What Is a Certified Financial Planner^™?

The Certified Financial Planner^™ (CFP^™ ) designation helps clients identify financial planners who are committed to competent and ethical behavior. Planners who are certified by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. have demonstrated their professionalism by voluntarily undergoing a rigorous process to meet educational, examination, experience and ethical requirements.

Planners holding the CFP^™ designation have agreed to adhere to the CFP^™ Board’s ethical standards. They are required to put their clients’ interests ahead of their own and follow the CFP^™ Code of Ethics, which states that planners must act fairly and diligently, with integrity, and provide services that are objective and based on clients’ needs. Planners also must provide clients with information about their sources of compensation and any conflicts of interest.