With 2023 Award, Kifer Exemplifies Social Security Advisory Excellence
CINCINNATI, March 25, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The National Social Security Association in Cincinnati has selected Alan C. Kifer as its National Social Security Advisor (NSSA) of the Year. Kifer is the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of "TOPGUN" Financial Planning LLC of East Brainerd, Tennessee.
Marc Kiner, a board member of the National Social Security Association, recently made the award announcement. The National Social Security Association is renowned for its NSSA Certificate Program, which trains professional advisors, setting a national standard for Social Security planning, education, and training.
"Alan is known for his dedication to guiding clients through retirement planning, focusing on enhancing their Social Security benefits," stated Kiner. "His reputation for reliable and ethical guidance stems from a core philosophy that resonates deeply with his clients: strive to do the right thing every day, in all ways. Alan's long-standing influence on the quality of his clients' retirement is what this award acknowledges and celebrates," said Kiner.
The NSSA program is the nation's first Social Security education certificate program. The NSSA Advisor certificate is awarded to advisors who take the NSSA course and pass an assessment after going through the educational program.
Kifer's distinguished 24-year military career, which began in the Vietnam War as an airborne linguist and peaked as a TOPGUN F-111 Instructor before the first Gulf War, laid the foundation for his second career in financial services. After his military career, Kifer started as a Long Term Care (LTC) specialist, achieving national recognition in 2003 as America's LTC Advisor of the Year.
Kifer said his aspirations extended beyond this specialty, which is why he broadened his areas of focus since that time. To date, he has garnered comprehensive expertise across the full spectrum of financial planning, marked by numerous accolades. As a Certified Financial Planner with three decades of experience, his commitment to continuous education can be seen by his 25 financial services degrees and/or certifications he has earned. This multifaceted background informs his approach to advising clients, underscoring the breadth and depth of his financial acumen.
Additionally, as someone who has made substantial contributions to the financial services profession, Kifer was recently designated as the 2023 Loren E. Dunton Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, an award in recognition of the 'Father of Financial Planning' in America.
"Being selected as the 2023 NSSA Advisor of the Year is an incredibly distinguished honor," said Kifer, "and it helps support my aim of providing the optimal Social Security benefits solutions to families, giving them the highest probability of succeeding at the 'business of retirement.'"
Kifer added that earning his NSSA Certificate has been critical in helping him be the best "servant advisor" possible to retired and pre-retired families. "The NSSA program is the first and only nationally accredited educational program teaching advisors the intricacies involved in guiding people to making optimum Social Security Benefits claiming decisions. If you don't know it you can't teach it," he said.
More than 2,700 advisors have been awarded the National Social Security Advisor certificate since 2013, according to Premier partner Jim Blair, a 35-year veteran of the Social Security Administration.
"Social Security is increasingly complex for a range of scenarios—for single individuals, surviving spouses, divorced individuals, married couples, and married couples with large age gaps, to name a few—and the NSSA program gives advisors timely education and ongoing support so they can help clients make optimal claiming decisions," stated Blair.
"Advisors are getting more questions than ever today, on everything from cost-of-living adjustments to pension-related questions, to spousal benefits, and they need to be able to help clients successfully calculate and navigate all these situational factors. The best decision on when and how to claim goes back to these unique situations each person has, which we call Situational Social Security. With the nation's estimated 73 million baby boomers, this is more important than ever for advisors," added Blair.
For more information on "TOPGUN" Financial Planning, visit alankifer.com or call 800-891-8797.
For more information about the National Social Security Advisor certificate program and to see a full list of dates for the program, visit premiernssa.com or contact Kiner at (513) 247-0526.
Media Contact
Marc Kiner, National Social Security Association, (513) 247-0526, [email protected], https://nationalsocialsecurityassociation.com/
SOURCE National Social Security Association
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