Why become a CFP professional?

5 reasons why you should become a CFP:

• Learn what Financial Planning really is, and how you can deliver it effectively and profitably for your clients
• Differentiate yourself. CFP certification changes the way that you work with your clients, and therefore the way that they value you.
• Earn more. CFP certification will teach you a business process to reshape your business model and give more recurring income, justified by the value that you add.
• Take responsibility for your own success. Achieve the global mark of professionalism for Financial Planners and establish yourself among the leading planners in the UK.
• Join 111,587 other CFP professionals around the world

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ^CM, CFP and the  are international marks representing the highest professional certification globally that can be awarded to a Financial Planner. They are the most recognized Financial Planning marks in the world. Over 800 CFP professionals in the UK are part of this global community from 20 countries. 

CFP professionals will find themselves at the top of their profession - in a position to offer a highly effective service to their clients, which is also profitable for the practitioner. When dealing with a CFP professional, members of the public know that they are dealing with a practitioner who is academically and practically qualified to provide a comprehensive Financial Planning service at the highest level.

Large financial services firms are making CFP certification a core requirement for those who work within their Financial Planning divisions. In the UK, leading firms like Park Row, Grant Thornton, Hargreaves Lansdown, Mazars, BDO and Haines Watts are choosing this route as the most appropriate in a changing regulatory environment post de-polarisation and particularly since the FSA announced the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) process. Whether you work in a large or small firm, becoming a CFP professional provides the means to communicate your expertise to clients and open career opportunities too.

Entry requirements

Please refer to the section entitled CFP entry requirments or click here to be directed to that page.

Assessment

The CFP certification assessment is not an examination as such; instead it tests your ability to apply complex technical knowledge by putting it into practice using a case study approach.

You will be required to construct a financial plan based on a case study provided by the IFP. It is strongly recommended that you order one of the CFP certification tuition manuals at the start, to guide you through the process. This not only explains the procedure, but also highlights the stringent standards that must be met for a financial plan to successfully meet the assessment criteria: an example case study and model answer is included.

The CFP certification courses run by the IFP, whether the “preparation day” or the CFP certification “fast track” programme, do not teach candidates the elements of Financial Planning knowledge and skills; they are expected to already have developed these via other examinations, practical experience and study.The CFP process is a means of testing the application of prior knowledge and skills at a high level.

For those who need help, the IFP offers a “core skills” course which aims to help candidates deal with the key areas where many struggle when submitting their financial plan for assessment. IFP will in due course be offering an alternative programme that deals with the fundamentals of Financial Planning. This is aimed at those individuals who wish to cover the areas that are included within the CFP assessment, and either brush up their skills or highlight areas where further work is needed. This will therefore enable candidates to better assess their readiness to attempt the CFP certification process, and address any areas of shortfall in a timely fashion.

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