CFP Certification Competency Standards

A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional must demonstrate and maintain competency throughout his or her career as a financial planner to be able to use the CFP Marks. A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional is required to:

• provide financial planning accurately and in the best interest of clients;
• advise clients and present recommendations across a broad range of financial disciplines;
• make sound judgments in ambiguous or complex situations; and
• function effectively as a professional with clients, potential clients, peers and others.

To demonstrate competency as a professional capable of using the six-step financial planning process when advising clients, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional must:

1. Meet FPSB requirements to competently provide a client with financial planning recommendations as a result of using the financial planning process.
2. Possess general characteristics innate to all professionals practicing a particular discipline, along with specific characteristics required for the competent practice of financial planning.
3. Complete appropriate education requirements in FPSB’s body of knowledge for financial planning.
4. Complete appropriate examination requirements in FPSB’s body of knowledge for financial planning.
5. Complete appropriate work experience requirements in the financial planning process.