About Us

Chartered Financial Analysts are licensed by the CFA Institute to use the CFA mark. CFA certification requirements:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or have equivalent education or work experience;
• Successful completion of all three exam levels of the CFA Program;
  Have 48 months of acceptable professional work experience in the investment decision-making process;
• Fulfill society requirements, which vary by society. Unless you are upgrading from affiliate membership, all societies require two sponsor statements as part of each application; these are submitted online by your sponsors;
• Agree to adhere to and sign the Member’s Agreement, a Professional Conduct Statement, and any additional documentation requested by CFA Institute.

The federally registered CFP (with flame design) marks (collectively, the “CFP® marks”) are professional certification marks granted in the United States by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (“CFP Board”). The CFP® certification is a voluntary certification; no federal or state law or regulation requires financial planners to hold CFP® certification. It is recognized in the United States and a number of other countries for its

• high standard of professional education;
• stringent code of conduct and standards of practice; and
• ethical requirements that govern professional engagements with clients. To attain the right to use the CFP® marks, an individual must satisfactorily fulfill the following requirements:
  • a) complete an advanced college-level course of study addressing the financial planning subject areas including insurance planning and risk management, employee benefits planning, investment planning, income tax planning, retirement planning, and estate planning;
  • b) pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Examination (2 day; 10 hour exam);
  • c) complete at least three years of full-time financial planning-related experience (or the equivalent, measured as 2,000 hours per year);
  • d) agree to be bound by CFP Board’s Standards of Professional Conduct;
  • e) complete 30 hours of continuing education hours every two years; and
  • f) renew an agreement to be bound by the Standards of Professional Conduct.

The Chartered SRI Counselor^SM , or CSRIC^® program, is a designation program that provides a blend of foundational knowledge and scenario learning to work with sustainable, responsible, and impact (SRI) investments, alongside environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, for a variety of clients. 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 investing. This course was developed in partnership with US SIF, The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment—the leading voice advancing sustainable, responsible, and impact investing across all asset classes in the United States.

Complete 16 hours of continuing education every two years to maintain competence.

The Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist^SM , or CRPS^® program, is a designation program for financial professionals.  This program educates experienced advisors on the process for building and maintaining business retirement plans. Students will be able to recommend implementation techniques that can be executed into well-structured, company-appropriate retirement plans. Plus, you’ll be able to effectively administer retirement plans for businesses and their employees. The program has been updated for the SECURE Act 2.0, so you’ll gain the knowledge to help your clients take advantage of incentives available under the legislation. 

Complete 16 hours of continuing education every two years to maintain competence.

Graduate-level degree focused on advanced financial planning strategies, investment management, estate planning, taxation, and retirement planning. The minimum qualifications for obtaining a Master of Science in Financial Planning (MSFP) designation or degree typically includes a combination of academic and professional prerequisites, which may vary depending on the specific institution or program. Generally, applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. While the degree does not always need to be in a related field such as finance, accounting, business, or economics, some programs may prefer it.  Many MSFP programs also require relevant work experience in the financial planning or financial services field (e.g., investment management, insurance, estate planning). The amount of experience required can range from 1-3 years, depending on the program.