Society of Certified Senior Advisors

What Society of Certified Senior Advisors does

The Society of Certified Senior Advisors (SCSA) is a Denver-based, privately-held education and credentialing organization founded in 1997 that issues the Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)® designation to professionals who work with older adults. Its core offering is the "Working with Older Adults" education program, organized as a 26-topic, six-part curriculum spanning health transitions, quality-of-life, financial and estate planning, federal and state programs, and ethics — delivered via self-paced online study, instructor-led virtual Zoom classes (3-week or 5.5-week formats), and in-person classes in Denver. The CSA certification requires passing a proctored 115-question exam (fee: $395) plus an ethics module, and is accredited by both the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

SCSA's business model is a multi-SKU education and certification platform monetized through one-time per-product fees: exam registration ($395), in-person class ($895), virtual class plus exam bundle ($1,290), individual certificate parts ($195 each), and textbook/study materials ($50–$400). Ancillary revenue is generated by the annual CSA Conference (11th edition scheduled for August 2026), free monthly webinars used as top-of-funnel marketing, and the Senior Spirit newsletter. Over 2,800 professionals currently hold the CSA designation, drawn from legal, wealth management, real estate, insurance/financial, and eldercare-adjacent verticals. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via the portal.csa.us member portal, with continuing-education credit recognition across state insurance boards, the CFP Board, and other licensing bodies creating ongoing engagement hooks with certified members.

Organizationally, SCSA operates with 11–50 employees from its headquarters at 720 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver, is independent with no parent company, venture backing, or acquisition activity disclosed, and relies on ANAB/NCCA accreditation, the federally registered CSA® trademark, and content marketing across blog, social, webinar, and conference channels as the principal pillars of its competitive position.

Name

Society of Certified Senior Advisors

Legal name

Society of Certified Senior Advisors

Website

https://csa.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Society of Certified Senior Advisors (SCSA) is a Denver-based private credentialing organization that delivers the ANAB/NCCA-accredited Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)® designation and "Working with Older Adults" education program to professionals serving seniors across legal, wealth management, real estate, and insurance verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification and Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Credentialing, Certification Prep & Exam Training (BPACANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

Keywords

• Senior advisor certification
• Professional credentialing services
• Aging education programs
• Continuing education courses
• Senior care training

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. CSA Certification Exam: Candidates pay a $395 fee to take the CSA certification exam, which includes the exam and application processing. The exam is a proctored paper exam with 115 multiple choice questions, with candidates having up to 145 minutes to complete it.
2. In-Person Class Enrollment: The Working with Older Adults In-Person Live Class is available for $895, offering interpersonal learning with real-time presentations, discussions, and networking among students and instructors. Includes textbook, PowerPoint notebook, and course study guide.
3. Certificate Program: Individual certificate courses available for $195 each, allowing professionals to select specific topic areas from the Working with Older Adults curriculum without completing the full program. Each certificate includes the print booklet, online module access for two months, comprehensive quiz, and certificate of completion.
4. Textbook and Study Materials: Textbook Bundle priced at $400 (includes textbook and course study guide), Textbook alone at $350, and Course Study Guide at $50. PowerPoint Notebook available for $50. These materials support the self-study education program.
5. Virtual Class Programs: Virtual class offerings including 3-week and 5.5-week virtual class options through Zoom. The Virtual Class + CSA Exam Bundle is priced at $1,290. Classes cover the Working With Older Adults curriculum with late afternoon and evening scheduling options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Society of Certified Senior Advisors (SCSA) delivers professional certification and continuing education for practitioners who serve older adults. Its core offering is the Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) credential, earned by passing a 115-question proctored exam after completing the "Working with Older Adults" curriculum that covers 26 topic areas across health, financial, social, legal, and ethical issues. Course delivery formats include self-study, virtual live classes via Zoom, and in-person classes in Denver, accompanied by textbooks, study guides, and individual certificate courses.

Product overview

The Society of Certified Senior Advisors (SCSA) operates a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on its Working with Older Adults education program and the Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)® certification credential. The core Working with Older Adults self-study course delivers 26 topic areas across six textbook parts (The Journey of Aging, Health Transitions, Quality-of-Life Choices, Financial & Estate Planning, Federal & State Programs, and Essential Ethics), with multiple delivery formats including virtual classes via Zoom, in-person classes in Denver, and online self-study. The CSA Certification is the flagship credential, requiring passage of a rigorous 115-question exam (fee: $395) and ethics module, accredited by ANAB and NCCA. Supplementary products include a Certificate Program allowing study of individual topic areas ($195/part), exam retakes ($115), course audits ($200), and textbooks and study guides ($50-$400). Additional revenue streams include the annual CSA Conference, free monthly webinars, and the Senior Spirit newsletter. Over 2,800 professionals currently hold the CSA designation across the U.S.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Working with Older Adults Education Program A self-study course providing multidisciplinary knowledge on health, social, financial, and ethical issues affecting older adults, covering 26 topic areas through six comprehensive textbook parts. Designed for professionals seeking to better serve senior clients.
• Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) Certification The leading professional certification for practitioners serving older adults, requiring passing a rigorous 115-question exam and completing an ethics module. The credential is accredited by ANAB and NCCA and is held by over 2,800 professionals.
• Working with Older Adults Virtual Class Live virtual instructor-led course delivered via Zoom, available in 3-week and 5.5-week formats, covering 20+ key topic areas with real-time discussions and networking. Priced at $1,290 when bundled with the CSA exam.
• Working with Older Adults In-Person Class Live in-person course offered in Denver, CO covering 26 key topic areas with interpersonal learning, real-time presentations, discussions, and networking opportunities. Includes textbook, PowerPoint notebook, and course study guide. Price: $895.
• Working with Older Adults Certificate Program Six individual certificate courses allowing professionals to study specific topic areas from the Working with Older Adults course without completing the full program. Each includes a textbook booklet, two months of online module access, a comprehensive quiz, and a certificate of completion. Price: $195 per part.
• Working with Older Adults PowerPoint Notebook Note-taking slides for the 26-chapter course, with printed copies for live class students and PDF downloads for online students. Price: $50.
• Working with Older Adults Textbook Bundle Six-part textbook covering core competencies for serving older adults, combined with course workbook containing key terms, practice questions, and learning activities across 26 chapters. Price: $400.
• Working with Older Adults Course Study Guide Course workbook with key terms, concepts, practice questions, and learning activities to help prepare for the CSA exam, containing 10-15 review questions per chapter with answer explanations. Price: $50.
• Working with Older Adults Textbook Six easy-to-read practical booklets covering core competencies for serving older adults, exploring health, financial, social, legal, and ethical issues. Price: $350.
• CSA Exam Registration CSA certification examination with 115 multiple choice questions, 145-minute time limit, proctored paper exam with results provided within five business days. Fee: $395.
• CSA Conference Annual CSA Conference delivering insights on health, financial, social, legal, and business issues for professionals working with older adults. The 11th Annual CSA Conference is scheduled for August 14-16, 2026 at The Westin Westminster in Denver, Colorado.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,800 professionals currently certified across the U.S.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners: Offers the Certified Dementia Practitioner credential and related training for professionals working with seniors and dementia patients. It is the most direct competitor to SCSA, targeting the same senior-services professional audience with a parallel certification-and-education model.
• National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA): Professional membership association for attorneys who work with older adults, offering specialized credentials, education, and a member directory. NAELA overlaps with SCSA's legal vertical customer segment and competes for the same elder-law training dollars.

Broad incumbents

• The American College of Financial Services: A large, established provider of professional credentials for financial services practitioners (ChFC, CLU, CFP-LEVEL programs) and continuing education. It competes for the same wealth-management and insurance professionals that SCSA certifies and offers a broader, more entrenched credential portfolio.
• Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards: Issues the CFP® certification, the dominant credential for financial planners serving retirees and seniors. CFP overlaps directly with SCSA's wealth-management customer segment and represents the default credential against which CSA must differentiate.
• Society of Financial Service Professionals (SFSP): Membership association for financial service professionals, offering education, designations (CLF, ChHC), and continuing education. It targets the same insurance and financial advisory verticals as SCSA and competes for CE-credit-driven engagement.

Emerging players

• National Council on Aging (NCOA): A national nonprofit focused on improving the lives of older adults, which increasingly offers professional training and aging-services credentials. NCOA is an emerging player that could expand into the same education-and-certification space SCSA occupies.

Others

• AARP: The dominant U.S. membership organization for adults 50+, offering consumer education and training resources. AARP is not a direct credentialing competitor but represents a massive distribution channel and thought-leader in the senior-services space.
• International Association for Continuing Education & Training (IACET): Accredits providers of continuing education and training. IACET sits adjacent to SCSA as an accreditation body and shares the CE-provider ecosystem; it is relevant for understanding CE standards that affect SCSA's offerings.
• Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio (and peer Area Agencies on Aging): Regional aging-services organizations that provide training and certification for eldercare professionals. These agencies represent a fragmented network of regional players that could consolidate and compete with SCSA at the local level.
• National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU): Professional association for health insurance and employee benefits specialists, many of whom serve the senior market. NAHU offers Medicare-related certification and CE that overlaps with SCSA's insurance vertical customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/societycsa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SocietyCSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CertifiedSeniorAdvisors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/certified-senior-advisors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Society of Certified Senior Advisors