Four North Shore Bank employees recently completed the coursework and passed a rigorous exam to become Certified IRA Specialists.

From top: New Certified IRA Specialists Aubrey Abrahamson, Laura De Bruin, and Zoran Saric. Not pictured: Jolene Cedeno.

Allouez assistant branch manager Aubrey Abrahamson, Burlington personal banker Jolene Cedeno, Shorewood personal banker Laura De Bruin, and Forest Home assistant branch manager Zoran Saric are well equipped to work with new and existing IRA customers, providing them with more in-depth information about their IRA options.

The CIS course took place over six weeks and consisted of weekly webinars, plus several hours of work outside of class.

The new specialists agreed the certification was worth the time they put in, with some noting that even though they’d already been knowledgeable about IRAs, they now felt far more confident sharing information with customers.

“I have been able to feel a lot more comfortable talking with my younger customers about the advantages of an IRA, and helping other customers understand their benefits,” Aubrey said. 02031

“Studying for the exam felt like being back in college, but ultimately, I was learning information that will not only help me help our customers, but will also help me plan for my own financial future,” said Laura.

The four join our existing CISs: Northland personal banker Kelly Kading, Pewaukee branch manager Anne Kagerah, and New Berlin branch manager Sara Swonsinski, bringing it to a total of seven Certified IRA Specialists, who serve as a resource for all branch employees needing help with IRAs.

“These four employees were very dedicated to achieving this certification, and I applaud them for completing it on top of their daily banker duties,” training and internal communications manager VP Milene Below said. “Congratulations!”