Quest CE

This year at Quest CE we have a great deal to be thankful for. Within the past few months we have celebrated our 5th Anniversary as Quest Continuing Education Solutions; awarded one of the ”Top Milwaukee Workplaces” by the Milwaukee Business Journal; and honored on Inc. Magazine’s 500|5000 List of the Fastest Growing Private Companies in America.

However, we would not have been able to accomplish this without our clients. It has been a pleasure to work with you and we truly value your business. At Quest CE, we strive to satisfy our clients by providing a level of customer service unparalleled in this industry.

We would like to show our appreciation by extending to you a 10%* discount on our suite of products listed below:

• Instructor Filings
• New Course Filings
• Custom Course Authoring
• Voucher Card Orders
• Custom Portal Development
• Quest Proprietary Course Licensing
• Firm Element Training
• ACM - Annual Compliance Meeting
• ACQ - Annual Compliance Questionnaire
• NA - Needs Analysis Survey
• OBA’s - Outside Business Activities
• G&E’s - Gifts and Entertainment
• AML – Anti-Money Laundering Training
• State Insurance Training

As an additional thank you to our retail customers, we are proud to offer a 10%* discount on our CE courses at learn.questce.com during the month of September. Simply use the discount code “THANKYOU” during checkout to receive the discount.

For more information on this limited special promotion, please contact Quest CE at 877-593-3366 or e-mail us at info@questce.com.

We are happy to have served you in the past, and we look forward to continuing to meet your Continuing Education needs in the future.

* Discount not applicable to State Fees

The CFP Board announced upcoming changes to CFP Board’s continuing education policies. The following is an overview of some changes that went into effect January 1, 2010:

•    CE Sponsor registration with CFP Board is required on an annual, calendar year basis.
•    CE programs offered by registered CE Sponsors must be registered with CFP Board on an annual, calendar year basis, with program application fees determined by the length of each individual program (number of hours).
•    The CFP Board discontinued the “Web link” option and associated fee for CE Sponsors who wished to have their Web site appear as a link on CFP Board’s listings of CE Sponsors; CFP Board’s Web site will hold links for all sponsors who provide valid Web site addresses.

The updated policies were established by the CFP Board in an effort to best meet the needs of a growing sponsor registry, to ensure the ongoing widespread availability of quality continuing education options, and to maintain the standards the CFP Board has established.

CFP Board Contact Information:

1425 K Street Ste 500
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 800-487-1497
Phone: 202-379-2200
Fax: 202-379-2299
email: renewal@CFPBoard.org
Information: info@CFPBoard.org
Website: www.cfp.net

The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) recently approved a model rule prohibiting the misleading use of senior and retiree designations following widespread sales of unsuitable annuity products to the elderly in recent years. Several states have already adopted a roughly similar rule, including Washington state, Massachusetts, and most recently, Virginia. IMCA’s designations do not contain the words “retired,” “senior,” or any other similar term, so they are not subject to the model rule, or the rules adopted by the aforementioned states. However, IMCA supports the model rule because it outlines some key “best practices” that can be used to assess ALL financial services designations.

• Reasonable standards or procedures for assuring the competency of its designees—CIMA designees must successfully pass a level one examination and a three-hour examination administered on the final day of their level two education program; CPWA designees must successfully pass a four-hour examination.
• Reasonable standards or procedures for monitoring and disciplining its designees for improper or unethical conduct—IMCA has a clear way for the public to report a complaint against a CIMA or CPWA professional. An independent peer-review group is charged with determining whether allegations are justified and whether the unethical conduct warrants disciplinary action.
• Reasonable continuing education requirements for its designees to maintain the designation—CIMA and CPWA designees are required to earn a minimum of 40 hours of continuing education every two years.

Gary Diffendaffer Joins IMCA
New Director of Certification will Manage Growth and Advancement of IMCA Designations

Gary L. Diffendaffer, CFP^®, joined IMCA’s staff in April as director of certification. In this role, Diffendaffer will assume responsibility for the growth and continued development of the Certified Investment Management Analyst^SM, or CIMA^®, and Chartered Private Wealth Advisor^SM, or CPWA^SM, designation programs.

Diffendaffer previously served as executive vice president of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board). From July 2003 to November of 2004 he assumed CEO responsibilities on an interim basis and retired in 2005 after ten years at CFP Board.