A valuable resource designed to provide the in-depth knowledge and practical skills for both students and practitioners to become retirement planning specialists

by Kenn B. Tacchino, JD, LLM
Professor of Taxation and Financial Planning, Widener University
Editor, Journal of Financial Service Professionals

Published by FSP, a NAIFA Community 

This ebook provides practitioners and students preparing to be financial planners the information and insights they need to serve their clients with state-of-the-art thinking; content is designed to form a firm foundation of the knowledge needed to sit for the CFP® examination. Professor Tacchino creates a superior learning environment by presenting the information in his unique style, using techniques that facilitate acquiring and retaining knowledge.

With learning objectives and content in close alignment with CFP Board requirements, plus an array of learner-friendly tools employed by the author, Retirement Plans and Retirement Planning offers unique advantages over currently available resources in this subject area:

• Fully updated to incorporate the 2025 indexed retirement and Social Security numbers
• Includes latest guidance on SECURE 2.0
• Over 500 real-world examples to clarify major concepts in practical terms
• Multiple strategies to enable the financial planner to offer clients the best practices in the profession
• Over 100 tables and checklists summarize the information and guide the financial professional in how to “check the boxes” for their clients
• Succinct “bottom line” summaries that help emphasize learning the material rather than just reading Tax Code explanations
• Highlighted key vocabulary terms to help master the “language of retirement”

Each of the 20 chapters focuses on preparing the reader to become a specialist on key topics. The text also contains practice management and ethics sidebars that can add value to a financial service practice.

NAIFA Members: As a benefit of membership, a discounted rate is being offered. To purchase the ebook for $75, click here to request a special coupon code.

Instructors: In addition to the resources mentioned, there is equal focus on educator-friendly features that will foster effective instruction. An Instructor’s edition is available at no cost to educators. Click here to request a review copy.

Financial Professionals and Students interested in more information or to purchase a copy of the book, click here.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Retirement Plan Specialist and Retirement Planning Specialist
Chapter 2: Plan Choice Specialist
Chapter 3: Defined-Benefit Specialist
Chapter 4: 401(k) Specialist
Chapter 5: Small-Business Specialist
Chapter 6: Business Owner Specialist
Chapter 7: Niche Market Specialist
Chapter 8: Nonqualified Plan Benefits Specialist
Chapter 9: Plan Design Specialist
Chapter 10: Plan Administration Specialist
Chapter 11: Plan Participant Specialist
Chapter 12: Social Security Specialist
Chapter 13: Medicare Specialist
Chapter 14: IRA Specialist
Chapter 15:  Calculating Retirement Needs Specialist
Chapter 16: Rollover Specialist
Chapter 17: Distribution Specialist
Chapter 18: Retirement Income Specialist
Chapter 19: Retirement Housing Specialist
Chapter 20: Financial Elder Abuse Specialist
Index

About the Author

Kenn B. Tacchino, JD, LLM, is the Boettner/Gregg Endowed Professor in Financial Planning at Widener University’s School of Business Administration, where he teaches courses in taxation, pensions and retirement planning, and financial planning. Professor Tacchino also serves as editor of the prestigious Journal of Financial Service Professionals, a position he has held for 25 years.

As a consultant to The American College for Financial Services, Professor Tacchino was instrumental in creating the Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP) designation, one of the fastest growing designations in the financial planning field.

He is the author of hundreds of articles on retirement planning, employee benefits, and financial planning, and has been published in the Journal of Financial Service Professionals, Benefits Quarterly, Journal of Personal Finance, and the Journal of Financial Planning.

Professor Tacchino has won awards for both his teaching and his scholarly writing. He is a graduate of Muhlenberg College (BA), Western New England School of Law (JD), and Widener University School of Law (LLM in Taxation). Professor Tacchino is a retired member of the New Jersey Bar. 

---

Contributing Author

Steve Parrish, JD, RICP, CLU, ChFC, AEP, is adjunct professor of advanced planning and codirector of the American College Center for Retirement Income. His areas of expertise include business planning, executive compensation, life insurance law, nonprofit management philanthropy, Social Security, and wealth management. With 40 years’ experience as an attorney and financial planner, Professor Parrish is a recognized industry authority, spokesperson, and author serving as an ongoing author for both Forbes.com and the Journal of Financial Service Professionals. Professor Parrish was employed at Principal Financial Group from February 1997 until June, 2015. He received his B.A., cum laude, from Saint Olaf College, and his Juris Doctor from the William Mitchell College of Law.