the denver-based financial Planning association has partnered with college aid Pro , a college planning software developer headquartered in dublin , ohio , to offer financial advisors a certificate course in college planning . the course , called “ college Planning made easy : an fPa certificate Program ,” is designed to help planners better understand how to assist their clients with the challenge of financing a college education . advisors who take the course qualify for 4.5 cfP ce credits . it takes four hours to complete the course through the fPa ’ s online learning center .

Planners taking the course will learn how to project a family ’ s financial aid and out-of-pocket cost at different institutions . they will also learn how to create a college funding plan so students will grad- uate with manageable debt while parents will still be able to save for their own retirement . the course furthermore helps advisors understand the key differences in federal and institutional formulas used to calculate a family ’ s expected contribution for need-based financial aid eligibility . and the course will help advisors understand the pending changes and planning opportunities stemming from the fafsa simplification act , which modifies the free application for federal student aid . the course is available to members at a $ 199 fee , and to nonmembers at a $ 299 fee . upon completing the course , financial planners will also receive one month of complimentary access to the college aid Pro advisor workstation and a complimentary one-on-one consultation with a member of the college aid Pro team .

Transamerica Introduces Workplace Emergency Savings Accounts

transamerica , headquartered in cedar rapids , iowa , has partnered with millennium trust company and securesave to offer emergency savings accounts as a new employee benefit . the new offering is designed to help employees save for unexpected events that may affect their ability to contribute to or preserve their workplace retirement savings account , the company said . employers are able to choose one of transamerica ’ s pre-selected providers — either millennium trust or securesave . Both providers enable employers to provide an easy way to offer and manage an emergency savings fund as a workplace benefit . and transamerica ’ s multi-provider approach gives employers the ability to match their company ’ s needs with the best solution for their employees . employees using the accounts can automatically save a portion of their regular paychecks to build an emergency savings fund . to incentivize employees to establish the accounts , employers can contribute to them as well . transamerica ’ s emergency savings offerings , which are fdic-insured up to the standard maximum deposit insurance amount of $ 250,000 , provide employees with a complete savings solution that is automated and easy to deploy . transamerica is now part of the netherlands-based aegon group of companies .

Raymond James Announces New Advisor Affiliation Option

raymond james , a diversified financial services firm headquartered in st . Petersburg , fla ., has unveiled a new affiliation option for independent financial advisors . the “ corporate registered investment advisor ” model allows fee-only advisors to use the firm ’ s corporate ria to provide investment advice recommendations while operating as independent contractors — without the need to establish and manage an independent ria of their own . affiliates of the new model have unlimited access to the firm ’ s infrastructure of advisor services , which include wealth management strategies for multiple life stages ; turnkey asset management options ; lending services ; insurance and research services ; and access to specialists in each department . a robust , integrated technology platform supports advisors ’ needs with mobile access and integration capabilities and gives advisors access to strategic and creative marketing support . affiliates using the new model also benefit from the high-profile raymond james brand when marketing their services . in addition to comprehensive wealth management services , raymond james provides practices using the new model with succession planning consulting services . raymond james financial inc . has approximately 8,700 financial advisors .

Paxos Launches Financial Advisor Crypto Trading For B-Ds

Paxos , a financial technology and services company headquartered in new york city , has debuted a financial advisor crypto trading service . the service , located within the Paxos crypto Brokerage , allows broker-dealers to offer their affiliated financial advisors crypto trades on behalf of their clients . Broker-dealers can allow registered advisors and financial advisors to trade or manage end user assets at their discretion . the tool verifies advisor identities to satisfy compliance requirements through independent sanctions screening . it attaches an advisor to every transaction to create a documented record of discretion for each trade . founded in 2012 , Paxos trust company , marketed as Paxos , is a financial institution and technology company specializing in blockchain .

16 | financial advisor magazine | july / august 2022 www . fa-mag . com