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Registry of Settlement Planners

The Registered Settlement Planner (RSP) designation.

Training, education, and certification for settlement planning professionals who are uniquely qualified to competently and ethically assist injury victims, claimants, and attorneys.

RSP program overviewRequest to register for the RSP courses

What is a settlement planner?

Settlement planners help clients use their settlement proceeds to attain their financial goals. The settlement planner guides clients through financial decisions that they need to make at settlement. Settlement planning often involves helping clients avoid loss of government entitlements while protecting their recovery from dissipation risk, taxes, liens, and other hazards. The settlement planner coordinates these efforts with other professionals including the plaintiff's legal team, special needs trust attorneys, trust officers, CPAs, and others.

Settlement planning most often occurs within a unique and pressure-packed planning environment where clients must make decisions likely to impact the rest of their lives. This environment places a premium on the ability of the planner to focus on the client's goals and needs, make the correct recommendations, and help the client implement the plan.

Why become a Registered Settlement Planner?

Attaining the RSP designation shows commitment to the profession of settlement planning. The designation is awarded to individuals who have completed an advanced level of education specifically aimed at settlement planning and settlement planning issues. Completing the education requirement helps settlement planners develop and sharpen their skills and provides a firm foundation in the basic knowledge required to practice planning competently.

Professionals with the RSP designation have set themselves apart from competitors with their educational attainment and commitment to the stringent ethical and professional standards of conduct upheld by the Society of Settlement Planners. These practitioners demonstrate their commitment to furthering this profession. Members are encouraged to seek one another out and share resources and knowledge.

Mission

Mission of the RSP

The mission of the Registry of Settlement Planners ("RSP") is to train, educate and certify settlement planning professionals who are uniquely qualified to competently and ethically assist injury victims, claimants and attorneys in resolving their legal and financial claims. To further this mission, the Society of Settlement Planners promotes recognition and awareness of the designation and establishes standards of competence and practice for the Registry.

The Registry of Settlement Planners is wholly owned and operated by the Society of Settlement Planners, Inc.

Goals

Goals of the RSP

  1. 01Prepare settlement planners to provide competent, timely advice to clients.
  2. 02Present attorneys with assurance that their selected advisor is competent and abides by a code of professional conduct.
  3. 03Provide a measure of accountability to settlement planning practitioners.
  4. 04Promote reliable standards of practice to enable clients and attorneys to know what to expect from a relationship with a settlement planner.

Education requirements

Program overview

The settlement planning curriculum was developed through a collaboration between the Society of Settlement Planners and the Personal Financial Planning Department at Texas Tech University. Although the RSP program no longer has a formal relationship with Texas Tech University, the department heavily influenced the content and design of the courses. The Society of Settlement Planners continues to maintain and administer the RSP courses. Joseph Tombs is a faculty member of the RSP courses.

Although the classes do not carry degree credit, the rigor and quality of the coursework are intended to be at the master's level and to challenge professionals with settlement planning experience. The program consists of three courses. Each course is offered on a continuous basis and may be completed at the pace of the student. Successful completion of these three courses will meet the education requirement of the RSP designation.

Courses in the RSP curriculum

Part 1

Settlement Planning Seminar

This course explores the emerging profession of settlement planning. Settlement planning is personal financial planning for a recipient of a legal settlement.

Topics include: Forecasting needs, liquidity analysis, structured settlement annuities, rated-ages, controlling dissipation risk, taxation of settlement issues, planning for government entitlements, medical cost inflation, asset management issues, settlement preservation trusts, basics of litigation, estate planning, Monte Carlo analysis and qualified settlement funds.

Part 2

Law for Settlement Planners

The Law for Settlement Planners course explores the legal issues surrounding settlement planning.

Topics include: Wills & trusts, planning for incapacity, special needs trusts, trial procedure, property transfers, alternative dispute resolution, torts, and government benefits planning.

Part 3

Financial Planning for Settlement Planners

Financial Planning for Settlement Planners explores the theoretical and practical environmental framework of financial planning. The most relevant parts of the financial planning environment specific to settlement planning are discussed.

Topics include: Principles of financial planning, financial institutions, time value of money, income tax of investments, investment principles, life insurance, annuities, retirement planning, and estate planning.

Fees

The cost of each course is $999. Payment is made during the registration process. Payment may be made by check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express. There is an additional cost to buy the required textbooks.

Register for the RSP courses

To register for the RSP courses, please click the button below to send us a request via email. SSP operates and administers the RSP curriculum — visit the course website to learn more about the content of the RSP courses.

Request to registerView the courses

Standards of Professional Conduct

Download the Standards of Conduct PDF for RSP members.

Download the Standards of Conduct

Requirements for admission to the Registry

Steps to receiving the RSP designation

  1. 1

    Step 1: Complete the educational requirement

    Complete Parts 1, 2, and 3 of the RSP curriculum. You may not apply for admission into the Registry until you have successfully completed all three courses and have submitted your comprehensive settlement plan to the Society of Settlement Planners.

  2. 2

    Step 2: Submit a written settlement plan

    Email a digital copy of your written settlement plan to team@societyofsettlementplanners.com.

    To view a sample settlement plan written by Joseph Tombs, a faculty member of the RSP courses, see the sample plan below. (Note: This is a comprehensive example. Most submissions are simpler than this sample plan.)

    Report guidelinesSample settlement plan
  3. 3

    Step 3: Download the application

    After completing the first two steps, download the application to continue the process.

    RSP designation application
  4. 4

    Step 4: Meet the experience requirement

    Candidates must complete 3 years of qualifying full-time work experience out of the previous five years. Details about your work experience are submitted to the Society of Settlement Planners on your application for admission.

    Work experience guidelines
  5. 5

    Step 5: Submit your application with the $1,000 fee

    Candidates who have completed the education requirement and submitted a written settlement plan to the Society of Settlement Planners may apply for admission to the Registry. The Society of Settlement Planners will examine the application and determine whether the candidate is eligible for the RSP designation. Upon acceptance, you may begin to use the RSP designation.

Maintaining membership in the Registry

Staying in good standing

Standards of Conduct

Members of the Registry must abide by the RSP Standards of Professional Conduct. Failure to uphold these standards may result in suspension from Registry membership.

Read the Code of Conduct

Continuing Education

RSP recipients must stay current with the latest developments in settlement planning and to keep up with the continuing education requirements of their professional licenses and designations.

Membership Dues

There are currently no membership dues for the Registry. The SSP may assess annual dues as a condition of membership in the future.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

RSP Recipients

Join us in congratulating all of the individuals who have successfully achieved their RSP designation. Achieving the RSP designation is a rigorous process, and these individuals deserve to be recognized as industry leaders and qualified settlement planners.

See the list of RSP designees