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™ 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^® license holders 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 advisors 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.

CRPC^® - CHARTERED RETIREMENT PLANNING COUNSELOR^SM

Individuals who hold the CRPC^® designation have completed a course of study encompassing pre-and post-retirement needs, asset management, estate planning and the entire retirement planning process using models and techniques from real client situations. Additionally, individuals must pass an end-of-course examination that tests their ability to synthesize complex concepts and apply theoretical concepts to real-life situations.

All designees have agreed to adhere to Standards of Professional Conduct and are subject to a disciplinary process.

Designees renew their designation every two-years by completing 16 hours of continuing education, reaffirming adherence to the Standards of Professional Conduct and complying with self-disclosure requirements.

CWS^® - CERTIFIED WEALTH STRATEGIST^®

The Certified Wealth Strategist® incorporates three competencies required to be productive and effective as a wealth advisor: Creating business routines, applying client interaction and relationship skills and obtaining competency in the technical wealth management issues faced by the High-Net-Worth market. Participants achieve significant levels of mastery and business growth by integrating financial advice competency with the ability to deliver expertise from multiple real-world perspectives.

CRPS^® - CHARTERED RETIREMENT PLANS SPECIALIST^SM

Individuals who hold the CRPS^® designation have completed a course of study encompassing design, installation, maintenance and administration of retirement plans. Additionally, individuals must pass an end-of-course examination that tests their ability to synthesize complex concepts and apply theoretical concepts to real-life situations.

All designees have agreed to adhere to Standards of Professional Conduct and are subject to a disciplinary process.

Designees renew their designation every two-years by completing 16 hours of continuing education, reaffirming adherence to the Standards of Professional Conduct and complying with self-disclosure requirements.

CPFA - CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR

The Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) credential — developed by some of the nation’s leading advisors and retirement plan experts — demonstrates your knowledge, expertise and commitment to working with retirement plans.

Plan advisors who earn their CPFA demonstrate the expertise required to act as a plan fiduciary or help plan fiduciaries manage their roles and responsibilities.

CLTC^® - Certification in Long-Term Care

The CLTC^® (Certification in Long-Term Care) program was created in 1999. It focuses on the discipline of extended care planning. It provides professionals the critical tools necessary to discuss the subject of longevity and its consequences on their client's family and finances. Students learn how to mitigate these consequences by developing a plan to protect their clients and their families.