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.