Best Training for 401(k) TPA?

[Guest FREE401k]

I would like some thoughts about the best ways to train new employees in the 401(k) TPA business. We are a small TPA firm without a large training budget. In the past we have primarily trained new employees by pairing them with seasoned employees in our firm. We would like to augment this with a heavy dose of technical details, and wondered what would be best. There are so many choices - ASPA certifications, the Pension Answer Books, CCH, seminars, reading the whole darn IRS code, etc. etc. If you had to recommend one thing to a new employee, what would it be? Thanks!

[Guest JEP]

the most bang for your buck may be a designation program. Both ASPA and NIPA offer various designations. ASPA has a number of designations that build upon each other: Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA), then the Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA). These start very basic and then get progressively more difficult. NIPA also offers 2 designations, Accredited Pension Representative (APR) and the Accredited Pension Administrator (APA). These only have one class in common and the APR requires the series 6.

You can check each out at their websites.

www.nipa.org

www.aspa.org

[Archimage]

Find a new career! Just kidding. I personally think the PA-1 books are excellent for introductory purposes. I have also heard that Cannon Financial Institute has a good training program -- one week a year for four years.

[Guest benji]

McKay Hochman has an array of Retirement Plan seminars. We have an intro to retirement plans scheduled for June in Dallas. Please go to this link and review the seminars and dates that apply.

http://www.mhco.com/seminars.html

[Guest JimJ]

SPARK also offers a one week intro class.

http://www.rgwuelfing.com/us.shtml

JimJ