Educational Courses
Our Mission
We provide high quality financial education to help students understand their finances, and make better financial decisions for their retirement.
The Dodd-Frank act, which fundamentally changed Wall Street, formed a commission to better understand the level of financial literacy among American Consumers. The commission’s findings showed a startling lack of understanding of financial concepts, and strongly suggested financial literacy education for adults.
The Educational Courses we offer were developed specifically to educate students about financial terms, concepts, and strategies in a classroom setting giving them tools they need to make smart decisions about their financial future. Each of the courses are presented in an easy-to-understand format and cover all the bases to help you plan for your retirement. We teach courses all through the year, so be sure to check the Upcoming Events page often for our current schedule.
MAXIMIZING YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY
The Maximizing Social Security course provides a fundamental working knowledge of the Social Security program as it applies to retirement planning.
The materials cover the history of Social Security, how to qualify for benefits, spousal benefits, widow & widower benefits, taxation of benefits, working while you receive benefits, issues involved in claiming benefits early, and strategies to maximize your benefits while developing an income stream in retirement. You will learn information that will help you decide when to claim your Social Security benefits.
PRINCIPLES OF RETIREMENT PLANNING
The Principles of Retirement Planning course provides a fundamental working knowledge of the principles of conservative retirement planning as they apply to retirement planning.
The materials cover varied aspects of conservative retirement planning, such as changes in planning paradigms, history of markets, impact of bear markets, retirement budgeting, aspects of financial decisions, and more, while highlighting the ABC Planning Model. Students will increase their awareness of the overall risk in the markets as well as possible asset allocation models to help manage exposure to risk. This course also covers conservative retirement planning, income planning, asset allocation, and appropriate financial decisions. It is not designed to give specific solutions to individual needs.
THE TRUTH ABOUT ANNUITIES
A Successfull retirement plan provides the ability to maintain your lifestyle for the duration of your life.
Annuities are one of the most talked about financial products in the marketplace, and quite possibly one of the most misunderstood. They can play a powerful role in funding one’s retirement, but sometimes they aren’t a suitable fit. This educational workshop is designed to provide you with critical information so that you can make an informed decision for your financial future.
WOMEN & RETIREMENT
How women can create a guaranteed income for life Created in partnership with Holly Buchanan, an acclaimed author, speaker, and consultant specializing in empowering women to make sound financial decisions.
This course addresses the unique challenges and concerns women face in retirement. Women everywhere are asking:
- “How can I make sure I don’t run out of money?”
- “How can I maintain my lifestyle after retirement?”
- “What happens if the market crashes?”
YOUR LOCAL INSTRUCTOR
Your local Instructor is an active participant in the financial services industry and has been taught the proper objectivity necessary to raise students’ overall financial literacy about investments and planning strategies. Instructors approved by AFES are dedicated to following the directive of the Dodd-Frank Act which is; to improve the financial literacy of adult Americans.
Edgar Allen Thomas
President, Thomas Advisory Services, Inc.
Allen is a Financial Advisor that has demonstrated excellence in providing clients with custom-tailored wealth management solutions. Allen is especially well-known for strategies focused on retirement income plans for individuals, estate and inheritance preservation planning, and small– to medium-sized company retirement plans.
A native of Florida, Allen attended the Jones College of Automation in Jacksonville, FL, and worked for several Fortune 500 companies including Unisys Corp. and Johnson Controls in systems engineering and project management roles. Allen’s financial services career began with Prudential Financial Services and has included management roles with several prominent firms including, Boston-based, Investors Capital and Lakeland, FL-based Brookstone Securities.
Allen and his wife, Kathy, an RN, reside in Winter Haven, Florida, and are actively involved in their church and several local charities.
We help individuals, families, and business owners develop wealth strategies to enjoy their lives, enhance the lives of people they care about, and to establish a living legacy that represents their passions and values. We provide objective guidance and strategies across a broad spectrum of financial services.
Our commitment to helping clients is unwavering and we strive to develop deep and meaningful relationships built on trust and integrity. We look forward to helping you.
Allen’s achievements and affiliations include:
- FINRA Series 66 registration (Investment Advisor Representative)
- Life, Health, Property/Casualty Insurance, and Variable Annuities Licenses
- Member Polk County “CERT” Community Emergency Response Team
- Ritz Carlton Customer Service Training Courses
- Unisys (aka Sperry Univac) Customer Service Award
- Forbes Brand Voice Contributor