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        OF THE EAST BAY      
             
         
     
         
      Financial Planning Association of the East Bay    
    A Gold Level Chapter of the FPA for the 6th Consecutive Year!    
         
      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.    
               
       
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