What Me Becoming a CFP® Means For You
As of this morning, I am now officially a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (TM)!
It took me exactly 367 days from the start of the coursework until the time I took and passed the exam.
For a whole year this was a major focus for me, and it is finally done. It came at the sacrifice of a lot of time, added stress, most of my extra brainpower (insert joke about how little that is here). and I did not allow myself to play a single video game from the time I started until I was done!
Now, what does it mean for you?
What is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (TM)
Did you know that about anyone can just call themselves a “Financial Advisor.” There is little to no regulation on using the title.
A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (TM) (or CFP®) is the gold standard designation for Financial Advisors and Planners. It means that you’re serious about the profession, and that you have demonstrated an extremely high level of competency. In addition to having a Bachelor’s Degree, and three years of industry experience, you must complete 6 classes, a capstone project, and then pass the examination. It is a big deal.
While becoming a CFP® doesn’t mean that an Advisor is an expert in any one area, it does ensure a high level competency in most areas of financial planning. It requires that the professional always act as a fiduciary in working with clients. It should mean that you can trust that the Planner is working in your best interest.
Why Did I Become a CFP®?
I wanted to become a CFP® for a number of reasons:
I want to learn more, be a better Advisor.
I want to really help people.
I want to stand out from other people who call themselves “Advisors” and are looking out for themselves.
I want to (stop me if you’ve heard me say this before), add more value to those of you who are my clients.
What does me becoming a CFP mean for you?
It means that I intend to deliver on the promise of always adding more value for you.
This doesn’t mean that I am instantly raising my prices.
It doesn’t mean that I am making you have a minimum amount of investments with me.
It doesn’t mean I am going to give you lesser service while on the look out for the richest clients.
It does mean that I am going to be better at what I do.
It does mean that I will keep learning and improving at what I do.
I am excited that it is all done now, and I can put much more of my focus on clients and building the firm. There are a lot of things I am working on, including more blog posting, and I am excited to share these things with you on the coming months.
Ready to see what working with a CFP® is like?
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