CFP® Certification
 
 
  What is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional?  
     
  The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional is a member of a distinguished profession  
  dedicated to serving the financial needs of individuals, families and businesses.  "CERTIFIED   
  FINANCIAL PLANNER™" is far more than a title, it is precise definition of a person’s competence,   
  experience, and intelligence in the complex profession of financial planning. Not every person who is  
  described as a financial planner is a CFP® Licensee; to earn this title the financial planner has demon-
  strated competence in analyzing  and developing personal and business financial plans through the  
  successful completion of a series of rigorous financial planning examinations.  
     
  The CFP® professional’s area of expertise is in analyzing needs and prudently arranging overall   
  financial plans rather than in promoting individual financial products. In carrying out this task, one   
  CFP® certificant may be more knowledgeable in a particular field than another and therefore  
  recognizes the need to consult with qualified individuals in other specialties and in those areas   
  traditionally and legally set aside for others, such as attorneys and accountants, among others.  
     
     
  Requirements for Becoming a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional  
     
  Education Requirement  
     
  The foundation of the personal financial planning profession is based on rigorous educational   
  standards. There is a model curriculum of more than 100 topics, which must be tested and mastered  
  in order to sit for the Certification Examination. The educational topics include:  
     
      The Process of Financial Planning  
      Insurance Planning  
      Investment Planning  
      Income Tax Planning  
      Retirement and Employee Benefits Planning  
      Estate Planning  
     
  Currently, there are three paths to the completion of this education requirement:  
     
      Registered Programs  
      Transcript Review  
      Challenge  
     
  Before applying for the Certification Examination, a candidate must first complete academic coverage 
  of the financial planning curriculum. Typical college course titles covered by the curriculum include   
  investments, estate planning, individual income tax, retirement planning, risk management, insurance   
  and finance. In addition to the required curriculum, the CFP Board recommends courses in the areas of 
  finance, accounting, economics, computer programming and communications, especially for those who are 
  new to the area of financial services.  
     
  Regardless of which educational path you choose, it is important to note that the CFP® curriculum   
  topics remain the basis for the Certification Examination. You should be certain that the courses you   
  take cover the subjects contained in this section.  
     
  CFP® Examination Requirement  
     
  When you have successfully completed the education requirement or you have satisfied the examination 
  challenge requirements, you are eligible to apply for the Certification Examination. The Certification  
  Examination is a 10-hour examination, divided into:  
     
      One four-hour session (Friday afternoon) and  
      Two three-hour sessions (Saturday).  
     
  The Certification Examination is designed to assess your ability to apply your financial planning   
  education to financial planning situations in an integrated format, thereby protecting the public by   
  assuring that you are at the appropriate level of competency required for practice.  
     
  Work Experience Requirement  
     
  The third requirement centers on work experience: individual, personal financial planning-related   
  experience. The experience component is designed to provide the public with the assurance that you   
  understand the counseling nature of personal financial planning. The general requirement is three   
  years, performed before or after the successful completion of the Certification Examination.  
     
  Ethical Requirement Prior to Becoming a CFP® Professional  
     
  Once you have completed the education, examination and work experience requirements, you will   
  receive a Declaration Packet, which includes an ethics statement form and your license application   
  with a bill for your initial license fee. Prior to certification, you will be required to disclose past or  
  pending litigation or agency proceedings and to acknowledge the right of the CFP Board to enforce  
  its Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility through due process described in its Disciplinary  
  Rules and Procedures. If you have any questions about the affect of any past or pending action on  
  your authorization to use the marks, you should contact CFP Board legal counsel directly at this  
  telephone number:  (303) 830-7500.  
     
  Continuing Educational Requirements for a CFP® Professional  
     
  Once licensed, (and you have paid the License Fee) you must continue to meet the CFP Board's post-
  certification standards in order to continue using the marks. To assure compliance with these require-  
  ments, the CFP Board oversees licensees through marks licensing and ethics enforcement. Further,  
  all CFP® certificants are required to meet a continuing education requirement of 30 hours every two  
  two hours of which must be in the CFP Board's Code of Ethics. Details about the requirement are  
  provided in the Licensee Manual.  
     
  All certificants are required to renew their license on a regular basis. You will be required to sign  
  the Licensee's Statement on the license renewal form disclosing any legal proceedings, ethics violations,
  pending disciplinary matters or litigation in the prior year.  
     
     
  FPA Helps Members Earn CFP® Certification  
     
  FPA has created three exceptional opportunities to help members attain the hallmark of financial  
  planning - CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification:  
     
        Free Assessment Tests. Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses  
         and determine where you need to spend time studying for the  
         CFP® Certification Examination - and do it online!  Dalton   
         Publications' Diagnostic Exam and Keir Educational Resources'  
         Preliminary Assessment of Certification Exam Readiness (PACER)  
         are now available at no cost to FPA members.  
         
      • CFP Certification Review Materials at Reduced Prices.  
         Get ready for the CFP® Certification Examination. Take  
         advantage of Keir and Dalton's highly effective review  
         materials - both at discounted prices for FPA members.  
         
      • Reduced Pricing for Financial Planning Education Programs   
         for FPA Members  
         
  http://www.fpanet.org/member/practice_center/services/tools.cfm  
         
         
  Links to CFP® Courses  
         
  Please click here for a list of current CFP® courses registered with the CFP Board of   
  Standards and Practices.  
     
  FPA East Bay CFP® Student Scholarship Information  
       
    The Scholarship is available to candidates who are pursuing the Certified Financial  
    Planner certification or are enrolled in a financial planning program and are motivated  
    to obtain the CFP® designation.  The information sheet has the qualifications & benefits.  
       
  Information Sheet (PDF) -- Click here to download  
  Application Form (PDF) -- Click here to download  
     
       
  Here are useful links for more information about our Chapter, its activities, the FPA and more.  
       
    Return to Home Page Consumer Information   Membership Information  
    Board of Directors Directions & Map to Meetings More About Us  
    Calendar of Events FPA National Website   Newsletters (PDF Files)  
    Career Development FPA No. California Chapter Nor Cal Conference  
    CFP® Certification FPA San Francisco Chapter Our Chapter Sponsors  
    Committees (PDF Page) FPA Silicon Valley Chapter      
    Community Service Media & Press Information e-mail the Webmaster  
         
       
  Please send any comments or corrections to our webmaster, Steven "Shags" Shagrin at Shags@PlanningForLife.info
     
.....