Accredited Asset Management Specialist℠ - AAMS®

The Accredited Asset Management Specialist℠, or AAMS® focuses on the asset management process through a logical progression of topics, enabling you to think in terms of clients’ total financial situations, not just their investments. The program is ideal for early-career advisors looking to build stronger client relationships and provide more comprehensive advice. At the conclusion of your studies, you’ll be qualified to identify opportunities and employ strategies not only regarding investments but also related to planning for insurance, tax, retirement, and estate issues. The end result: stronger, lasting client relationships.

At the time you enroll in the AAMS® designation program, you also have the option to enroll in the College’s Financial Advising Accelerator certificate program at a reduced tuition. Before starting your AAMS® program, the Financial Advising Accelerator certificate program will help you engage with your clients and learn the practical skills necessary to plan for, develop, and manage your practice.

Best Suited for:

Early career financial professionals, espeically new advisors and advisors with some industry experience who wish to develop a strong fundamental financial knowledge with a specific focus on asset management and investments.

Course Topics:

• The Asset Management Process
• Risk, Return, and Investment Performance
• Asset Allocation and Security Selection
• Investment Strategies
• Taxation of Investments
• Investing for Retirement
• Deferred Compensation and Other Benefit Plans
• Insurance Products for Investment Clients
• Estate Planning for Investment Clients
• Fiduciary, Ethical, and Regulatory Issues for Advisors

What You Earn:

Accredited Asset Management Specialist™ (AAMS® ) designation

Stackable Credit:

Program graduates earn exemption from Course FP511 General Financial Planning Principles, Professional Conduct, and Client Psychology in the College's CFP® certification education program.

Continuing Education Credit:

Program graduates earn:

• CFP® Certification CE: 28 hours
• College for Financial Planning Designation CE: 16 hours

Time to Complete:

120 days

The AAMS® Designation Package Includes:

• OnDemand Professional Designation Classes: You receive full access to OnDemand classes, allowing you the flexibility to complete your professional designation program at your own pace and on your schedule. Your online learning platform will guide you through all your course-related activities, from reading assignments and recorded video lectures to module quizzes and your final exam. Because this option is self-paced, you can begin the program at your convenience.
• eBook: Electronic textbooks are your primary resource for course content. You will receive an electronic VitalSource eBook as part of the package price. eBooks in the ePub format that are compatible with Apple iPad and MOBI/Kindle will also be available on your student dashboard. Print textbooks are available as an add-on to your package for $159 plus tax and shipping.
• Module Quizzes: Located at the end of each unit in your program, are designed to gauge your comprehension of the material. You must complete the 30-question quiz for each module before moving to the next module. For questions answered incorrectly, correct answers with detailed rationales are provided to help improve your comprehension.
• Practice Exam: Designed to closely replicate the Final Exam experience in terms of the degree of difficulty, timing, format, and topical coverage. This exam can be taken twice and provides unique practice questions that you haven’t seen at this point in your studies. The Practice Exam is a sound indicator of how you will perform on your Final Exam, and it allows you to see areas of strength and weakness on your Performance Tracker.
• Final Exam: To pass the designation program, you must achieve a score of 70% or higher on the Final Exam. You have an allotted time of 3 hours to take the exam and a maximum of two attempts to pass. The grade earned on the Final Exam reflects your overall grade for the designation program.
• Community Forum: 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.

Financial Advising Accelerator Certificate Program (Optional)

The Financial Advising Accelerator is an online self-study certificate program for financial advisors who are new to the industry or in the early stages of their career. The course focuses on key advising and business-building skills necessary to launch a successful career in financial planning.

At the time you enroll in the AAMS® designation program, you’ll also have the option to enroll in the College’s Financial Advising Accelerator certificate program at a reduced tuition.

Before starting your designation program, the Financial Advising Accelerator certificate program is designed to help you learn the practical skills needed to plan for, develop, and manage your practice, and confidently engage with clients. The 6-module online self-study program covers these topics:

• Developing a Business Plan for Your Practice
• Marketing Your Practice
• Managing Your Practice
• Growing Your Practice
• Communicating with Clients During the Financial Planning Process
• Understanding Client Psychology

Top 5 Benefits of Earning the AAMS® Designation

1. Industry Recognition: The AAMS® designation is recognized as the industry-benchmark for asset management credentials and is endorsed and encouraged by the top financial firms.
2. Tangible Career Benefits: Financial planning professionals working in a financial planning role both the year before and year after receiving their most recent specialized professional designation such as the AAMS® designation reported an average 21% earnings increase in the year after earning that professional designation.
3. Skills That Benefit You and Your Clients: Learn to better serve individual, small business, or investment clients while advancing your own financial career.
4. Stackable Credits: AAMS® designees receive course credit toward our CFP® certification education program. This allows you to save both time and money to earn your next credential.
5. Fulfill Continuing Education Requirements: AAMS® designees earn CE hours toward renewing their CFP® certification and/or a professional designation they currently hold with the College.