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Designations

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CFP® (Certified Financial Planner):

CFP® professionals have met CFP Board’s high standards for education, examination, experience, and ethics. To become a CFP® professional, an individual must fulfill the following requirements:

  • Education – Earn a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university and complete CFP Board-approved coursework at a college or university through a CFP Board Registered Program. The coursework covers the financial planning subject areas CFP Board has determined are necessary for the competent and professional delivery of financial planning services, as well as a comprehensive financial plan development capstone course. A candidate may satisfy some of the coursework requirements through other qualifying credentials.
  • Examination – Pass the comprehensive CFP®Certification Examination. The examination is designed to assess an individual’s ability to integrate and apply a broad base of financial planning knowledge in the context of real-life financial planning situations.
  • Experience – Complete 6,000 hours of professional experience related to the personal financial planning process, or 4,000 hours of apprenticeship experience that meets additional requirements.
  • Ethics –
    • Satisfy the Fitness Standards for Candidates for CFP®Certification and Former CFP® Professionals Seeking Reinstatement and agree to be bound by CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct (“Code and Standards”), which sets forth the ethical and practice standards for CFP® professionals. Individuals who become certified must complete the following ongoing education and ethics requirements to remain certified and maintain the right to continue to use the CFP Board Certification Marks.
    • Commit to complying with CFP Board’s Code and Standards. This includes a commitment to CFP Board, as part of the certification, to act as a fiduciary, and therefore, act in the best interests of the client, at all times when providing financial advice and financial planning. CFP Board may sanction a CFP® professional who does not abide by this commitment, but CFP Board does not guarantee a CFP® professional’s services. A client who seeks a similar commitment should obtain a written engagement that includes a fiduciary obligation to the client.
  • Continuing Education – Complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years to maintain competence, demonstrate specified levels of knowledge, skills, and abilities, and keep up with developments in financial planning. Two of the hours must address the Code and Standards.

You may find more information about the CFP® certification at www.cfp.net.

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA):

The CFA charter is a graduate-level professional designation established in 1962 and awarded by CFA Institute. To earn the CFA charter, candidates must pass three sequential, six-hour examinations over two to four years. The three levels of the CFA Program test a wide range of investment topics, including ethical and professional standards, fixed-income analysis, alternative, and derivative investments, and portfolio management and wealth planning. In addition, CFA charterholders must have at least four years of acceptable professional experience in the investment decision-making process and must commit to abide by, and annually reaffirm, their adherence to the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.

Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® CDFA®:

The Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®) designation is issued by The Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts (IDFA™), which is a national organization dedicated to the certification, education, and promotion of the use of financial professionals in the divorce arena.

Founded in 1993, IDFA™ provides specialized training to accounting, financial, and legal professionals in the field of pre-divorce financial planning. Over the years, IDFA™ has certified more than 5,000 professionals in the U.S. and Canada as Certified Divorce Financial Analysts® (CDFAs®).

The CDFA® designation is available to individuals who have a minimum of three years experience as a financial professional, accountant, or matrimonial lawyer. To acquire the designation, a candidate must successfully pass all exams and be in good standing with their broker dealer (if applicable) and the FINRA/SEC or other licensing or regulatory agency. To earn the designation, the participant must complete a series of self‐study course modules and pass an examination for each module.

The American module topics are:

  • Financial and legal issues of divorce
  • Advanced financial issues of divorce
  • Tax issues of divorce
  • Working as a CDFA: case studies

Continuing Education (CE) To retain the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® designation, a CDFA® must obtain fifteen divorce-related hours of Continuing Education (CE) every two years, remain in good standing with the IDFA™, and keep his/her dues current.

To learn more about the CDFA® designation, visit http://www.institutedfa.com.

Chartered Socially Responsible Investment CounselorSM  (CSRIC®)

The CSRIC® designation is recognized as the industry-benchmark for socially responsible investment (SRI)-focused credentials. This program provides experienced financial advisors and investment professionals with a foundation knowledge of the history, definitions, trends, portfolio construction principles, fiduciary responsibilities, and best practices for sustainable, responsible, and impact SRI investments. The CSRIC® program was developed in collaboration with industry-group leader US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment. The CSRIC® Professional Education Program is a 3-semester credit graduate level course conferred by the College for Financial Planning. Authorization for continued use of the credential must be renewed every two years, by meeting the four renewal requirements:

  • Complete 16 continuing education credits every two years with any CE provider.
  • Comply with standards of professional conduct.
  • Acknowledge terms and conditions statements for the rights to use the College’s marks.
  • Pay renewal fees.

Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®)

The AIF® designation certifies that the recipient has specialized knowledge of fiduciary standards of care and their application to the investment management process. To receive the AIF® designation, individuals must complete a training program, successfully pass a comprehensive, closed-book final examination under the supervision of a proctor and agree to abide by the AIF® Code of Ethics. In order to maintain the AIF® designation, the individual must annually renew their affirmation of the AIF Code of Ethics and complete six hours of continuing education credits. The certification is administered by the Center for Fiduciary Studies, LLC (a Fiduciary360 (fi360) company).