Ginger Merkel

Certified Financial Planner^TM or CFP^®
Accredited Domestic Partnership Advisor^SM or ADPA^®
Retirement Income Certified Professional^® or RICP^®
Chartered Financial Consultant^® or ChFC^®

Licenses: Life and Health Insurance

Registrations: Series 7, 63 and 65

What Do These Accreditations Mean & Why Are They Important?

CFP^® - CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM

What is it?
A Financial Advisor with a CFP^® certification has demonstrated extensive knowledge and skill in analyzing and developing personal, long-term financial strategies for clients. Awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., the CFP^®certification is one of the most recognized certifications in the financial services industry. To earn the CFP^® certification, a Financial Advisor has met rigorous education, examination, experience and ethics requirements.

Why is it important?
The CFP^® certification requires that a candidate agree to adhere to the CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility  and to Financial Planning Practice Standards . A CFP^® professional must also acknowledge the CFP Board's right to enforce this code of ethics and practice standards.

CRPC^® - CHARTERED RETIREMENT PLANNING COUNSELOR^®

What is it?
CRPC^® is a professional designation awarded by the College for Financial Planning to individuals who complete a graduate-level study program and examination for retirement planning. Once awarded, CRPC^® professionals must complete 16 hours of continuing education every two years. CRPC^® is one of the most widely recognized retirement planning credentials.
 
Why is it important?
Financial Advisors face an increasingly complex onslaught of retirement planning questions as aging baby boomers look for investments to meet their lifestyle needs in 10 to 20 years as well as determining when they can actually retire

A Financial Advisor with the CRPC^® designation, is qualified to help in every step of the retirement planning process and has learned to create a “roadmap to retirement” for clients. Additionally, designees are required to participate in continuing education and adhere to ethical standards set forth by the College for Financial Planning. The College for Financial Planning's renewal requirements meet or exceed the defined standards for credentialing set forth by most regulatory bodies. Keeping current with industry changes is crucial to the success and reliability of any professional.

ADPA^® or ACCREDITED DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP ADVISOR^SM

What is it?
The Accredited Domestic Partnership Advisor^SM or ADPA^®)  professional education program is the first and only financial education program specifically focused on the unique needs of domestic partners (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals and heterosexual couples who have chosen not to marry.

Why is it important?
Specifically covered are factors and situations that cause financial planning for domestic partners to be different from financial planning for legally married spouses. These include wealth transfer, taxation, retirement planning, estate planning, as well as alternative planning solutions for these situations.

RICP^® or RETIRMENT INCOME CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL^®

What is it?
An RICP^® designee is trained to understand how to structure effective retirement income plans, how to mitigate risks to the plan, and how to create a sustainable stream of income to last throughout a client's retirement years.

Why is it important?
Educational Requirements: Requires three college-level courses with anticipated total study and preparation time of 150 hours. The three courses are: Retirement Income Process, Strategies & Solutions; Sources of Retirement Income; and Managing the Retirement Income Plan.

Ethics: Designees must adhere to The American College's Code of Ethics, which includes the following professional pledge: “I shall, in light of all conditions surrounding those I serve, which I shall make every conscientious effort to ascertain and understand, render that service which, in the same circumstances, I would apply to myself.”

ChFC^® or Chartered Financial Consultant^®

What is it?
The Chartered Financial Consultant® or ChFC® is a professional designation awarded by the American College to individuals who completed a college-level curriculum focused on practical application and real-life case studies. 

The financial planning strategies taught in the eight-course ChFC® program prepares one to advise a full range of potential clients on a diverse set of financial matters.  For those who already have earned the CFR® designation, the FA can earn the ChFC® by taking a single course – “Contemporary Applications in Financial Planning”. 

Why is it important?
The ChFC® designee gains expertise in the following areas:  the financial planning process, risk management strategies, income tax strategies, retirement planning strategies, investment strategies, estate and gift-tax planning strategies, personal financial planning strategies as well as specialized strategies, including aiding divorcees and blended families, financial planning for families with special needs, serving the unique challenges of non-traditional families and LGBTQ clients, addressing the unique challenges associated with modern retirement income portfolios and applying behavioral finance strategies.  

REGISTRATIONS: SERIES 7, 63 & 65

What is it and why it is important?
Series 7, 63 & 65 are examinations offered by FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The Series 7 Examination is the General Securities Representative Qualification Examination. The Series 63 is the Uniform Securities State Law Examination.  Series 63 is a securities license entitling the holder to solicit orders for any type of security in a particular state.  The Series 65 Examination is the Uniform Investment Adviser Law Examination. Both are intended to safeguard the investing public by helping to ensure that General Securities Representatives and Uniform Investment Advisors are competent to perform their jobs.