What Is the CFP® Designation?
The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification is awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) to financial professionals who meet rigorous requirements in education, examination, experience, and ethics. Widely recognized as the standard of excellence in personal financial planning, the CFP® mark signals that an advisor has the comprehensive knowledge and professional commitment to help clients navigate every dimension of their financial lives.
Unlike narrower designations focused on a single product or discipline, the CFP® curriculum spans the full spectrum of personal finance — from investment and retirement planning to tax strategy, insurance, estate planning, and education funding — ensuring that CFP® professionals can address clients' complete financial picture.
A Gold Standard for Comprehensive Planning
Financial planning is a broad discipline, and the advice clients receive can vary dramatically depending on the depth of their advisor's training. The CFP® designation exists to establish a consistent, high benchmark. Consumers can trust that any advisor displaying the CFP® marks has met demanding requirements set by an independent, non-profit standards body — not a product manufacturer or industry trade group.
Critically, CFP® professionals are held to a fiduciary standard when providing financial planning services, meaning they are obligated to act in their clients' best interests at all times.
Three Pillars of the CFP®
Education & Competency
CFP® candidates must complete a comprehensive, CFP Board-registered education program covering 72 principal knowledge topics across financial planning, including investments, retirement, tax, insurance, estate planning, and behavioral finance.
Rigorous Examination
The CFP® Exam is a 170-question, approximately six-hour assessment that tests not just knowledge, but the ability to apply financial planning concepts to real-world client situations across multiple disciplines simultaneously.
Ethics & Fiduciary Duty
CFP® professionals must adhere to CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, including a fiduciary duty to act in the client's best interest. This standard applies to all financial planning engagements — not just investment advice.
Requirements to Earn and Maintain the CFP®
- Complete a CFP Board-registered education program covering 72 financial planning topic areas
- Pass the comprehensive CFP® Exam — approximately 170 questions over six hours
- Accumulate 6,000 hours of professional financial planning experience (or 4,000 hours via the apprenticeship pathway)
- Successfully pass a background check conducted by CFP Board
- Commit to CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, including a fiduciary standard
- Complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years, including 2 hours on ethics
Verify the Credential
Confirm CFP® Status
The CFP® designation can be independently verified through CFP Board's public verification tool at cfp.net/verify-a-cfp-professional. CFP Board also maintains a public disciplinary history for all current and former CFP® certificants. We encourage all prospective clients to verify the credentials of any financial professional they consider working with.
Comprehensive Planning Backed by Rigorous Training
Our team includes advisors who hold the CFP® designation — a credential earned through years of study, a demanding examination, and an ongoing commitment to professional standards. This depth of training informs every client engagement, from initial goal-setting conversations through the development and ongoing refinement of a personalized financial plan.
Whether you are approaching retirement, navigating a business transition, managing an inheritance, or building wealth over the long term, our CFP®-designated advisors bring a holistic, evidence-based perspective to your financial life — always with your best interests as the guiding standard.
Schedule a ConversationImportant Disclosure
CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and the CFP flame logo are certification marks owned by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board). G&R Financial Solutions and its representatives are independent of CFP Board. The CFP® certification is administered by CFP Board, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. Holding the CFP® designation does not guarantee investment success or any particular outcome. Investment advice is offered through G&R Financial Solutions, a registered investment adviser in the State of New Jersey. Securities offered through Simplicity Investments, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC.