Fiduciary & Fee Only

Many people think all financial planners are equally qualified but that is not necessarily the case. Only 25% of US Financial Advisors are CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professionals.

The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification represents the highest level of competency, ethics, and professionalism in the industry. We are held to a fiduciary standard, meaning we only act in your best interest when giving advice.

As a CFP® and registered investment advisor, I am proud to commit to the following five fiduciary principles:

  • I will always put your best interests first.
  • I will act with prudence; that is, with the skill, care, diligence, and good judgement of a professional.
  • I will not mislead you, and I will provide conspicuous, full and fair disclosure of all important facts.
  • I will avoid conflicts of interest.
  • I will fully disclose and fairly manage, in your favor, any unavoidable conflicts.

As a fee-only CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, the only compensation I receive is from my client. I do not sell products, nor do I accept commissions, referral fees, or any other compensation from third parties.

It is commonplace in the financial industry for advisors to recommend financial products that may not be in your best interest because they offer commissions paid to the advisor. This may create a conflict of interest, as an advisor may recommend products such as high-load mutual funds, annuities with unreasonable fees, or unnecessary insurance products that don’t fit your needs.

At Indie Financial Planning, all fees will be outlined and agreed upon before services begin.

CFP® professionals have met CFP Board’s high standards for education, examination, experience, and ethics. To become a CFP® professional, and individual must fulfill the following requirements:

Education

Earn a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university and complete CFP Board approved coursework at a college or university through a CFP Board Registered program. The coursework covers the financial subject areas CFP has determined are necessary for the competent and professional delivery of financial planning services, as well as a comprehensive financial plan development capstone course. A candidate may satisfy some of the coursework requirement through other qualifying credentials.

Examination

Pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Examination. The examination is designed to assess an individual’s ability to integrate and apply a broad base of financial planning knowledge in the context of real-life financial planning situations.

Experience

Complete 6,000 hours of professional experience related to the personal financial planning process, or 4,000 hours of apprenticeship experience that meets additional requirements.

Ethics

Satisfy the Fitness Standards for Candidates for CFP® Certification and Former CFP® Professionals Seeking Reinstatement and agree to be bound by CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct (“Code and Standards”), which sets forth the ethical and practice standards for CFP® professionals.

Individuals who become certified must complete the following ongoing education and ethics requirements to remain certified and maintain the right to continue to use the CFP Board Certification Marks:

Ethics

Commit to complying with CFP Board’s Code and Standards. This includes a commitment to CFP Board, as part of the certification, to act as a fiduciary, and therefore, act in the best interests of the client, at all times when providing financial advice and financial planning. CFP Board may sanction a CFP® professional who does not abide by this commitment, but CFP Board does not guarantee a CFP® professional’s services. A client who seeks a similar commitment should obtain a written engagement that includes a fiduciary obligation to the client.

Continuing Education

Complete 30 hours of continuing education hours every two years to maintain competence, demonstrate specified levels of knowledge, skills, and abilities, and keep up with developments in financial planning. Two of the hours must address the Code and Standards.

When you are ready to talk, book your initial meeting.

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