Certified Financial Planner™ Professional
All CFP® professionals have met these strict requirements mandated by the CFP Board:
Education: CFP® professionals must develop their theoretical and practical financial planning knowledge by completing a comprehensive course of study at a college or university offering a financial planning curriculum approved by CFP Board.
Examination: CFP® professionals must pass a comprehensive two-day, 10-hour CFP® Certification Examination that tests their ability to apply financial planning knowledge in an integrated format.
Experience: CFP® professionals must have at least three years of experience providing financial planning services to clients before they can earn the right to use the CFP® certification marks.
Ethics: As a final step to certification, CFP® professionals agree to abide by a strict code of professional conduct known as the CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and agree to abide by the CFP Board’s Financial Planning Practice Standards.
In addition, CFP® professionals must renew their certification every two years. CFP® professionals are required to stay current with developments in the financial planning profession and fulfill ethical obligations. As part of the renewal process, they are required to complete a minimum 30 hours of continuing education every two years, including a course on CFP Board’s ethical standards.