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PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS: WHAT THEY MEAN FOR YOU
Wondering what all those letters after your financial advisor’s name mean? They’ve worked to attain these professional designations in order to bring a higher level of service and expertise to your portfolio. Our team continually furthers their professional experience through these education programs so they can consistently offer the professional guidance necessary for more complex financial pictures like yours. Ask your advisor how their designations can benefit you.
76% OF HIGH-NET-WORTH INVESTORS SAY DESIGNATIONS PLAY A ROLE IN CHOOSING AN ADVISOR TO WORK WITH.
SOURCE: INVESTMENTS & WEALTH INSTITUTE RESEARCH, 2021
The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification is a widely recognized professional designation in financial planning. CFP® professionals meet established education, experience, examination, and ethical requirements and are held to professional standards when providing financial planning services.
The Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) designation involves advanced coursework covering financial planning topics such as retirement planning, tax considerations, insurance planning, and wealth management.
The Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®) designation focuses on retirement income planning concepts, including Social Security claiming considerations, withdrawal strategies, income coordination, and healthcare planning topics relevant to retirement.
Why Working With a Professional Financial Advisor Matters
Financial decisions often involve multiple variables and can evolve as personal circumstances, goals, and regulations change. For many individuals and families, working with a professional financial advisor can provide an organized framework for addressing financial topics, establishing priorities, and revisiting decisions over time.
What Research Has Observed
Some consumer research has examined how individuals engage with financial planning when working with an advisor. According to longitudinal consumer research conducted by the CFP Board and reported by InvestmentNews, individuals who reported working with financial advisors also reported differences in how they approached planning activities and decision-making compared with those who managed their finances independently.
The research described self-reported observations related to planning engagement, such as maintaining emergency savings, completing planning tasks, and staying involved in long-term financial discussions. These observations reflect associations identified in survey responses and do not establish causation or predict individual outcomes.
(Source: InvestmentNews, reporting on CFP Board longitudinal consumer research.)
Why This Information May Be Relevant to You
Financial planning is highly personal, and outcomes vary based on individual circumstances, goals, and market conditions. Research and survey data can provide general context about how some individuals choose to engage with financial planning over time, but they should not be viewed as guarantees of results or experiences. Professional guidance may be one of several resources people consider when deciding how to approach their financial planning responsibilities.
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