Free RICP Exam Prep
Retirement Income Certified Professional
Prepare for the RICP exam without spending hundreds on expensive prep courses. Free study guides, practice questions, flashcards, and related exam resources.
Quick Facts
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RICP The American College Credentials License: Complete Roadmap
Follow this path to organize your licensing and exam preparation
Phase 1: Retirement Income Process & RisksYou are here
Build the framework for longevity, sequence, inflation, and healthcare risk modeling.
Phase 2: Social Security, Medicare, and Distributions
Master claiming strategies, Medicare/IRMAA, RMD rules, and inherited account rules.
Phase 3: Annuities, Investments, and Tax Strategies
Apply guaranteed income products, bucket and floor strategies, and withdrawal sequencing.
Phase 4: LTC, Health Care, and Ethics
Complete long-term care funding, retirement health care, and the Code of Ethics.
Can You Take the RICP Exam?
Check if you meet the basic eligibility requirements
- •Agree to The American College Code of Ethics and Procedures
- •Complete annual Professional Recertification Program (PRP) requirements to maintain the mark
- •Each required course includes coursework and an online proctored final exam
RICP Quick Facts
Time to Get Licensed
9-15 months for most candidates
From start to license in hand
Exam Provider
The American College proctored exam platform (online proctored)
Retake Policy
If you fail or miss a final exam, you may purchase one retake/reschedule window for a fee; if unsuccessful, re-enrollment in the course is required.
Total Cost Breakdown
Free RICP Prep Tools
Reported exam pass rate: The American College does not publish a public RICP program-wide pass-rate percentage.. These figures describe exam candidates, not OpenExamPrep user outcomes. Check the exam sponsor’s website for published statistics.
100 Practice Questions
Scenario-driven RICP practice across retirement income, Social Security, RMDs, and annuities.
AI-Powered Learning
Guided support for sequence-of-returns, bucket, and tax-efficient withdrawal cases.
2026 Updated
Review SECURE 2.0 RMD age 73, 10-year inherited IRA rule, and current QLAC limits.
Free Access
Free RICP-style drills before paid American College coursework.
What You'll Study
16 chapters covering the exam topics in this guide
Introduction
1 sections
Chapter 1: The Retirement Income Planning Process & Client Discovery
4 sections
Chapter 2: Managing Retirement Risks
5 sections
Chapter 3: Safe Withdrawal Rates & Sustainable Spending
3 sections
Chapter 4: Social Security Retirement & Spousal Benefits
4 sections
Chapter 5: Social Security Tax Integration & Medicare
5 sections
Chapter 6: Qualified Plan & IRA Distribution Rules
4 sections
Chapter 7: Specialized Distribution & Employer Stock Strategies
3 sections
Chapter 8: Employer, Executive & Government Retirement Benefits
4 sections
Chapter 9: Annuities & Guaranteed Lifetime Income
4 sections
Chapter 10: Retirement Portfolio Architecture & Decumulation Glide Paths
4 sections
Chapter 11: Advanced Asset Allocation & Glide Paths in Decumulation
3 sections
Chapter 12: Tax-Efficient Withdrawal Sequencing
3 sections
Chapter 13: Long-Term Care, Healthcare & Home Equity
5 sections
Chapter 14: Life Insurance, Business Owners & Legacy Planning
3 sections
Chapter 15: Ethics, Fiduciary Standards & Regulatory Compliance
3 sections
RICP Exam Details
Retirement Income Certified Professional
Administered by The American College of Financial Services
Exam Content Breakdown
Based on the official The American College of Financial Services content outline
Retirement income planning process, longevity risk, sequence-of-returns risk, inflation, healthcare and tax risks, safe withdrawal rates, Bengen 4% rule and Trinity Study, Monte Carlo analysis.
Full retirement age (FRA), early/delayed claiming, spousal and survivor benefits, taxation of Social Security, Medicare Parts A/B/C/D, Medigap, IRMAA tiers and MAGI two-year lookback.
401(k), Traditional/Roth IRA distribution rules, SECURE Act 2.0 RMD age 73 (75 in 2033), 10-year inherited IRA rule, eligible designated beneficiaries, Roth 401(k) RMD elimination, NUA strategy.
SPIAs, deferred income annuities, QLACs (IRC §401(a)(9)(I)), variable and indexed annuities with living benefits, annuitization vs systematic withdrawal, mortality credits, payout options.
Sequence-of-returns risk illustration, time-segmentation/bucket strategy, floor-with-upside, total-return vs income-based portfolios, asset allocation glide paths in decumulation.
Conventional withdrawal order (taxable, tax-deferred, tax-free), Roth conversion sequencing, tax bracket management, capital gains harvesting, qualified charitable distributions (QCDs).
LTC funding options: self-fund, traditional LTC insurance, hybrid life/LTC, Medicaid planning; healthcare costs in retirement and HSA strategies.
The American College Code of Ethics and Procedures, fiduciary considerations, suitability vs best interest, conflict-of-interest disclosure for retirement income recommendations.
What's Included
16 Chapters
Complete exam coverage
Practice Quizzes
With detailed explanations
Free to Start
No credit card required

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What's Next After the RICP?
After passing the RICP, you can pursue these career paths
RICP Exam FAQ
Official The American College of Financial Services Resources
Verify information with these official sources
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Ready to Start Your Free RICP Prep?
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