ADPA® Professional Designation
(edit)
EnrollWhy PursueRenewal RequirementsStudent Login

Accredited Domestic Partnership AdvisorSM - ADPA®

ADPA® Professional Designation Package Version 9
$1,375.00

The Accredited Domestic Partnership AdvisorSM, or ADPA® program, is the only designation program of its kind that prepares financial professionals to address the unique planning needs specific to unmarried, coupled persons. You’ll gain an understanding of how planning differences for domestic partners compared to legally married couples manifest themselves in the individual domains of financial planning. Your skills, augmented with knowledge from this up-to-date program, will help you analyze and evaluate alternative planning techniques pertaining to wealth transfers, federal taxation laws, retirement laws and benefits, and planning for end-of-life needs. 

This program is ideal for advisors looking to augment their skills and knowledge to make appropriate recommendations to benefit clients in domestic partnerships and help compensate for the adverse effects of financial laws or benefits that are either unavailable or provide less protection to them. It is also beneficial for accountants and attorneys who provide tax and legal services for persons in domestic partnerships.

Begin your program at any time and complete your ADPA® designation program.
Students have access to OnDemand classes which provide the flexibility to complete a professional designation program at their own pace based on their busy schedule. Your online learning platform will guide you through all your course-related activities, from reading assignments, recorded video lectures and module quizzes to your final exam.

    Plus, completion of professional designations programs can also help you fulfill continuing education (CE) requirements:

    • If you are a CFP® professional, successful completion of the College’s professional designation programs can qualify for CE hours for CFP® certification renewal as follows:
      • ADPA® program: 28 hours (live online program); 22.5 hours (ondemand program)
      • SE-AWMA® program: 28 hours (live online program); 24 hours (ondemand program)
      • All other designation programs (except the FPQP® and WMSSM programs): 28 hours (either live online or ondemand program)
    • If you currently hold a professional designation from the College, completion of a new professional designation fulfills CE hours as part of the renewal of your current designation.

     

    Learn More About the ADPA® Program


    Dr. Christopher Woehrle, Chair and Professor at the College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company, explains how a rise in domestic partnerships is becoming more common among people of all ages through increased cohabitation, divorce and couples choosing to remain unmarried. Watch the video to learn more about the knowledge financial professionals, certified public accountants and lawyers can gain through the College's Accredited Domestic Partnership AdvisorSM program to address common planning issues.

    The ADPA® designation package includes: 

    Students have access to OnDemand classes which provide the flexibility to complete a professional designation program at their own pace based on their busy schedule. Your online learning platform will guide you through all your course-related activities, from reading assignments, recorded video lectures and module quizzes to your final exam.

     

    Because this option is self-paced, you can begin the program at any time.  


     


     




     


    • Wealth Transfers for Domestic Partners 
    • Federal Taxation Issues for Domestic Partners 
    • Retirement Planning and Relationship Issues for Domestic Partners
    • Planning for Financial, Medical, and End-of-Life Needs of Domestic Partners
    • Qualitative Planning Considerations



     

    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. 
     
    Printed 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. Students must complete the 30-question quiz for each module (or 20-question quiz if you are pursuing the ADPA® program) before moving to the next module. For questions answered incorrectly, correct answers with detailed rationale are provided to help improve your comprehension.

    The Practice Exam is 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. It allows you to see areas of strength and weakness on your Performance Tracker. 

    For the AAMS®, APMA®, AWMA® ,CRPC® , CSRIC®, FPQP®  and SE-AWMA® designations:
    To pass the designation program, you must achieve a score of 70% or higher on the Final Exam. Students have an allotted time of 3 hours to take the Final Exam and a maximum of two attempts to pass the Final Exam. 

    If you are pursuing the Sports & Entertainment (SE) Supplemental Education for AWMA® Program to earn your SE-AWMA® designation, you must achieve a score of 70% or higher on the Final Exam. These students have an allotted time of 1 hour to take the Final Exam and a maximum of two attempts to pass the Final Exam. 

    The grade earned on the Final Exam reflects your overall grade for the designation program.


    For the ABFP®, ADPA® and WMSSM  designations:
    To pass the designation program, you must achieve a score of 70% or higher on the Final Exam. Students have an allotted time of 2 hours to take the Final Exam and a maximum of two attempts to pass the Final Exam. 

    The grade earned on the Final Exam reflects your overall grade for the designation program.

    Course Sessions

    You can enroll and begin OnDemand classes (pre-recorded class lectures) at any time.

    Have Questions? Make an Appointment

    Our enrollment team is here to help you choose the program that's right for you. We'll explain your options and support you through the enrollment process.

    Schedule an Appointment

    Frequently Asked Questions about the ADPA® Designation

    The ADPA® designation program is ideal for advisors with industry experience who:
    • Desire financial planning credentials to advance their career
    • Wish to augment their skills and knowledge to effectively counsel clients in domestic partnerships 
    It is also beneficial for accountants and attorneys who provide tax and legal services for persons in domestic partnerships.


    For all designation programs except the Sports & Entertainment (SE) Supplemental Education for the AWMA® program
    Students in all professional designation programs except the Sports & Entertainment (SE) Supplemental Education for the AWMA® Program have 120 days from the date they are provided online access to complete a designation program (including testing and passing the Final Exam). 
    • Students who enroll in Live Online classes will receive online access 20 days prior to the first class date.
    • Students who enroll in OnDemand classes will receive online access immediately after they enroll.

    If you need to extend your program, extensions of up to 60 days are available at a fee.  Extensions requests must be received on or before the fourteenth day following the course end date. Fees are non-refundable.

    Sports & Entertainment (SE) Supplemental Education for the AWMA® program

    Students have 30 days from the date they are provided online access to complete the program (including testing and passing the Final Exam). 

    If you need to extend your program, extensions of up to 60 days are available at a fee.  Extensions requests must be received on or before the fourteenth day following the course end date. Fees are non-refundable.

     

     

     

    The Final Exam for the APDA® program contains 50 questions. 

    Students have an allotted time of 3 hours to take the Final Exam and a maximum of two attempts to pass the Final Exam. 

    A passing score on the Final Exam is a score of 70% or higher. The grade earned on the Final Exam reflects your overall grade for the designation program.

    A score of 70% or better is required to pass all professional designation final exams. Students who do not earn a minimum of 70% after the allotted number of final exam attempts will be required to re-enroll in the professional designation course, pursuant to the Professional Designation Re-Enrollment Policy.


    After a student successfully completes the academic requirements of the professional designation program, students are notified via email (typically within 48 hours of course completion) to apply for authorization to use the applicable certification marks in accordance with the designation requirements. You can also apply for authorization through home.kaplanlearn.com. Continued use of certification marks is subject to compliance with ongoing renewal requirements.










    Individuals who hold a professional designation authorized by the College are responsible for completing 16 hours of continuing education (CE) credits every two years. A $100 renewal fee is also required every two years. Learn more about your renewal options at this link: Renew Your Professional Designation

    For LUTCF® designation holders, please visit the National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors (NAIFA) website for renewal requirements and to renew your LUTCF® designation.

     

    Offer the ADPA® Program to Your Employees

    Kaplan offers enterprise business solutions to keep your most valuable resources working smarter.

    Kaplan for Business