CFP Board Reports Strong Growth in 2019

Female CFP® professionals top 20,000 for the first time

The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards finished the year with very strong numbers, reflecting the results of CFP Board initiatives as well as the dynamic performance of the financial planning sector as a whole. At year-end, CFP Board reported 86,378 CFP® professionals, up 3.9 percent to more than 3,000 above 2018, with significant gains in female, African American and Latinx CFP® certificants.

“CFP Board’s focused effort to improve diversity in the profession is having an impact,” said Kevin Keller, CAE and CFP Board chief executive officer. “The effort is reflected in the expanding profile of CFP® certificants.”

Preliminary counts show a 12 percent growth in Black and Latinx CFP® professionals to total 3,259, while the number of female CFP® professionals broke the 20,000 mark for the first time, totaling 20,010, a 4 percent gain.

In addition to more effective outreach to women and people of color, overall growth of CFP® professionals is attributed in part to the focus by CFP Board to encourage and support firms that are moving towards more holistic advice models, requiring advisors hold the CFP mark, which is recognized as the standard for financial planning.

“We’re confident we will continue this momentum in 2020,” said Keller.