The Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®)¹ certification is a professional mark conferred to financial planners by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. The CFP® mark is a voluntary certification; earning it demonstrates a practitioner’s commitment to ethics and knowledge in personal financial planning.

In the United States, only those who have fulfilled the education, examination, experience, and ethical requirements of the CFP Board of Standards are eligible to become Certified Financial Planner™ professionals. Notably, to become a CFP® professional, a practitioner must²:

  • Duty to Clients: Agree to abide by CFP Board’s fiduciary standard of client care, ensuring client interests are placed first3
  • Confidentiality: Maintain the confidentiality of all disclosures made by a client to their financial planner4
  • Clear Expectations: Provide clients with a clear outline of what they should expect from any financial planning or investment advisory relationship engagement4
  • Knowledge to Serve Clients: Pass the comprehensive CFP® examination covering professional conduct, the financial planning process, and planning for retirement, income tax, investment research and portfolio management, estate & related topics, risk management and insurance, and more2, 5

Working with a financial planner who has earned the CFP® professional certification means one can trust the advice they’re receiving is informed and considers the comprehensive nature of a client’s financial situation, and that recommendations are based on the best interests of the client.

All clients of Callahan Financial Planning Company work directly with a dedicated Certified Financial Planner™ professional in Omaha and Lincoln, NE. Additionally, all of our work is done with clients on a fee-only basis, therefore we are never compensated by anyone other than our clients, and all of our recommendations are made considering each client’s unique best interest.

When beginning a financial planning engagement, each client receives a detailed outline of the costs associated with their financial planning, along with continuous financial planning services that specify the scope of services being provided. This provides clients and prospective clients the assurance of a predictable, high-quality interaction every time they interact with our firm.

References

¹Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements
²Source: CFP Board of Standards, CFP Certification Requirements
3Source: CFP Board of Standards, Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and Rules of Conduct
4Source: CFP Board of Standards, Financial Planning Practice Standards
5Source: CFP Board of Standards, Fitness Standards for Candidates