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Settlement Consultants Who Flout NSSTA Guidelines for Promoting the CSSC-Week 4

The pillory of errant Certified Structured Settlement Consultants continues with a list of previously unmentioned members of the industry that decouple the CSSC from NSSTA and/or cite their professional credential to the "Lebanese institution", Notre Dame University, intead of University of Notre Dame.  Some of the names  included this week as they include Presidents of companies and a former NSSTA leader. All information has been obtained from the public domain.

1. Ray Stoll- Ringler Associates
2. Dennis English- Ringler Associates John's Island, SC
3. 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 reference, it appears that the last time Robinson updated his website was 350 CSSC's ago!"
4. Randy E. Kreft, Structured Financial Associates, Denver
5. Lee M. Rask, Selective Settlements of Oregon, LLC, 2007 brochure Brain Injury Association
6. Liz Real, The Mangelsdorf Companies, Chicago
7. Sean Roberts, The Pension Company, Sacramento,  LinkedIn profile
8. 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?
9. John T. Bair, Forge Consulting Buffalo, NY decouples NSSTA from the CSSC certification.  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?
10. John Pinto, Structured Financial Associates, San Francisco, another decoupler
11. Ed Schrenzel, Structured Financial Associates, Lake Forest, CA another decoupler
12. Walt Kimes, Structured Financial Associates, Phoenix, AZ, another decoupler
13. Bill Tocchi, President of Structured Financial Associates , another decoupler
14. Kyle Hording, Structured Financial Associates. The former NSSTA President states "She earned her Certified Structured Settlement Consultant (CSSC) designation at the first class offered by the University of Notre Dame" . C'mon Kyle! If it WAS being offered by University of Notre Dame woudln't it be logical that it would come up in a search result of the university web site?  After all, in the case of  "the other designation", the Registered Settlement Planner, a web page comes up on the Texas Tech website! A search of the University of Notre Dame website comes up empty on the first page of search results.Download Notre Dame Search Results_ certified structured settlement consultant... and Download University of Notre Dame Search Results_ cssc

     

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)

And, I'm not done yet... as if the new Executive Director of Forge Consulting's new acquisition, TSSG, needs any more chop busting:

"SSP's announced credentialing program follows an existing credentialing program called the "Certified Structured Settlement Consultant" (CSSC) sponsored by the National Structured Settlement Trade Association (NSSTA) in collaboration with Notre Dame Univesity".  Patrick Hindert  S2KM blog, October 14, 2006. Incredibly Hindert linked the words to the website of the University of Notre Dame.  Did he even read the link? Way to go "knowledge leader"!

And to underscore the potential for confusion due to the failure of NSSTA CSSC certificants to cite the correct University, an animation specialist by the name of Bachir El Khoury has a profile on Linkedin that shows that he graduated from Notre Dame University, in Lebanon AND CSSC Bikfaya.

As a reminder, please click here http://www.ndu.edu.lb/About/ndu.mp3 for the "Notre Dame University" anthem

View the master list of Settlement Consultants Who Flout NSSTA Guidelines for Promoting the CSSC

As a further reminder, those who do not enjoy seeing their name in kleig lights can supply proof to this author that they have edited their website, LinkedIn profile, and/or marketing materials to be removed.

CSSC Advertising Problem "Why Didn't NSSTA Notify Us?" They Ask

"Dr. Evil"

by John Darer CLU ChFC CSSC RSP

"Right, people you have to tell me these things, okay? I've been frozen for thirty years, okay? Throw me a frickin' bone here! I'm the boss! Need the info".   Dr. Evil  circa 1997

As industry members begin to realize that the shoes are dropping on the errant promotion of the CSSC designation, I have begun to receive the expected phone calls.

One common question has been "Why didn't NSSTA notify us?"  Some suggested a blast email or one even suggested a certified letter.

My September 13, 2009 blog post entitled " NSSTA Position on "Promoting The CSSC" Certification" contains links to 11 blog posts, a copy of my letter to University of Notre Dame. I also have in my possession (but not linked here) the response from Notre Dame and several emails to the NSSTA leadership.

The aforementioned post included the statement that "This author encourages NSSTA to circulate communication to all of its members alerting them to this web page and reminding them about their ethical requirements, under the NSSTA Code of Ethics to promote the certification properly".

On September 13, 2009  NSSTA President Dan Durbin and President elect Mike Kelly  as well as Executive director Joe Ricci, Larry Niemi (Board CSSC liason), NSSTA PR Director and website coordinator Peter Arnold and  (among others) were sent an email which included:

"The NSSTA Code of  Ethics includes in its preamble "Implicit in the acceptance of this Statement is an obligation to act in a professionally responsible and ethical manner when providing structured settlement services". NSSTA's  posting of the page "Promoting the CSSC" on the NSSTA web site is a positive, however it needs to be more front and center, in my opinion.Right now its buried under "meetings". Someone landing on the home page would never know it's there I also think that NSSTA has an obligation to notify the "nearly 550 structured settlements consultants (who) have earned the distinguished CSSC designation" in a blast email or as part of the monthly news blasts with a link as well as each and every NSSTA Member Company?"

Download 9-13-09 Letter to Dan Durbin Mike Kelly and Joe Ricci re CSSC

Do you think NSSTA leadership has some explaining to do?

Post script: Joe Ricci the Executive Director of NSSTA and I spoke on Wednesday October 21, 2009. According to Ricci, NSSTA DID include notification of the guidelines and a link to Promoting the CSSC in a blast email along with the NSSTA newsletter on August 26, 2009 Download NSSTA email blast 8-26-2009. If you overlooked it because the CSSC guidelines were not in the bullet points in Dan Durbin's President's message please make a note to read the entire message.

Ricci also confirmed that the NSSTA Board WAS aware of the CSSC promotion guidelines and had the opportunity to review and approve them.

Certified Structured Settlement Consultants Flout NSSTA Guidelines For Promoting the CSSC-Week 3

The structured settlement watchdog continues commentary about shameless and mendacious credential puffery by structured settlement professionals and settlement consultants by exposing those in the industry who just don't get, or worse appear to not care,  that "4 days in the vicinity of Touchdown Jesus does not make you one of he Fighting Irish!" 

Led by the "example" of James E. Logan, CSSC, a member of the NSSTA Board of Directors, the roll call of rank and file CSSC puffers continues... It will continue weekly, featuring a new list of structured settlement puffers, until the problem is corrected. It's unpleasant but these folks brought it on themselves.

The following people like ALL CSSC designees simply took a 4 day course HOSTED at University of Notre Dame. and at the time of publication did not follow NSSTA guideline for Promoting the CSSC which states:

"The Certified Structured Settlement Consulting (CSSC) program is administered by the National Structured Settlement Trade Association (NSSTA) and developed in conjunction with the University of Notre Dame Executive Education Department. The CSSC is the structured settlements industry’s oldest and most respected designation, establishing educational standards for structured settlement professionals throughout the nation. The CSSC program consists of more than 80 hours of classroom and study culminating in a comprehensive examination and provides an objective measure of an individual's broad-based knowledge and competency in structured settlements"  (bold added for emphasis)

1. Michael Davis, CSSC CFP CSSC Summit Structured Settlements/ Settlement Partners Denver

"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? 
• 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…"
  
• There is a Notre Dame University with its main campus in Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon. In addition, Notre Dame University boasts campuses in Shouf and offices in Washington DC and Detroit, MI. Its President is Walid Moussa and George Gipp "The Gipper" was long dead before Notre Dame University was founded in 1987.
• Click here http://www.ndu.edu.lb/About/ndu.mp3 for the Notre Dame University anthem 

• The anthem for the University of Notre Dame, founded in 1841, is unmistakable and might  even be considered legendary

2. Louis Omansky JD CSSC  Ringler Associates  Baltimore Maryland

Bio on Ringler website as of 10/18/2009 states:

"Lou received his designation as a Certified Structured Settlement Consultant (CSSC) from Notre Dame University in 1994.  No NSSTA linkage and see above regarding name of University. 

3. Don McNay CLU ChFC CSSC, MSFS  Richmond Kentucky  Bio says 10/18/2009  "Don  received the  Certified Structured Settlement Consultant’s (CSSC)  designation from Notre Dame University". No NSSTA linkage and see above regarding name of University.  

More to come next week until this problem goes away.

So why am I so passionate about this when I did not even go to University of Notre Dame?  I'll leave you with part 2 of the real Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger story about someone who actually worked against all odds to get into the University of Notre Dame and what that means.

If you don't have time to watch it all, please watch the final 2 minutes. Perhaps you will be as moved as I was and you will then understand why I will continue to fight certain members of the structured settlement industry who continue to get away with the disrespect of this fine institution.And believe me I am not alone.

NSSTA Position on "Promoting the CSSC" Certification

The National Structured Settlement Trade Association has posted a web page about "Promoting the CSSC", a settlement industry professional certification program that it administers. The page came about after conversations between officials at the University of Notre Dame and the National Structured Settlement Trade Association following a letter (Download Letter to University of Notre Dame concerning CSSC) that this author sent to the University of Notre Dame (also see archive post 3 below) with a request for its position on the extensive credential puffery fomented by certain NSSTA members, including members of the NSSTA Board of Directors, and the NSSTA itself (in a June 2009 press release announcing 2 new Board of Directors).

The publication of the subject matter on the new NSSTA web page is a welcome positive development that should have been in place from the inception of the certification program over 15 years ago. This author encourages NSSTA to circulate communication to all of its members alerting them to this web page and reminding them about their ethical requirements, under the NSSTA Code of Ethics to promote the certification properly.

There is now no excuse for ANY NSSTA member, or other settlement professional ,to simply state that they earned their CSSC from Notre Dame , particularly NSSTA Board members, like industry veterans James E. Logan (who was even copied on the letter to University of Notre Dame in an email on July 14, 2009 sent 532pm Download 1138388839 highlight added for emphasis today-not in original email ), or Doug Brand, who should be setting an example, in my opinion.  Logan's bio page  at 101pm September 13, 2009 reads "University of Notre Dame (Certified Structured Settlement Consultant - CSSC). Another bio NSSTA Board member, Doug Brand appears on Lexis Nexis and states that "He earned his Certified Structured Settlement Consultant (CSSC) diploma from the University of Notre Dame in September 2000"

 

A third NSSTA Board member referred to in a prior post has changed his profile on his company website to more accurately reflect his credentials. In this author's opinion NSSTA Board members must be held to the highest standard, without exception, even those revered in the industry as Jim Logan and Doug Brand. How about it Jim and Doug? 

For the record, this author regrets having to begin naming individuals. What choice is there when even after NSSTA posts guidelines its own leaders are non compliant?

One has to consider that

(1) fair notice has been given (posts below, emails to NSSTA)

(2) the information is ALREADY in the public domain 

(3) the information is of public interest and

(4) the fact that NSSTA has only recently posted a web page about promoting the CSSC (after 15 years) is irrelevant because nothing has changed in relation to what the program is (or has been) in relation to NSSTA and University of Notre Dame.

(5) the amount of labor to make the correction can be measured in minutes and cost to make the correction is minimal (not that cost should have any bearing on ethics for something that should have been right in the first place)  

All NSSTA members are encouraged to view their own profiles on the Internet, including social media, to assure that they are not misrepresenting the CSSC certification.

Archive of Articles This Author Has Written to Address the Problem

1. Notre Dame Responds to CSSC Promotion Concerns  July 15, 2009

2. Notre Dame asked for Position on CSSC Representations About Associations with School-2  July 14, 2009

3. Notre Dame asked for Position on CSSC Representations About Associations with School-1 July 14, 2009

4. Certified Structured Settlements Blowing Hot Air About Credentials  July 12, 2009

5. Florida Annuities Fraud law...A Sign of Things To Come Elsewhere February 13, 2009

6. Some Structured Settlement Consultants Shamelessly Puff Their Credentials January 17, 2009

7. Settlement Planner's Credential Hype Is Misleading April 26, 2008

8. Do You See Yourself As A Certified False Advertiser December 5, 2007

9. 4Days In the Vicinity of Touchdown Jesus Does Not Make You One of The Fighting Irish October 18, 2007

10. Structured Settlement Broker and Settlement Planner Credentials March 11, 2006

11. American Settlement Fund (JG Wentworth) Structured Settlement Advertising Wall of Shame December 2, 2005

Notre Dame Responds to CSSC Promotion Concerns

by John Darer CLU ChFC CSSC RSP

This author received the following response to his letter to University of Notre Dame concerning the manner in which NSSTA members who are CSSC designees are promoting their association with the school. In his response, Paul Slaggert, Director of Non-Degree Programs stated that he would begin discussions with Joe Ricci (Executive Director) at NSSTA so that the proper use of the CSSC designation can be clarified.

Download Notre Dame response to promotion of CSSC 7-15-2009

NSSTA members who hold the CSSC designation and the general agencies with whom they are affiliated need to be mindful of how they are currently promoting themselves and make whatever changes are necessary so as not to mischaracterize or misrepresent the credential.

Notre Dame Asked For Position on CSSC Representations About Association With School-2

by John Darer CLU ChFC CSSC RSP 

For the benefit of the NSSTA Board of Directors and membership as well as the Administration of the University of Notre Dame and those who have actually earned diplomas there, we are pleased to post comments from NSSTA members and others in relation to this author's exposure of mischaracterization of the Certified Structured Settlement designation by other NSSTA members.

• "John—Just a quick note to say your blog posts on credential puffing by our structured settlement brethren is right on the mark.  These really are not small or innocent mistakes.  These are outright  deceptions.  Since NSSTA has been tacit on the matter, I believe going to directly to Notre Dame and giving them an opportunity to protect their brand is a great idea.
  
• "Nice.  That has always annoyed me".

 It is worthwhile to point out that each of the commenters as well as this author has earned multiple professional designations

 

Notre Dame Asked For Position on CSSC Representations About Association With The School

by John Darer CLU ChFC CSSC RSP

This author has written the following letter to the University of Notre Dame Download Letter to University of Notre Dame concerning CSSC.

The letter is necessitated by the mischaracterization by many CSSC designees as set forth in yesterday's blog post and 3 other blog posts since October 2007. In addition to writing to Chris Cushman the Program Director of the Execitive Education division that hosts the CSSC program, this author has written to the Director of Degree Programs at the Executive MBA for the school's position on non graduates and non enrollees using the name of the school to imply something that is not.

If you are using the University of Notre Dame in advertising your credentials in a way that omits "in conjunction with the NSSTA" and suggests that you did more than attend a 4 day non degree course then you might wish to sit up and take this more seriously than you previously have. The chains are moving.