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.

AIF^® – Accredited Investment Fiduciary

AIF^® designees have been certified specifically to follow a fiduciary process with their clients’ best interests at heart. Designees must provide documented industry and educational experience to qualify for the designation, as well as complete AIF^® training covering Prudent Practices^® for managing fiduciary assets for wealth, nonprofit and retirement clients. After passing the necessary examination, designees showcase their professionalism by committing to follow the AIF^® Code of Ethics and Conduct Standards and completing the continuing education requirements to maintain their designation.

How an AIF^® designee can help you

An AIF^® designee can provide you an array of specialized services. For instance, they can:

• Create and maintain a comprehensive investment plan, strategy or policy statement documenting the processes and procedures used to manage your plan and portfolio.
• Analyze and optimize asset allocation strategies and investment menus.
• Apply objective standards for evaluating and recommending appropriate investment options and products.
• Evaluate your current fiduciary practices and recommend actions to help mitigate compliance and mitigate risks.

To find out more about the AIF^® requirements, visit https://www.finra.org/investors/professional-designations/aif.