Professional Knowledge Areas
    The CTEP advisory board has determined that a  competent  personal  trust  professional's expertise  includes  the  following  knowledge areas:
Personal Financial Planning, Estates, and Risk Management
   This  executive  training  module  exposes  the candidate  to  advanced  financial  topics including  wealth  accumulation  and distribution,  asset  transfer,  tax  planning,  and retirement  planning.  A  full  discussion  of insurance  products  including  life,  property, health  disability,  casualty  and  catastrophic coverage insurance. Last, techniques to transfer assets  during  a  client's  lifetime  through planned gifts as well as  after death through a will or testamentary trust .
Trust Management and Fiduciary Obligations
    This  executive  training  module  covers  the fundamental aspects of trust law & documents and their granted fiduciary powers, duties, and responsibilities  within  the  scope  of  applicable law). The candidate should already understand basic fiduciary relationships and activities that are  essential  to  traditional  administration. Then,  this  module  covers  the  trustee's responsibilities  relative  to  investing  trust assets such as specific securities laws, relevant ethical  issues,  and  the  prudent  person  & prudent investor rule
Taxation Module (Income, Gift and Estate Planning)
    The  candidate  will  be  instructed  on  the Fundamentals  of  the  Tax  Code  related  to taxation  of  trusts,  personal  income  and retirement assets. Discussion of trust taxes, the scope  and  requirements  of  gift  taxes,  estate taxes and generation skipping transfer taxes.
Trusts and Investment Management
    A  complete  discussion  of  the  fundamentals  of client portfolio management and the economic markets  including  various  types  of  investments (including  securities  instruments).  The candidate  will  learn  more  about  defining  the types of investments used in trusts such as cash and  liquid,  fixed  income,  equity,  mutual  fund, and other.  The  latter  part  of  this  lecture  will expand  on  the  methods  used  to  select  and analyze  stock  and  bond  investments.  Other topics  include:  The  mechanics  of  portfolio management,  economic  influences  regarding trust  investments,  including  the  Federal Reserve,  business  cycles,  and  economic indicators,  and  the  legal  considerations  that affect decisions regarding trusts