Three main advantages of working with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™

Strategic, disciplined money management is difficult for many people, even those who consider themselves financially literate. If you have goals you would like to reach but need to save up for, you should consult a financial professional for help. However, before reaching out to just anybody who claims to be a financial professional, you should see if they are a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®). 

A CFP® is a financial professional certified by the CFP® Board as someone who is trained to help people develop comprehensive strategies for reaching short- and long-term goals. Becoming a CFP® professional is a rigorous process that involves a lot of hard work and adhering to strict, ethical standards. In other words, a CFP® planner is exactly the kind of person you want to trust with helping you with your financial strategy.

Three advantages of working with a CFP®

1. Certification — CFP® professionals must have a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Their coursework must include classes that cover topics such as financial planning, retirement planning, investment management, tax planning, estate planning and other fiduciary topics.
   
   Additionally, they must pass the CFP® exam, which is considerably longer and more difficult than the standard FINRA tests for financial professionals.
   
2. Experience — CFP® professionals must have at least 4,000 hours of financial planning experience in addition to meeting their certification requirements before becoming certified.
   
3. Ethics — Besides being highly educated and experienced in the field of finances, to become a CFP® professional, one must demonstrate that they can adhere to  a high ethical standards and conduct.  They must act as a fiduciary at all times when providing financial advice.  In short, they must always act in your best interest.  

Only financial professionals who can meet these requirements will be awarded with a CFP® certification and recognized as exceptional experts in their field. So, if you decide to work with a financial planner, you know you are getting someone who has really proven that they are up to the task.

Talk to a ProVise CFP® professional about financial planning with a CFP®

At ProVise Management Group, our CFP® professionals can get to know you and your current financial circumstances, goals, risk tolerance and personal values to help you develop a plan that works for you. We can also create a written plan for you at a fiduciary standard of care. All our written plans come with an unconditional money-back guarantee. If you are unhappy with your written plan, you can return it to us, and we will refund 100% of the fee paid.

Are you ready to talk to a professional about financial planning with a CFP®? Contact ProVise today to schedule a complimentary consultation.