NSSA® is now part of the Advanced Retirement Planning Institute (ARPI). Learn more →
Pinnacle Financial Services Partnership

For Pinnacle Agents:
Credentials That Transform Your Medicare Practice

Pinnacle Financial Services has partnered with ARPI to help its agent network earn nationally recognized credentials in IRMAA planning and Social Security strategy — the missing layer that turns Medicare enrollment into comprehensive retirement guidance.

Enroll as a Pinnacle AgentIRMAACP™ — Start Here
Recommended for Medicare Agents

IRMAACP™ is the most relevant credential for Pinnacle agents working with Medicare clients. It covers IRMAA surcharges, the income lookback period, appeals, and MAGI planning — topics every high-income Medicare client needs guidance on.

Learn About IRMAACP™ →
About the Partnership

The Planning Layer Your Medicare Practice is Missing

Pinnacle Financial Services is a national FMO built on partnerships, not titles — dedicated to offering agents the tools, technology, and education needed to scale their Medicare and retirement planning businesses. ARPI credentials are a natural extension of that mission.

When a Pinnacle agent adds IRMAACP™ or NSSA®, they can walk into any Medicare conversation and address the questions clients care about most: How much will Medicare actually cost me? When should I claim Social Security? How do I avoid the IRMAA trap? These are the questions that build loyalty.

Pinnacle Agent Benefit
Contact Pinnacle Financial Services or reach out to ARPI directly for your member discount code. We verify membership before issuing codes to keep the benefit exclusive.
Why ARPI

More Than a Medicare Agent

ARPI credentials position you as a retirement planning resource — the advisor clients call first and refer to most.

Turn Medicare Into a Planning Conversation

IRMAACP™-credentialed agents don't just quote Medicare plans — they help clients understand and control the cost of Medicare over time, creating deeper, longer-lasting relationships.

Stand Out Among Pinnacle Agents

A national designation separates you from the agents who only discuss premiums and networks. ARPI credentials signal comprehensive planning competence to prospects and referral sources.

Pinnacle Agent Benefit

Contact Pinnacle Financial Services or reach out to ARPI directly for your member discount code. We verify membership before issuing codes to keep the benefit exclusive.

How It Works

Credential in Four Steps

01

Choose Your Credential

Most Pinnacle agents start with IRMAACP™ — the most directly relevant to Medicare work. Add NSSA® to round out Social Security expertise.

02

Complete the Self-Paced Course

Study at your own pace with lifetime access to course content. Courses run 4–6 hours and are designed around real planning scenarios, not textbook theory.

03

Pass the Exam

A proctored, open-book exam with two attempts. 70% to pass. Passing earns you the credential and the right to use the designation mark.

04

Add It to Your Practice

Display your credential on your business card, email signature, and Pinnacle agent profile. Earn required CE via annual membership renewal.

ARPI Credentials

Start with IRMAACP™. Add NSSA®. Go Further with CELP®.

Each credential adds a distinct planning capability to your Medicare practice. Pinnacle agents most often start with IRMAACP™.

Recommended for Pinnacle Agents
IRMAACP™

IRMAA Certified Planner

Understand and plan around Medicare IRMAA surcharges — income thresholds, the two-year lookback, appeals strategy, and MAGI planning windows. The credential for any advisor with high-income Medicare clients.

NSSA®

National Social Security Advisor

Master Social Security claiming strategy — spousal and survivor benefits, Medicare Part A coordination, optimal filing ages, and break-even analysis. Turn Medicare conversations into full retirement income plans.

CELP®

Certified End-of-Life Planner

Navigate the financial transitions that accompany terminal illness and death — Medicare/Medicaid coordination, benefit claiming at end of life, and compassionate guidance through complex family financial decisions.

Ready to Become More Than a Medicare Agent?

Pinnacle agents enroll at a preferred rate. Start with IRMAACP™ and add NSSA® to build the most complete Medicare & retirement credential stack available.