective in 2022)
- Washington, D.C. (effective in 2023)
- Wisconsin (effective in 2023)
U.S. Virgin Islands (effective in 2025)
Click here for the most updated list with interactive map from NASAA: IAR CE Map - NASAA
Most IARs must complete 12 credits each calendar year, including:
- 6 credits of Products & Practice
- 6 credits of Ethics & Professional Responsibility
The credits must be completed in both categories. For example, earning 8 Products & Practice credits and 4 Ethics credits does not satisfy the annual requirement.
Products & Practice courses focus on investment products, planning strategies, regulatory developments, compliance practices, and advisor competency.
Ethics & Professional Responsibility courses focus on fiduciary duties, ethical decision-making, professional conduct, and responsibilities owed to clients.
Yes. Financial Experts Network offers NASAA-approved IAR CE through both live webinars and self-study programs.
Each eligible program clearly identifies whether it qualifies for:
- Products & Practice
- Ethics & Professional Responsibility
No. You may complete your required credits through any NASAA-approved provider(s). Many advisors choose Financial Experts Network for part or all of their annual requirement.
Your CRD number is your unique FINRA registration number.
When registering for IAR CE, please provide your individual CRD number, not your firm's CRD number, so your credits can be reported correctly.
If you don't know your CRD number, you can locate it through FINRA BrokerCheck.
After you successfully complete an eligible IAR CE program and provide your correct CRD number, Financial Experts Network reports your completion to FINRA's CRD system within a week.
Generally, no.
For NASAA-approved IAR CE courses, approved course providers report completions directly to FINRA. Advisors do not self-report these course completions.
You can monitor your IAR CE status through your FINRA FinPro account.
Visit:
https://www.finra.org/registration-exams-ce/finpro
Your reported courses and current IAR CE status will appear there after processing.
Financial Experts Network charges separate CE submission fees for IAR CE reporting.
FINRA CE Processing Fees
Financial Experts Network passes through third-party FINRA CE processing fees when FINRA CE credits are reported.
| Program Type | FINRA CE Fee |
|---|---|
| Live Webinar | $5 per credit |
| Standard Self-Study | $5 per credit |
| Premium Self-Study | $10 per credit |
| Premium Plus Self-Study | $15 per credit |
Note: These fees are in addition to any Financial Experts Network membership or program fees.
Yes. NASAA permits approved self-study courses to satisfy IAR CE requirements, provided the course has been approved for IAR CE credit. Financial Experts Network offers eligible self-study programs that meet these requirements.
No. Credits earned beyond your annual requirement cannot be carried forward to a future year.
Failure to complete your annual IAR CE requirement may result in your registration becoming CE Inactive and could eventually affect your ability to renew your IAR registration if deficiencies are not resolved.
No. Completing the same NASAA-approved course more than once does not earn additional IAR CE credit. Each course must have a unique course identification number.
Self-Study Questions
Yes. You may pause a self-study video at any time and return later to continue where you left off. This allows you to complete the course at your own pace.
For CE self-study courses, the quiz contains 10 questions per CE credit.
Examples:
- 1-credit course: 10 questions
- 2-credit course: 20 questions
Most quizzes consist of multiple-choice questions. Some older IAR CE courses may include True/False questions.
You must score 70% or higher to successfully complete the quiz.
You receive two attempts to achieve a passing score of 70% or higher.
If you do not pass after two attempts, please contact Financial Experts Network. In accordance with NASAA and CFP Board requirements, you will need to re-review the course materials and video before another quiz attempt can be provided.
Yes. If additional attempts are required, you will be asked to review the course materials and video before another quiz attempt is made available.
Once you have successfully completed the course and passed the quiz, we will report your CE credit to the appropriate organization. CE reporting is typically completed within approximately one week (usually every Friday), although reporting times may vary depending on the provider.
Yes. Financial Experts Network also offers live CE-eligible webinars throughout the year. Many members find these to be a convenient alternative to completing self-study courses. Check the webinar calendar for upcoming live CE programs.
We're happy to help! Please contact Financial Experts Network if you have any questions about accessing courses, completing quizzes, or CE reporting.
Continuing Education Credits
Yes. Nearly all of our live webinars provide subscribers continuing education (a.k.a. "CE") credits. Financial Experts Network is an approved CE provider with the CFP Board and NASAA (IAR). Advisors with CLU, ChFC, RICP and CDFA designations may satisfy their CE requirements by submitting Financial Experts certificates of attendance.
Yes and no. We do submit CE credits for all with the CFP and IAR designation. This includes credits for both live and self-study programs.
For all other designations, we provide a certificate of attendance that you use to self-report your credits.
Yes, we are approved CPE provider registered with NASBA. We provide certificates of attendance that you use to self-report your CPE credits.
You can check on how many credits you've earned by logging into your Financial Experts account. Once you are logged in, simply click on the "Continuing Education credits" field on your dashboard.
In addition to membership fees, Financial Experts Network does pass-through charges imposed by third-parties like the CFP Board, Finra , and the IRS for processing CE credits.
CE / CPE Credit Processing Fees
Financial Experts Network passes through third-party CE processing fees charged by organizations such as the CFP Board, FINRA, and the IRS.
Live Webinar Fees
| Credit Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| CFP CE Credits | $2 per credit |
| FINRA / IRS CE Credits | $5 per credit |
Self-Study Fees
| Program Type | CFP CE Fee | FINRA CE Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Self-Study | $5 per credit* | $5 per credit |
| Premium Self-Study | $10 per credit | $10 per credit |
| Premium Plus Self-Study | $15 per credit | $15 per credit |
* Members who joined before 9/1/2023 pay $3 per CFP credit for Standard Self-Study sessions.
No. All CE credits earned through Financial Experts Network must be self-reported to The American College. Certificates of completion for each program are available on your member dashboard for your records and reporting purposes.
If you hold a designation through The American College and are completing CE courses for recertification, please contact The American College directly at recertification@theamericancollege.edu for guidance on their self-reporting process.
General Questions
The Financial Experts Network utilizes a "network" of subject matter experts to educate financial professionals so they can better serve their clients. Since its launch in 2008, Financial Experts' live webinars have drawn over 80,000 financial professionals to over 500 educational webinars.
Tom Dickson founded the Financial Experts webinar series in 2008. He has had the good fortune of working in many aspects of the financial services industry during his 40-year career. Over half that career has been spent educating financial advisors.
There are at least 3 things that make Financial Experts unique. One is its use of true subject matter experts to educate our professional listeners. A second unique aspect is our emphasis on live webinars, not replays. This allows for meaningful interaction that allows listeners to get their question answered by the expert. The third would be the quality of the strategies and insights delivered by the experts, as evidenced by the fact that 90% of our listeners, when surveyed, say they've learned something from a Financial Experts webinar that helps them better serve their clients.
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