Roy Simmons of Northwestern Mutual is the First to Earn the Retirement Income Certified Professional® Designation From The American College
BRYN MAWR, PA – April 11, 2013 – The American College is proud to announce that Roy Simmons, RICP®, ChFC®, CLU®, CASL®, CFP®, an Associate Wealth Management Advisor at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management in Columbia, SC is the first individual in the nation to earn the institution’s prestigious Retirement Income Certified Professional®, (RICP®) designation.
The RICP® educational curricula is the most complete and comprehensive program available to professional financial advisors looking to help their clients create sustainable retirement income. The rigorous three-course credential helps advisors master retirement income planning, a key focus area not fully covered in other professional designation programs. From retirement portfolio management techniques and mitigation of plan risks to the proper use of annuities, employer-sponsored benefits and determining the best Social Security claiming age, the RICP® provides a wealth of practical information for advisors. Candidates for the RICP® designation must complete a minimum of three advanced college-level courses and pass six hours of proctored examinations in order to earn the credential.
“It is a tremendous honor to be the very first RICP®,” said Simmons. “This program is unique in that you can take the educational material from the RICP® and apply it on the job right away. The knowledge I gained through earning the Retirement Income Certified Professional® credential and the other designations I earned through The American College have helped me to become a more effective wealth management advisor.”
Simmons graduated from Emory and Henry College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. He joined Aetna Life and Casualty in Charlotte, North Carolina, as a Casualty Claim Representative shortly after graduation and took his first American College course “Group Insurance” while serving as a consultant in Aetna’s home office in Hartford, Connecticut. Simmons later left Aetna to return to Columbia, South Carolina.
After working for 15 years at Bell Aviation as the organization’s Chief Financial Officer, Simmons went to work for George Starnes, MSFS, AEP, ChFC®, CLU® and David Van De Water CLU®, ChFC®, as an Associate Wealth Management Advisor for Northwestern Mutual. He quickly realized that the easiest way to achieve his professional goals was to complete the ChFC®, CLU®, and CASL® coursework he had begun years before. Simmons achieved those designations and the CFP® designation within 16 months of starting work at Northwestern Mutual.
Within three days of Simmons groundbreaking educational achievement, 10 other individuals earned their RICP® designations from The American College. They included:
• Karen Birr, CASL®, ChFC®, CLU®, CAP®, RICP®, Retirement and Estate Specialist, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
• Christopher Civale, CFP®, RICP®, Private Wealth Advisor, Ameriprise Financial, Raynham, Massachusetts.
• Kevin S. Dodge, RICP®, Investment Executive, LPL Financial, Clio, Michigan.
• S. Allen Laramy, ChFC®, CLU®, RICP®, Financial Advisor, First Command Financial, Leesville, Louisiana.
• Shane McCann, RICP®, Founder, Montana Retirement Income Advisory, Missoula, Montana
• James Petersen, RICP®, MSFS, MSM, ChFC®, CLU®, CASL®, CLF®, Registered Principal and District Advisor, First Command Financial Services, Tampa, Florida.
• Mabry “Trip” Phillips, RICP®, Registered Principal, Harbor Financial Services, LLC, Montgomery, Alabama.
• Brian Power, CFP®, RICP®, Financial Advisor, Ameriprise Financial, Cedar Falls, Iowa.
• Matthew Swarbrick, RICP®, Financial Consultant, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Arlington, Texas.
• Bradford Tharp, ChFC®, CLU®, RICP®, Financial Advisor, LPL Financial, LLC, Canal Winchester, Ohio.
"We are very proud of all of our RICP® graduates. Their hard work and dedication in completing this rigorous program will help them create retirement security for individuals, families and businesses. We wish them every success as they go on to pursue careers as knowledgeable and successful financial professionals,” said Dr. Walt Woerheide, CFP®, Dean and Vice President of Academics at The American College.
The American College is the nation’s largest non-profit educational institution devoted to financial services. Holding the highest level of academic accreditation, The College has served as a valued business partner to banks, brokerage firms, insurance companies and others for over 86 years. The American College’s faculty represents some of the financial services industry’s foremost thought leaders. For more information, visit TheAmericanCollege.edu
Contact:
Eric B. Gordon
Assistant Vice President for Communications
(610) 526-1450
[email protected]
