What’s a CRPC and why should you care?

Quick notes

• A CRPC gets to know your pre- and post-retirement needs
• You get a customized road map for retirement

When’s the last time you thought about retirement?

Even if retirement seems a long time away, or you can’t picture not having to work one day, you need to start planning now. Although it’s easier to put off something that may not happen for decades, the more time you have to plan, the better.

You probably have no idea where to begin with something as overwhelming as knowing how much money you’ll need to live on in the future. That’s why you should look into working with a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC). They spend years training to help people like you plan for their retirement needs and never have to work again.

What can a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor do for you?

Since you don’t want to work forever, you can hire a CRPC to help plan for retirement. They specialize in getting to you know your pre- and post-retirement needs on a deep level and finding ways to solve your financial concerns.

Basically, a CRPC’s job is to create a road map for your retirement, so you have a big enough pile of money to continue living the way you do once you stop working. After all, you don’t want to stop eating the food you love or going to the places you enjoy just because you plan to stop working one day.

What exactly does your CPRC need to know about you to help with retirement planning? Well, your personal savings and sources of retirement income are essential. These may include Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), employer-sponsored retirement plans like a 401(k), annuities or pensions.

Your CPRC also needs to consider which activities you want to participate in once you quit your job forever. You might want to travel the world, invest in art, or do something else that costs money.

How can you find a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor?

How do you go about finding the CRPC who’s right for you? You need to invest the time determining your needs and finding a nearby CRPC who can fill them. Not doing your homework before hiring someone will leave you unsatisfied with your services.

Go online to find a matching service that provides information about CRPCs in your area. Check out the professional’s services, years of experience, professional qualifications, and more. Then, use FINRA BrokerCheck to ensure the CRPC and their firm are properly registered. Repeat the process until you have a few individuals you want to meet.

Set up a meeting with each CRPC to ask them questions. For instance, which investment products and services do they offer? Does the CRPC charge an hourly fee, flat rate, commission on investment products they sell you, or a combination of fees and commissions? Does the CRPC have any disciplinary actions, arbitration awards, or customer complaints against them?

Compare what you learn with what you read in BrokerCheck and other third-party sources. Continue to do your homework until you find the CRPC you’re comfortable with. Hire them. Then start planning for all the fun things you’ll be doing during retirement.

A deeper dive — Related reading from the 101:

• The top 3 things that impact how long your retirement savings will last | Finance 101
  How your expenses, retirement income, and ability to leverage assets affect your retirement savings.
• 3 tips to save the most you can for retirement | Finance 101
  How to take advantage of compound interest, invest in employer-sponsored retirement plans, and find small ways to increase income and decrease expenses.
• Falling behind on retirement? Here’s how to catch up | Finance 101
  Simple ways to save for retirement at any age, such as opening up an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).