CFP Board Registered Program

Our Essential Package gives you the freedom to complete the education requirement for CFP® certification within your own timeframe. As a self-study package, it has no class component. You’ll have access to core materials and resources and select personalized study tools. Exam Prep Review is available separately.

At the end of our 7-course curriculum you'll earn a Certificate in Personal Financial Planning. Most coursework you complete as part of the CFP® certification education program provides stackable credit towards a Masters in Personal Financial Planning in your future.

Program Structure

Best Suited for:

Self-motivated, independent learners who prefer to complete their education at their own pace without a class component.

Schedule & Duration

Start this self-study option anytime and sit for the CFP® exam when you prefer. You’ll have the freedom to learn whenever your schedule allows. Online testing means you won’t need to go to an outside testing facility.

Your online course access begins as soon as you make your purchase.

• Take up to 90 days to complete each course.
• You can extend a course for an additional 30 days for a fee.
• As you progress through the 7-course curriculum, each subsequent course will immediately show in your learning platform once you complete the course before it.

Core Materials & Resources

Education Books (eBooks)

Our 7-course education program provides eBooks featuring concise study notes and supplemental readings for every course except FP517, as these materials are available directly in your online classroom.

You will receive an email with instructions for accessing your eBooks via the VitalSource® platform.

Financial Calculator Videos and Digital Workbook

Master the HP 10BII+ and Texas Instruments BAiiPlus financial calculators through our instructional videos and a digital workbook. These resources provide a thorough, hands-on understanding of financial calculator functions essential to your studies.

Topical Videos

To enhance your learning, our video library targets topics frequently tested on the exam or commonly raised in student inquiries.

Module Quizzes & Practice Exam

As you progress through each of the modules in your courses, your Activity Feed will prompt you to take Module Quizzes. These quizzes act as checkpoints in your education and mimic the CFP® exam's format and difficulty. Each course concludes with a Practice Exam where you apply your exam-taking techniques.

InstructorLink™ (Instructor Email Access)

Connect with an expert instructor for answers to all your exam and content questions.

Community

You’ll have access to a private community forum, providing an online space to collaborate and engage with your instructor and fellow students. After you complete your program, you’ll gain access to our alumni and financial planners professional communities.

Personalized Study Tools

Activity Feed

The Activity Feed is your study plan, personalized. It eliminates the "what now?" by dynamically guiding your weekly coursework through a living schedule built entirely around you. It adjusts in real-time, recalibrating your tasks based on what you complete and any time off you schedule to fit your life.

Performance Tracker

Performance Tracker doesn’t just show your progress—it learns your rhythm. By analyzing your strengths and potential gaps, it tells you exactly where to focus your energy to reach total mastery.

Practice QBank

Build custom quizzes with the QBank. Choose your topics, question count, and difficulty—like targeting only the questions you've missed. Add a timer to simulate exam day or dive deep into detailed explanations at your own pace

This package includes the following courses:

• FP511—General Financial Planning Principles, Professional Conduct, and Client Psychology

  • 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.

• FP512—Risk Management, Insurance, and Employee Benefits Planning

  • 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.

• FP513—Investment Planning

  • 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.

• FP514—Tax Planning

  • 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.

• FP515—Retirement Savings and Income Planning

  • 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.

• FP516—Estate Planning

  • 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.

• FP517—Financial Plan Development

  • 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