The Complaint Process

1. Submission of Complaint – Upon receipt of a complaint, the Board of Directors of Retirement Planners, LLC will review the allegations and determine the level of investigation appropriate for each complaint.

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2. Investigation – The purpose of an investigation is to gather sufficient information so it can be determined if the facts support that there was any wrongdoing on the part of the designee.
3. If further investigation is necessary, a copy of the complaint will be supplied to the Certified Retirement Planner, CRP™ designee and he/she will have 30 days to respond to the allegations in writing. 
4. The investigation may also include:
1. Interviewing those involved, e.g., clients, complainant, and others;
2. Obtaining relevant records;
3. Examining the designee’s disciplinary history, if any; and/or
4. Contacting law enforcement or other boards.
5. Upon completion of the investigation, The Board of Directors of Retirement Planners, LLC and their legal counsel will then determine if the complaint warrants disciplinary action.  Once an allegation is deemed punishable, a decision is made as to what disciplinary action is necessary / appropriate.
6. Disciplinary Action – If grounds for discipline have been established, any one of the following forms of discipline may be imposed:

Forms of Discipline

1. a private written censure
2. a public letter of admonition
3. suspension of the right to use the Certified Retirement Planner, CRP™ designation for a specified period of time, not to exceed 3 years
4. permanent revocation of the right to use the Certified Retirement Planner, CRP™ designation
5. referral to applicable law enforcement and/or governing agencies

Establishing Grounds for Discipline

In addition to the Direct Grounds for Discipline stated below, the Board of Directors may establish other grounds for discipline on complaints that identify a significant threat to the public, including: serious competency concerns, severe public harm, serious errors, criminal conduct, substance abuse or other impairment, sexual misconduct and/or severe unprofessional conduct.

While the Board of Directors may close a less serious case without taking any formal disciplinary action against the designee, the Board of Directors may re-open the case if similar complaints are received at a later date.  When a pattern of wrongdoing begins to emerge, the Board of Directors heightens its interest in complaints that on their own may seem less concerning.

Direct Grounds for Discipline

1. any act which violates the Certified Retirement Planner, CRP™ Code of Ethics
2. any act which violates the criminal laws of any state
3. failure to respond within the 30 days without good cause of receiving a written complaint
4. any act which is eligible for suspension of a professional license

Note: This list is not exclusive and as stated there may be other acts that are grounds for discipline.

Furthermore, Retirement Planners, LLC will make public the names of all persons whose right to use the Certified Retirement Planner, CRP™ designation has been revoked through disciplinary action.

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