A commitment to professionalism

CFP^® - Certified Financial Planner^™

In life, it’s important to find a financial planner you trust to provide sound, unbiased advice and professional services. Being CFP^® certified means someone has voluntarily taken the extra steps needed to provide the highest possible standard of financial planning to those they serve. To become a Certified Financial Planner^™ professional one must pass the comprehensive CFP^® Certification Exam, have a minimum of three years’ professional experience in financial planning process and must be approved by the CFP Board, which involves an extensive background check – including an ethics, character and criminal check. To maintain certification, CFP^® professionals must complete 30 hours of continuing education accepted by the CFP Board every two years.

How does working with a CFP^® certified advisor benefit you? Certified Financial Planner^™ professionals are held to the utmost standards of ethics and professional responsibility, which prepares them for a career-long commitment to provide truly personalized services to meet your needs; all while maintaining high levels of financial planning and professionalism. CFP^® professionals maintain their professional edge through ongoing education and training in addition to the rigorous requirements to represent a high level of integrity, objectivity, competence, fairness, confidentiality, professionalism and diligence when working with you.

CDFA^® - Certified Divorce Financial Analyst^®

Getting your affairs in order during a divorce is made easier with the help of a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst^® (CDFA^™). This certification emphasizes the analyst’s ability to aid you in financial decisions and work with you and your attorney toward a settlement that fully addresses your long-term needs. By utilizing proprietary software and specialized knowledge, CDFA^® professionals can help determine the short- and long-term financial impact of a settlement. They are able to create, analyze and forecast various scenarios to outline a fair settlement that will help protect your interests and potentially keep costs low and reduce the time it takes to work through a divorce.

Why should you work with a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst^®? When working with a CDFA^® professional, it means you are working with an advisor who understands the financial complexities you will experience during a divorce and will empower you to make educated decisions through the process which, in turn, can help save you time and money down the road. They can not only help you with decisions that need to be made for the short term, but also help forecast the long-term effects of the divorce settlement, including details of tax liabilities and benefits. Don’t forget, CDFA^® professionals are financial representatives too. With the training, knowledge and experience as a financial advisor, they can help you make the most of the divorce settlement by reassessing your investments and financial plan to ensure it’s aligned with your short- and long-term goals.

ChFC^® - Chartered Financial Consultant^®

Chartered Financial Consultants^® (ChFC^®) are financial consultants who demand excellence of themselves and their team. They embody this commitment to excellence by fulfilling the requirements for the ChFC^® designation, which includes at least three years of experience in financial planning, completing a specified program of study and continuously upholding a high standard of professionalism. A ChFC^® is able to evaluate your financial well-being, identify areas of concern and help you address them by developing and implementing a financial plan that emphasizes your financial strengths, while addressing your financial weak spots.

CIMA^® - Certified Investment Management Analyst℠

Certified Investment Management Analysts℠ (CIMAs^®) are dedicated to elevating their practice through education, experience, examination and the highest standards of ethics. CIMA^® professionals have the advanced investment management knowledge necessary to truly – fully – serve affluent clients, and they use that in-depth knowledge to analyze and hand-select the investment products that they believe make the most sense for your circumstances. Earning a CIMA^® designation requires three years of broad experience in investment management consulting and completion of the demanding educational program put forth by the CIMA^® board. To maintain this designation, CIMA^® professionals are required to adhere to a rigorous code of professional responsibility and complete 40 hours of continuing education every two years.

But what does this designation mean for you? It means that when you work with an investment consultant who has taken the time to become CIMA^® certified, you’re working with someone who has the education designed to help them understand the financial complexities and risks that come with being in the highest tax bracket, to be well-versed in modern concepts of investment advice, and, perhaps most important, to be educated enough to understand how your individual investments are being managed and how they work together – no matter how complex it may be. These skills, along with a commitment to advanced education, enable them to provide you with the kind of service that you not only want, but deserve.

CPWA^® - Certified Private Wealth Advisor^®

A Certified Private Wealth Advisor^® (CPWA^®) has the education designed to help them understand the challenges and responsibilities of those with significant wealth. The CPWA^® program is an advanced credential created specifically for wealth managers who work with successful families to address their distinct needs and wants. Advisors with this designation have dedicated their time and acquired the education designed to be able to ensure that all of those needs and wants are met.

Certified wealth managers focus on your needs at every stage of your life, from your working years to your retirement ones, and we understand what you and your family need to preserve your assets in the years in between. CPWA^® professionals understand your goals to preserve your wealth, minimize taxes and pass that wealth on to the next generation.

Raymond James does not provide tax or legal services. Please discuss these matters with the appropriate professional.