Marking Milestones: More than 80,000 CFP® Professionals in the United States

The American public can now rely on more than 80,000 CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals in the United States – including a record 1,250 women who were certified in 2017 alone –  to provide competent and ethical financial planning services.

“CFP® certification has become the must-have designation for those providing financial advice,” said CFP Board’s Chief Executive Officer Kevin R. Keller, CAE. “We look forward to 2018 as we build on our success and see more professionals become certified and more Americans using CFP® professionals for their financial planning needs.”

Financial professionals can choose from nearly 180 designations, according to FINRA’s designation database. CFP® certification provides advisors the training in personal financial planning desired by today’s consumer.

CFP® certification, which is one of only six financial designations accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, also provides important consumer protections through CFP Board’s disciplinary process. Those individuals found to have violated CFP Board’s standards can have their certification suspended or revoked, which is made public.

The record number of women CFP® professionals can also be attributed to the programs delivered by CFP Board’s Center for Financial Planning.  The Center was established to facilitate the future of the profession and to create a more diverse and sustainable financial planning profession. With programs like “I Am a CFP® Pro,” a job re-entry initiative, its Women’s Initiative (WIN) Council and other efforts, the Center helps create opportunities for women and people of color to learn about financial planning as a career and, specifically, how to earn the CFP® certification.

“While we are proud that the ranks of CFP® professionals continues to increase, we know that more can be done to encourage young people, women and people of color to join this great profession,” said Keller. “The Center for Financial Planning is helping to plant the seeds for a growing and thriving profession that serves the public.”

A full list of statistics about CFP® professionals can be found at https://www.cfp.net/news-events/research-facts-figures/cfp-professional-demographics.

To learn more about CFP® certification and how to start the journey to certification visit https://www.cfp.net/become-a-cfp-professional.

Consumers looking for a CFP® professional in their area can visit www.LetsMakeaPlan.org.