What is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)?

Anyone can call themselves a financial advisor.  It is often hard for an investor to understand how to choose a competent financial planner.  With hundreds of certifications, they may also have an alphabet soup behind their name. However, CFP® (Certified Financial Planner) is the most significant financial planning credential. A CFP® has passed a rigorous series of tests followed by a comprehensive final exam that nearly 50% of prospective CFPs fail. A CFP® must pass a background check, have a college degree from an accredited university, and at least 3 years of direct financial planning experience. Certified Financial Planners must also commit to continuing education including ethics classes. Although a CFP® is not a fail safe method to pick an advisor, it is a good start.

Please view our article titled “Choosing a Financial Planner” for additional tips to find a financial planner.

Kevin McNab

This article is written by Kevin J. McNab. Kevin is President of ACE Wealth Partners, LLC and is a CFP®, ChFC®, and CRPC®. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. The views expressed in this blog post are as of the date of the posting, and are subject to change based on market and other conditions. This blog contains certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Please note that nothing in this blog post should be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase an interest in any security or separate account. Nothing is intended to be, and you should not consider anything to be, investment, accounting, tax or legal advice. If you would like investment, accounting, tax or legal advice, you should consult with your own financial advisors, accountants, or attorneys regarding your individual circumstances and needs. No advice may be rendered by ACE Wealth Partners, LLC unless a client service agreement is in place. If you have any questions regarding this Blog Post, please Contact Us. Please read our website DISCLOSURE carefully for additional information.