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.
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
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.
