Why CFP®

Financial Advisor. Financial Planner. Financial Consultant. Wealth Advisor. Investment Advisor. Financial Professional. Registered Representative. Retirement Specialist.

Advisors can put a lot of titles under their name on their business card, but it's important to realize that not all financial professionals are the same. There may be a lot of "advisors" out there that call themselves "financial planners" but only CFP® Professionals have completed rigorous educational curriculums, satisfied experience requirements, are held to a high ethical standard, and therefore able to use the title "CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER" Practitioner. As a CFP® Professional, we are required by the CFP Board's Rules of Conduct to put your interest ahead of our own.

To attain the right to use the CFP® marks, an individual must satisfactorily fulfill the following requirements:

  • Education - Hold Bachelor's Degree. Complete an advanced college-level course of study addressing the financial planning subject areas including insurance planning and risk management, employee benefits planning, investment planning, income tax planning, retirement planning, and estate planning;
  • Examination - Pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Examination. The examination includes case studies and client scenarios designed to test one's ability to correctly diagnose financial planning issues and apply one's knowledge of financial planning to real world circumstances;
  • Experience - Complete at least three years of full-time financial planning-related experience
  • Ethics- Agree to be bound by CFP Board's Standards of Professional Conduct, a set of documents outlining the ethical and practice standards for CFP® professionals; Comply with all bi-annual continuing education requirements.

CFP® professionals who fail to comply with the above standards and requirements may be subject to CFP Board's enforcement process, which could result in suspension or permanent revocation of their CFP® certification. For more information on the CFP® Certification, click here.