As you advance your career, the College recognizes the time and investment it takes to earn industry-recognized credentials. Our professional designations not only empower advisors for their current career stages but enable you to earn credit toward your next credential. Graduates of certain designation programs can earn credit toward the College's:
- CFP® certification education program or
- Master of Science Degree in Personal Financial Planning
Plus, completion of certain professional designations programs can also help you fulfill continuing education (CE) requirements.
How Our Designations Can Set You Apart?
80%
of professionals report having greater confidence in speaking with clients after earning their most recent financial credential.
The biggest challenges facing the financial planning industry in the next 5 years:
Rise of artificial intelligence and robo-advisors.
Succession planning as senior financial advisors retire.
54%
of financial planners believe the industry is doing the right amount to support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts
Career Entry Designations & Certificates
Earn any of these professional designations to begin your financial planning career with confidence. Pair your designation program with a certificate program focused business-building skills.
Early Career Designations
Professional designations to build a foundation of credibility and expertise in the financial planning industry.
Mid-Career Designations
Use these professional designations to solidify your financial planning expertise and stay sharp in an ever-changing industry.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.
The College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company does not certify individuals to use the CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM, and CFP (with plaque logo) certification marks. CFP® certification is granted only by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. to those persons who, in addition to completing an educational requirement such as this CFP Board-Registered Program, have met its ethics, experience, and examination requirements. The College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company is an education and exam prep review provider for the CFP® Certification Examination administered by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. CFP Board does not endorse any education or review course or receive financial remuneration from education or review course providers.
77% Reported Increased Confidence Speaking with Clients: This is one of the findings of a quantitative survey conducted by the College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company between June 27 and August 7, 2023. For this survey, a sample of 951 2022 and 2023 graduates of the College for Financial Planning was interviewed online in English. The sample includes 341 graduates whose most recent professional designation earned was a specialized financial designation (AAMS®, ABFP®, ADPA®, APMA®, AWMA®, CRPC®, CRPS®, CSRIC®, FPQP®, SE-AWMA®, WMS℠), are working in a financial planning role, and answered this question.
64% Reported Career Satisfaction After Earning Their Designation: This is one of the findings of a quantitative survey conducted by the College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company between June 27 and August 7, 2023. For this survey, a sample of 951 2022 and 2023 graduates of the College for Financial Planning was interviewed online in English. The sample includes 483 graduates whose most recent professional designation earned was a specialized financial designation (AAMS®, ABFP®, ADPA®, APMA®, AWMA®, CRPC®, CRPS®, CSRIC®, FPQP®, SE-AWMA®, WMS℠) and who answered this question.
16% Earnings Increase: Earnings increases are dependent on numerous factors other than, or in addition to, completion of the specialized financial designation, including specific employment conditions and individual experience. The College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company does not guarantee any earnings increase resulting directly from such designation. Results are the findings of a quantitative survey conducted by the College for Financial Planning between June 27 and August 7, 2023. For this survey, a sample of 951 2022 and 2023 graduates of the College for Financial Planning was interviewed online in English. This earnings increase was based on 366 graduates with a specialized financial designation (AAMS®, ABFP®, ADPA®, APMA®, AWMA®, CRPC®, CRPS®, CSRIC®, FPQP®, SE-AWMA®, WMS℠) who were employed in a financial planning role both the year before and the year after receiving their most recent professional designation.