Background
In 1986, the College for Financial Planning voluntarily transferred its ownership of the marks Certified Financial Planner® and CFP® to the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board). A nonprofit professional regulatory organization, the CFP Board administers the CFP Certification Examination and licenses individuals to use the certification marks CFP and Certified Financial Planner.

The CFP Board exists to benefit and protect the public by maintaining and enforcing high standards of ethical professional conduct and competency among Certified Financial Planner licensees. Persons licensed to use the marks will be required to adhere to the CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, and will be subject to the disciplinary procedures and continuing education standards that have been established by the CFP Board.

Certification
To qualify for certification by the CFP Board, an individual currently must fulfill four requirements (education, examination, experience, and ethics). The educational requirement can be met through a variety of sources, including completion of a financial planning education program registered with the CFP Board.

The CFP Board's CFP Certification Examination
Students who enroll in the College's CFP Program and who seek certification are required by the CFP Board to successfully complete a certification examination. The test includes traditional multiple-choice questions, several case scenarios, and comprehensive cases, all with multiple-choice responses.

The fee for the certification exam is not covered in the College's CFP Program tuition and must be paid directly to the CFP Board. Individuals who plan to take the certification exam should contact the CFP Board to obtain test dates, sites, and registration information.

Experience Requirement
In most cases, individuals must provide the CFP Board with verification of three years of related work experience. The experience requirement can be fulfilled immediately prior to, concurrent with, or following the education and examination requirements, but it must be completed within five years after passing the CFP Certification Examination. Determinations of acceptable work experience are made by the CFP Board in accordance with its published guidelines.

The experience requirement:

• establishes a baccalaureate degree and three years of financial-planning-related experience as the "basic requirement"; 
• provides an alternative path for those with on-the-job learning but without a baccalaureate degree.

Continuing Education Requirement
Candidates who have completed their examination but not the other requirements (experience, education, ethics statement) need to begin accumulating continuing education credits on January 1 of the calendar year following the year in which they completed their examination.

Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility
CFP licensees must sign a statement of adherence to the CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and must disclose past or pending litigation or agency proceedings. The Declaration Form must also be attested to by a CFP licensee, a CPA, or licensed attorney.

To contact the CFP Board, write to 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, CO 80290-2101, or call (303) 830-7500.

CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® are federally registered service marks of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. Copyright © College for Financial Planning. All rights reserved.

The College for Financial Planning does not award the CFP and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER license. The right to use the marks CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® is granted by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) to those persons who have met its rigorous education standards, passed the CFP Board's CFP Certification Examination, satisfied a work experience requirement and agreed to abide by the CFP Board Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Only persons registered with the CFP Board are permitted to sit for the CFP Certification Examination. CFP certificates and licenses are issued only by the CFP Board.