Education
CFP Board’s coursework component requires the completion of a college-level program of study in personal financial planning, or an accepted equivalent, including completion of a financial plan development course registered with CFP Board. You must also have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in order to obtain CFP® certification.
Examination
After you have successfully met the education coursework requirement, you will be eligible to register for the CFP® Certification Examination. The CFP® Certification Examination assesses your ability to apply your financial planning knowledge, in an integrated format, to financial planning situations.
Experience
Because CFP® certification indicates to the public your ability to provide financial planning without supervision, CFP Board requires you to have 6,000 hours of experience through the Standard Pathway, or 4,000 hours of experience through the Apprenticeship pathway that meets additional requirements.
Ethics
CFP® professionals agree to adhere to the high standards of ethics and practice outlined in CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct and to acknowledge CFP Board’s right to enforce them through its Disciplinary Rules and Procedures. When you have completed the education, examination and experience components of the CFP® certification process, you will be directed to complete a CFP® Certification Application on which you will be asked to disclose information about your background.
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