What Qualities Go Into The CFP® Designation?

The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation is a professional designation for financial planners issued by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. As referenced on the CFP Board’s website:

The mission of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. is to benefit the public by granting the CFP® certification and upholding it as the recognized standard of excellence for competent and ethical personal financial planning.  

CFP® professionals must put your interests ahead of their own and adhere to the 4 E’s of certification:

Education
CFP® professionals must complete a comprehensive course of study at a college or university offering a financial planning curriculum approved by CFP Board. They must also satisfy the education requirement by submitting a transcript review or previous financial planning-related course work.

Examination
CFP® professionals must pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam, which tests their abilities to apply financial planning knowledge to real-life situations. This comprehensive exam ensures that a CFP® professional is highly qualified to develop a plan for your finances.

Experience
CFP® professionals complete several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients prior to earning the right to use the CFP® certification trademarks.

Ethics
CFP® professionals are held to the highest of standard, as outlined in the CFP Board’s Standards of Professional Conduct. They are obliged to uphold the principles of integrity, objectivity, competence, fairness, confidentiality, professionalism and diligence as outlined in CFP Board’s Code of Ethics.

We know there are many financial designations, leading to confusion over their value. Rest assured, however, the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation is at the top of the financial designations list. 

- Written by Annie Albrecht, Worley Erhart-Graves Financial Advisors.