NAPA members, NAPA Firm Partners, and advisors with an NQPA™ Education Sponsor Enrollment Code can access the program at no cost.
Don’t have an enrollment code?
Purchase the course from the ARA Marketplace.
Curriculum
NAPA provides study materials to help individuals prepare for the NQPA™ certification exam. The NQPA-1: Plan Fundamentals online course, NQPA-2: Advanced Plan Design online course, and the resource guides in each course are the preferred study materials for the examination.
Both online courses are divided into five modules, and each contains a resource guide focused on examination content. Here is the breakdown of the NQPA™ study materials:
NQPA-1: Plan Fundamentals Online Course
Module 1: An Introduction to Nonqualified Plans
In this module, you will learn the basics qualified plan advisors need to employ nonqualified plans as an effective business building opportunity.
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Understand the fundamentals of recognizing and successfully marketing nonqualified plans
Module 2: Nonqualified Plan Fundamentals
In this module, you will learn about the factors that influence the design of nonqualified (NQ) plans.
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Understand the regulatory, operational, and plan design concepts essential for nonqualified plan advisors to know.
Module 3: Plan Design Provisions
In this module, you will learn about the unique provisions of nonqualified plan design.
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Highlight the unique provisions of nonqualified plan design such as: types of compensation, deferral election timing, permitted distribution triggers, rules against changing elected deferrals, prohibitions against accelerating benefits, earning crediting methodologies, and vesting.
Module 4: Nonqualified Plan Tax Considerations and Plan Financing
In this module, you will learn about nonqualified plan tax considerations and plan financing for both plan participants and plan sponsors.
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Examine plan tax considerations, approaches to plan financing, nonqualified trusts and guarantees, and nonqualified plan errors, corrections and audits.
Module 5: Plan Marketing and Implementation
In this module, you will learn about plan marketing and implementation through the eyes of five (5) advisors as they introduce nonqualified plans to prospective sponsors.
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Recognize the stages of marketing a nonqualified plan to a prospective plan sponsor: prospect, approach, discover, model, and create
- Identify the plan implementation process, components, and typical timeline
- Appraise several key types of nonqualified plans
NQPA-2: Advanced Plan Designs
Module 1: Employer Incentive & Equity Plans
In this module, you will explore nonqualified incentive and equity plans. Incentive and equity plans can be used to build company benefits that incentivize key aspects of performance, thus boosting business goals and rewarding employees for their role in the success of the business.
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Compare and contrast different types of plans including: long-term incentive plans (LTIPs), stock appreciation rights (SARs), phantom stock, restricted stock awards (RSAs), restricted stock units (RSUs), incentive stock options (ISOs), nonstatutory options (NSOs)
- Identify the incentive or equity plan that would best achieve a client’s primary goals and objectives
Module 2: Life Insurance and Informal Funding of Nonqualified Plans
In this module, you will learn about Corporate Owned Life Insurance (COLI) can informally fund a nonqualified deferred compensation plan.
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Identify key attributes of life insurance
- Describe the use of life insurance as a method of funding a nonqualified plan
- Explore alternative plan design options that might use corporate owned life insurance (COLI) such as: restrictive endorsement bonus arrangements (REBA) and split dollar arrangements
Module 3: Nonprofits and Rabbi Trusts
In this module, you will learn about nonqualified deferred compensation plans within nonprofit organizations.
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Describe how IRC 457 governs nonprofit organization nonqualified plans including deferral limits, vesting, taxation, catch-up contributions, and required minimum distributions (RMDs)
- Understand that nonprofit organizations compensation reporting on IRS Form 990 can influence nonqualified plan development
- Describe key considerations for establishing a Rabbi Trust
Module 4: Income Tax & Accounting
In this module, you will learn about tax implication and accounting considerations for nonqualified deferred compensation plans.
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Describe the application and calculation of FICA taxation using the special timing rule and the impact of present value versus whole dollar, the non-duplication rule, and potential reporting benefits when income has created Top Hat Status for a plan participant
- Explain the two different methodologies of FICA tax reporting available when deferred compensation balances ultimately vest; the lag method and the estimated method.
- Describe how nondeferred compensation plans are accounted for on the plan sponsor’s balance sheet and income statement
Module 5: Case Studies
In this module, you will review what you have learned by taking a closer look at case studies focusing on 457(f) plans, endorsement split dollar arrangements, collateral assignment split dollar arrangements, options, and COLI versus traditional investments.
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Apply the consultative workflow process to case studies
- Identify the nonqualified deferred compensation plan that most closely aligns with a client’s goals and objectives
Next Steps
So, you finished the NQPA™ Prep Course, great job!
Here is what comes next…
- Take the practice exam multiple times, located on your Learning Activities dashboard
- Review the Candidate Handbook
- Purchase and take the proctored designation exam
Check out the FAQ section below if you still have questions and are looking for answers.
NAPA members, NAPA Firm Partners, and advisors with an NQPA™ Education Sponsor Enrollment Code can access the program at no cost.
Don’t have an enrollment code?
Purchase the course from the ARA Marketplace.
Frequently Asked Questions
- All NAPA Members are eligible to receive a free enrollment code for the NQPA course.
- Non-NAPA Members can receive an enrollment code from an education partner or purchase a NAPA membership to receive their access.
- NAPA and our education partners have distributed enrollment codes to our members and affiliates to provide access to the NQPA online certificate program. Check your email and spam folders if you have not received your code.
- NAPA members that have not received an enrollment code can request one by emailing Customer Care. Non-members can purchase a NAPA Membership to receive their code.
Don’t have an enrollment code? No worries, the course materials are available for purchase from the ARA Marketplace
NAPA NQPA™ Modules
$500
NAPA’s Broker-Dealer and RIA Firm Partners are eligible for volume discounts on the education materials and virtual bootcamps. For more information please contact Matthew Grandonico at 703 516 9300 x 133.
- The NQPA™ education program is split into two parts:
- NQPA-1: Plan Fundamentals
- NQPA-2: Advanced Plan Designs
- Learners should expect to spend at least 10 hours of study in each part.
- Each part is comprised of 5 (five) interactive modules, followed by a 50- question assessment.
- NQPA-1: Plan Fundamentals
- Introducing Nonqualified Plans
- Nonqualified Plan Fundamentals
- Plan Design Provisions
- Nonqualified Plan Tax Considerations and Plan Financing
- Plan Marketing and Implementation
- NQPA-2: Advanced Plan Designs
- Employer Incentive and Equity Plans
- Life Insurance and Informal Funding of Nonqualified Plans
- Nonprofits and Rabbi Trusts
- Income and Accounting
- Practical Case Studies
ASPPA CE — 7.5
NAPA Relevant — 7.5
NTSA — 7.5
CFP® — 4.0
AIF® – 7.5
NQPA-2: ADVANCED PLAN DESIGNS
ASPPA CE — 8.5
NAPA Relevant — 8.5
NTSA — 8.5
CFP® — 5.0
AIF® – 8.5
$405
NAPA’s Broker-Dealer and RIA Firm Partners are eligible for volume discounts on the designation exam. For more information, please contact Matthew Grandonico at 703 516 9300 x 133.
$75 with NAPA Firm Partner *
$665 with no NAPA Firm Partner affiliation **
* Please Note: If you currently hold other designations in other American Retirement
Association organizations and add a CPFATM to your current designations, your dues will be different than above. Contact Customer Care with questions.
** Membership dues include your credential maintenance fee.
- Once you have been notified of a passing score on your exam, you will submit your credential application at https://napamember.org/membership
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