What is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional?

A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional must meet the following qualifications, as specified by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., in order to use the CFP® marks:

• Examination
  An individual must successfully complete the CFP Board's comprehensive certification examination, which tests the individual's knowledge on a multitude of key financial planning topics.



• Experience
  Depending on the level of degree work completed in a collegiate setting, an individual must acquire three to five years of financial planning-related experience prior to receiving the right to use the CFP® marks.



• Ethics
  An individual must voluntarily ascribe to the CFP Board's Code of Ethics and additional requirements as mandated. This voluntary decision empowers the CFP Board to take action if a CFP® certificant should violate the code of ethics. Such violations could lead to disciplinary action, including the permanent revocation of the right to use the CFP® marks.



• Education
  A CFP® certificant must obtain 30 hours of continuing education every two years in the body of knowledge pertaining to financial planning areas such as estate planning, retirement planning, investment management, tax planning, employee benefits and insurance.

Resource: the Financial Planning Association

To make a long story short, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional is trained to help you deal effectively with an unpredictable future.

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Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and federally registered CFP (with flame logo), which it awards to individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing certification requirements.