We are pleased to announce that Michelle is officially a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional!  She successfully passed the CFP® Board exam in November.

What is a CFP®?

A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ is an advisor who has met rigorous education and experience requirements, and is held to a high ethical and professional standard in the financial industry.

The education component is met by completing college level courses in investment planning, tax planning, retirement planning, estate planning, insurance planning, financial management, and education planning.  In addition, a candidate for the CFP® certification must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college.

The experience requirement is met after the candidate has completed 6,000 of hours practicing in the areas of financial planning mentioned above.  As a result, the CFP® practitioner possesses practical experience, in addition to extensive financial planning knowledge.

Once those qualifications are met the candidate must pass a comprehensive 6-hour CFP® Certification Examination that tests their ability to apply financial planning knowledge in an integrated approach to real-life financial planning situations.  The national passing rate for this exam hovers just above 60% so it’s designed to meticulously assess the candidate’s thorough knowledge of each financial planning sector.

The final step is to satisfy the CFP Board’s Fitness Standards and agree to abide by a strict code of professional conduct and disclosing personal information, including being subjected to a background check.  By upholding the CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards, the CFP® professional is obligated to act as a fiduciary, and therefore, act in the best interests of the client at all times when providing financial advice.

Congratulations, Michelle!