Prepare Institute

What Prepare Institute does

Prepare Institute (legal name: The Prepare Institute) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational institution that delivers college-style, in-person retirement planning courses to pre-retirees and retirees aged 50-70 across the United States. Founded by five education-based retirement professionals who adhere to the Fiduciary Standard, the organization was established in 2017 and is headquartered in Germantown, Maryland. It operates with a small staff (1-10 employees) and is funded through student tuition, financial industry advocates, and donations.

The product set is anchored by the PREPARE® Educational Retirement Course, a comprehensive two-day in-person class requiring tuition, and is complemented by the PREPARE® Retirement and Taxes class, a free one-day in-person session focused on tax efficiency. The curriculum is organized into five chapters — Taxes in Retirement, Healthcare in Retirement, Estate Planning, Investing in Retirement, and Income Planning — and is delivered by licensed financial professionals with at least five years of real-world experience. No proprietary technology platform underlies the offering; the value is delivered through instructor-led lectures rather than software. Classes are convened at partner university and college campuses including George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, Southern Methodist University, the University of Virginia, Merrimack College, Inver Hills Community College, San Jacinto Community College, Western Kentucky University, Patrick Henry College, Concordia University Texas, and St. Edward's University, giving the organization a multi-state footprint across Virginia, Texas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Kentucky.

Prepare Institute generates revenue from undisclosed tuition on its flagship course, with secondary funding from donations and financial industry advocacy consistent with its 501(c)(3) status. Pricing is not publicly disclosed on the website. The go-to-market motion is event-driven: prospective students register for specific upcoming class sessions at named campus venues via the website. Marketing and demand generation are handled through the company website, a monthly blog covering retirement topics such as tax law changes, and an email newsletter aimed at subscribers interested in retirement education. The organization explicitly does not promote or endorse specific financial products during sessions, positioning itself as a non-commercial alternative to commission-based retirement seminars.

Name

Prepare Institute

Legal name

The Prepare Institute

Website

https://theprepareinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Prepare Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational institution that delivers college-style, in-person retirement planning courses to pre-retirees and retirees aged 50-70 at partner university campuses across multiple U.S. states, funded by tuition and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retirement Education Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Services & Insurance (FINRA, CFP, IAR, Insurance CE) (EDAAALAJ)

Keywords

• Retirement education
• Retirement planning courses
• Financial literacy training
• Estate planning classes
• Tax in retirement

Headquarters

HQ city

Germantown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Student Tuition: The flagship PREPARE Educational Retirement Course is tuition-based. Students pay tuition to attend the comprehensive two-day in-person retirement education course. The organization also offers a free one-day Taxes in Retirement class.
2. Financial Industry Advocacy and Donations: Prepare Institute is funded through multiple channels including student tuition, financial industry advocates, and donations as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Prepare Institute is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit educational institution that delivers in-person, college-style retirement education courses for adults aged 50-70. Its core offerings are the tuition-based flagship PREPARE® Educational Retirement Course (a comprehensive two-day class covering taxes, healthcare, estate planning, investing, and income planning) and the free one-day PREPARE® Retirement and Taxes class. Courses are taught by licensed financial professionals at partner university campuses nationwide and contain no commercial selling or product promotion.

Product overview

Prepare Institute offers two main educational products: the PREPARE® Educational Retirement Course (a comprehensive two-day in-person class covering five main chapters: Taxes in Retirement, Healthcare in Retirement, Estate Planning, Investing in Retirement, and Income Planning) and the PREPARE® Retirement and Taxes class (a free one-day deep-dive into tax curriculum). Both are college-style, non-commercial educational courses designed for adults ages 50-70 preparing for retirement, taught by licensed financial professionals at partner university campuses nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PREPARE®: The flagship brand for retirement education courses offered by The Prepare Institute, including the PREPARE® Educational Retirement Course and PREPARE® Retirement and Taxes class.

Products and services

• PREPARE® Educational Retirement Course The flagship comprehensive two-day, in-person retirement education class for adults aged 50-70 covering five main chapters: Taxes in Retirement, Healthcare in Retirement (including Medicare and long-term care), Estate Planning (Wills and Trusts), Investing in Retirement, and Income Planning. Designed to provide unbiased, non-commercial retirement education taught by licensed fiduciary financial professionals at partner university campuses nationwide. Tuition required.
• PREPARE® Retirement and Taxes A free, one-day, in-person class that deepens the tax curriculum from the flagship two-day PREPARE Educational Retirement Course. Designed for adults aged 50-70 seeking focused education on how the U.S. tax system works in retirement, different asset and income taxation treatments, and strategies for achieving tax efficiency in retirement.

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• George Mason UniversitycoreOthersPartner venue for hosting PREPARE retirement education classes at both Fairfax and Manassas campuses in Virginia.
• Northern Virginia Community CollegecoreOthersPartner venue for hosting PREPARE retirement education classes at the Annandale Campus in Virginia.
• Southern Methodist UniversitycoreOthersPartner venue for hosting PREPARE retirement education classes in Texas.
• University of VirginiacoreOthersPartner venue for hosting PREPARE retirement education classes at the Fairfax Campus.
• Merrimack CollegecoreOthersPartner venue for hosting PREPARE retirement education classes in Massachusetts.
• Inver Hills Community CollegecoreOthersPartner venue for hosting PREPARE retirement education classes in Minnesota.
• San Jacinto Community CollegecoreOthersPartner venue for hosting PREPARE retirement education classes in Texas.
• Western Kentucky UniversitycoreOthersPartner venue for hosting PREPARE retirement education classes in Kentucky.
• Patrick Henry CollegecoreOthersPartner venue for hosting PREPARE retirement education classes in Virginia.
• Concordia University TexascoreOthersPartner venue for hosting PREPARE retirement education classes in Texas.
• St. Edward's UniversitycoreOthersPartner venue for hosting PREPARE retirement education classes in Texas.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Ramsey Solutions: Ramsey Solutions is a large, established consumer financial education brand offering courses (Financial Peace University), books, podcasts, and live events on budgeting, debt, and retirement. Comparable to Prepare Institute as a consumer-facing retirement/financial education provider at significantly greater scale, with overlapping target demographics.
• The American College of Financial Services: The American College of Financial Services is a longstanding higher-education institution offering CFP and other professional financial designations, plus retirement-focused certificates. Comparable as an established provider of structured retirement and financial planning education, though primarily serving financial professionals rather than consumers.
• College for Financial Planning: College for Financial Planning is a leading provider of CFP Board-registered education and financial planning certifications, with adjacent retirement planning curricula. Comparable to Prepare Institute in delivering structured retirement-related education, though at professional-level rather than consumer focus.

Direct peers

• Ed Slott and Company: Ed Slott and Company is a leading retirement-focused education firm offering workshops, continuing education, and advisor training on IRAs, taxes, and distribution planning. Directly comparable to Prepare Institute as a non-commercial, education-first authority in the consumer retirement education space.
• National Financial Educators Council (NFEC): NFEC is a non-profit that delivers financial literacy education and trains financial educators across the US. Directly comparable as a fellow mission-driven financial education organization targeting adult learners with curriculum-based programs.
• Foundation for Financial Planning: A 501(c)(3) non-profit that coordinates pro bono financial planning and education for underserved populations. Comparable to Prepare Institute as a peer non-profit advancing objective, product-neutral financial education in the US.

Emerging players

• FINRA Investor Education Foundation: FINRA Foundation funds and disseminates unbiased investor and retirement education research and programs for US adults. Comparable to Prepare Institute as a non-commercial, mission-driven funder/disseminator of retirement education to the 50+ demographic.
• Investor.gov (SEC Office of Investor Education): The SEC's Investor.gov provides free, unbiased investor and retirement education resources directly to consumers. Comparable as a non-commercial alternative channel vying for the same audience that Prepare Institute addresses with paid in-person classes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PrepareforRetirement
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-prepare-institute

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Prepare Institute