Financial regulators are concerned with how professional degrees and designations are presented to the public. The structured settlement industry simply cannot operate in a vacuum.
Why should the minority be "quietly " allowed, by decoupling the CSSC from NSSTA, to continue to demean the value of the Certified Structured Settlement Consultant ( CSSC) certification (for those who represent it properly) or worse, or demean the hard work and financial sacrifice that goes into a graduate or undergraduate academic degree from University of Notre Dame, by intentionally or unintentionally mischaracterizing or misrepresenting what the CSSC is.
Some fail to recognize the difference between Notre Dame University, founded in 1987 and which is in Lebanon (yeah the country!) and University of Notre Dame, founded in the 19th Century, whose main campus is, of course, in South Bend, Indiana. Needless to say the two universities have VERY different theme songs.
On the other hand,
University of Notre Dame fight song
The operative question is to whom the check is made payable to for the CSSC program. Is it NSSTA or University of Notre Dame? Here's the link to the enrollment form posted on the NSSTA web site http://www.nssta.com/files/public/updated%20NSSTAcsscREGISTRATION%20FORM09.pdf. Is there anywhere on that registration form that could confuse anyone that they are enrolling at University of Notre Dame?
Here is a copy of the certificate of completion. It is clear who is conferring the designation, the NSSTA! Download CSSC completion certificate
The following individuals have published , or appear in published marketing materials (including web pages) that mischaracterize the Certified Structured Settlement Consultant (CSSC) certification and promote the certification in a manner that is inconsistent with NSSTA Guidelines for Promoting the CSSC.
Each week Structured Settlements 4Real will add and subtract from this list until the problem stops.
NOTICE: Those who supply proof to author that he or she is no longer or promoting the CSSC in a manner inconsistent with NSSTA Guidelines will be removed from this list. It is the hope of this author that there will be more subtractions than additions and that this web page will eventually not be necessary.- James E. Logan, CSSC, NSSTA Board of Directors , James E. Logan, Ltd. Detroit
- Christine Logan Garascia, James E. Logan, Ltd. Detroit
- Gregory J. Mayer, Ringler Associates ( as of 10/10/2009, the same manner of promotion appears on a web page from Atlas Settlements that Atlas Settlements may wish to delete from its web server so that it no loner indexes on Google).
- Michael Davis, CSSC CFP Summit Structured Settlements/ Settlement Partners Denver
Says "He has successfully achieved the designation of Certified Structured Settlement Consultant fulfilling the postgraduate requirements at Notre Dame University"
Whats the problem?- Fails to link NSSTA with CSSC. A no no.
- It's University of Notre Dame NOT Notre Dame University. Think that those that are actually accepted at University of Notre Dame (and pay its tuition) know the difference? Moreover, the Lebanese university doesn't host the CSSC certification program!
- One of our reader's says that "Davis’s claim of “the postgraduate requirements at Notre Dame University" he misses by a mile. I just took a quick look at the CSSC application and nowhere does it require an undergraduate degree, so by no stretch of the imagination can a CSSC designee claim the designation as a “post-grad” achievement. The designation is an achievement in itself…and should simply stand on its own…"
6. Don McNay -Kentucky
Decoupled from NSSTA
Cites Lebanese "Notre Dame University"
and in a web archive "... Inc ., is attending the Notre Dame University to receive training in their Certified Structured Settlement Consultant program. Once the training is complete, he will be one of 170 people worldwide to ...
http://www.mcnaymonthly.com/"
9. Dennis English- Ringler Associates John's Island, SC
10. Tay Robinson, IV, Prestwick, Kentucky claims he is "One of less than 200 structured settlement consultants to have received the Certified Structured Settlement Consultant Designation from Notre Dame University". Besides the Lebanese University it appears that the last time Robinson updated his website was 350 CSSC's ago!"
11. Randy E. Kreft, Structured Financial Associates, Denver
12. Lee M. Rask, Selective Settlements of Oregon, LLC, 2007 brochure Brain Injury Association
13. Liz Real, The Mangelsdorf Companies, Chicago
14. Sean Roberts, The Pension Company, Sacramento, CA flub is on LinkedIn profile15. Ryan Long, Ringler Associates, Leawood Kansas "is actively pursuing the Certified Structured Settlement Consultant (CSSC) designation from Notre Dame University".. "Long" commute to the Middle East dude!
16. John T. Bair, Forge Consulting Buffalo, NY decouples NSSTA from the CSSC certification.
17. Ronald W. Pitney Ringler Associates, Arlington, TX, another decoupler
Special mention for proof reading goes to the THE NATIONAL STRUCTURED SETTLEMENTS TRADE ASSOCIATION (NSSTA) for its Benefits of Membership brochure which says...get ready...
"Discounted attendance fees for some of NSSTA's most popular meetings, including the Certified Structured Settlement Consultant (CSSC) course at Notre Dame University". Download NSSTA MEMBERSHIP_BROCHURE (see page 2, circled in red)
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