Self-Study is the first step in your training and is available in electronic form on ACPConnect. ACP suggests you read through the modules in chronological order, completing each quiz as you go. Email the quiz(zes) to your ACP Member Concierge who will grade and return them, as well as inform you of available CE credits. You may choose to do the Bennett Case Study assignments that pertain to each chapter as you go along or later in your training.
Administrative Issues
This module helps you establish the compliance and administrative systems you need for an efficient practice, whether you're starting your practice from scratch or making changes to your existing practice.
The Preliminary Appointment
Your first face-to-face contact with prospective clients is likely to be at the preliminary appointment, and your only agenda during this meeting is to determine if what they truly need matches what you have to offer. This module helps you more effectively identify the clients you want to work with.
The Presentation Appointment
In order to grow your practice, you must be able to demonstrate your value, justify your fee, and close the deal. This module provides you with a proven presentation script and tips for using the ACP Fee Calculator and cost benefit analysis.
The Paid First Appointment (Optional)
This module provides an option for advisors who are busy enough that time management is essential. This appointment involves asking all potential clients to identify their three burning financial issues, scheduling one meeting and giving recommendations about those issues. This saves time by combining the preliminary appointment and presentation appointment.
The Getting to Know Your Client Appointment
Getting to know your client is one of the most important aspects of what we do as financial planners. The purpose of this appointment is to elicit information from your client about their financial and life goals, dreams, needs, family, and future.
Integrating Taxes
A key component of the ACP System is integrating taxes into the planning process. Whether or not you choose to include tax preparation services in your retainer, this module helps you better identify the tax implications of financial planning decisions, provide tax-saving strategies to your clients, and ensure that your clients' progress toward their goals is not hindered by tax issues.
The Portfolio Analysis Appointment
The ACP approach to investing is markedly different from what you typically hear about in the industry. Our approach is based on Functional Asset Allocation and emphasizes endogenous factors—what the client can control—such as how much they earn, how much they pay in taxes, and being a savvy consumer.
The Record Keeping & Cash Flow Appointment
Two subjects which may not be flashy but can be a major source of pain and financial dysfunction for your clients. This module gives you tools for helping clients organize their important documents and provides creative strategies for managing cash flow and intervening with clients who have spending problems.
The Insurance Review Appointment
Most people get advice about insurance only from someone who's trying to sell it to them. This module will help you learn to use ACP insurance analysis tools and make insurance recommendations* based on covering true economic risk.
The Estate Planning Appointment
Help your clients think through the financial obligations that survive them and the financial and personal legacies they want to leave. They will be better prepared to meet with an attorney to draft their estate planning documents and will better understand what they are signing.
The Retirement Planning Appointment
The Retirement Planning Appointment covers two different retirement planning philosophies and their associated retirement funding methodologies. Both approaches are incorporated into the ACP Retirement Analyzer, which can be used to answer many different questions about your clients’ financial preparedness for retirement, and which is adaptable to clients in a wide variety of situations.
The Goals Visualization Appointment
The Goals Visualization appointment can literally change clients' lives. Going far beyond the typical financial goals, the powerful exercise described in this module helps your clients articulate what their money is really for—what it is that brings them the most satisfaction and defines success at the deepest level.
The Investment Strategy and Implementation Appointment
The ACP approach to investing, and the tools that help you implement it, help set you apart from other financial planners and investment managers. This module delves into the issues of money personality, financial dysfunction, the fundamentals of fiscal fitness and the financial life cycle.
*Your state may require you to hold an insurance sales or insurance counselor's license to review and provide insurance recommendations.
The Bond Ladder Strategy and Implementation
This module will review how the Bond Ladder plays a role in both investment allocation and retirement planning. In Functional Asset Allocation, the bond ladder, as well as the client’s ready cash and emergency fund cash, comprise the foundation of the interest-earning assets in the client’s net worth as represented on the ACP Pyramid.
The Renewal Years
Renewal years are the time to teach your clients to use the open part of the open retainer by contacting you before making any big decision involving money. You become very valuable when you save clients from making costly choices
Successful Marketing
The goal of this module is to help you use your marketing time and resources most effectively. Identify your target market. Determine your package of services. Develop a pricing strategy. Plan your practice promotion. The Successful Marketing workbook offers you a reliable system for marketing your practice.