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CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM

CFP^® Certification

Advance your career online with the College for Financial Planning^®—a Kaplan Company.

Pursue CFP^® Certification with the Original Creator of the CFP^® Mark

As the creator of the country’s first financial planning credential, we are uniquely positioned to help our students achieve their career goals in financial planning. Our CFP Board registered program will help you master the coursework required to sit for the CFP^® exam and gain expertise that creates better outcomes for your clients—and your career.

More than 21,000 CFP^® certificants have come from the College’s program. Approximately 1/3 of all CFP^® exam takers turned to our CFP Board Registered Program among 300+ programs. Thousands of the College’s students see exam success.CFP^® certification candidates from the College’s education program raised the national exam pass rate by 2 percentage points.

In addition, the program counts for credit toward our master’s degree in personal financial planning.

You can choose the pace, schedule, and learning structure that meets your needs and goals. View more information about our programs in the College Catalog.

Program At-A-Glance

Length
7 courses; 8 modules per course (except FP512, which has 6)
Recommended study time
750 to 1,000 hours
Level of coursework
Graduate Level
Articulation
Successful completion of the program qualifies toward 15 credits in the MS in Personal Financial Planning

Program Courses

Graduate-level (0 academic credits); Prerequisite(s): none

This course examines basic financial planning concepts for developing client relationships; gathering, analyzing and evaluating financial documents, statements and other information; developing and communicating relevant recommendations to clients; implementing recommendations through the use of a financial planning team; and monitoring the financial plan on a periodic basis, all within CFP Board professional and regulatory standards. Students will develop a pragmatic perspective of the field of financial planning as they learn to analyze personal financial statements, understand time value of money concepts, explore education funding techniques, advise clients regarding the management of debt, apply behavioral finance concepts, gain an understanding of federal and state regulatory requirements, learn the ethical environment of financial planning and integrate the legal and economic aspects of financial planning within a practice.

Graduate-level (3 academic credits); Prerequisite(s): none

This course explores fundamental insurance, annuity, and employee benefit concepts and products. Students will gain knowledge of the principles of risk and insurance; learn how to analyze and evaluate risk exposures; and understand the concepts of personal and business insurance for life, health, disability, long-term care and property insurance. Students will also develop perspectives regarding the integration of social insurance (e.g. Medicare, workers compensation)within the framework of financial planning. Equity-based compensation, nonqualified deferred compensation and other employee benefits will also be presented and discussed.

Graduate-level (3 academic credits); Prerequisite(s): none

This course examines the characteristics, uses and taxation of investment vehicles: stocks, bonds, cash and cash equivalents, promissory notes, guaranteed investment contracts, real estate, and alternative investments. Students will also develop an understanding of the various types of risk: systematic and unsystematic, purchasing power, interest rate, business, and financial risk. Students are introduced to quantitative investment concepts, measures of investment returns, bond and stock valuation concepts, investment theory, portfolio development and analysis, investment strategies, asset allocation, and asset pricing models.

Graduate-level (3 academic credits); Prerequisite(s): none

This course focuses on income tax fundamentals and calculations, tax accounting, characteristics and income taxation of business entities, basis, depreciation and cost recovery concepts. The impact of the alternative minimum tax (AMT), passive activity, at-risk rules, charitable contributions and charitable deductions on a client’s financial plan is also studied. Students will gain an understanding of the tax consequences of like-kind exchanges and the disposition of property, and will learn how the loss of a spouse through death or divorce affects a client’s tax status.

Graduate-level (3 academic credits); Prerequisite(s): none

Students will be exposed to retirement needs analyses, types and characteristics of retirement plans, qualified plan rules and options, and provisions of tax-advantaged plans. The effects of ERISA on retirement plans is examined and the impact of Social Security on a client’s retirement plan is also discussed. Students will gain an understanding of plan distribution options, rules, alternatives and taxation, and will also explore key factors affecting plan selection for businesses and investment considerations for retirement plans.

Graduate-level (3 academic credits); Prerequisite(s): none

This course analyzes the various techniques and strategies used in developing estate plans based on client criteria and needs. Property titling, property transfer at death, gifting strategies, and sources of estate liquidity are discussed. Students will also gain insight on wills, probate, and the types, uses and taxation of trusts during estate planning.

Graduate-level (0 academic credits); Prerequisite(s): none

Students participate in a case analysis and evaluation in which the following major areas of financial planning are integrated:

General Financial Planning Principles, Professional Conduct, and Regulation
Risk Management, Insurance, and Employee Benefits Planning
Investment Planning
Income Tax Planning
Retirement Savings and Income Planning
Estate Planning

CFP^® Exam Prep Review

After completing their CFP Board Registered program, students can prepare and practice for the CFP^® exam through our comprehensive Exam Prep Review program, helping align your test-taking skills with the objective of the exam.

Free CFP^® Certification Resources

Our free resources, including informational webinars, guide both prospective and current students through the CFP^® certification process, helping you study more effectively so that you can achieve your goal of passing the CFP^® exam.

Creator of the Mark: In 1969, the International Association for Financial Planners (IAFP) and the College for Financial Planning^® were created to help meet the financial needs of Americans. In 1985, the College entered an agreement to establish an independent, nonprofit certifying and standards-setting organization. Ownership of the CFP^® marks and responsibility for continuing the CFP^® certification program was transferred to the new organization, International Board of Standards and Practices for Certified Financial Planners, Inc. (IBCFP), now known as CFP Board. For more information, please visit https://www.cfp.net/about-cfp-board/history.

Certificants and Exam Takers: CFP Board, March 2023. CFP^®️ Certification Examination Statistics. Cumulative statistics include exam taker population data from March 2012 through March 2023. Exams since the administration of the current form of the CFP^®️ exam.

Graduate Pass Points: CFP Board, March 2023. CFP^®️ Certification Examination Statistics. Cumulative statistics include exam taker population data from March 2012 through March 2023.

CFP® certificants from the College’s program. Source: CFP Board Reports for College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company through November 2023 administration.

CFFP Students Raise National CFP® Exam Pass Rate by 2 Percentage Points: Source: CFP Board Reports for College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company, CFP® Certification Examination Statistics for the March 2023 administration (March 7-14, 2023), July 2023 administration (July 11-18, 2023), and November 2023 administration (October 31-November 7, 2023) of exams.