Becoming a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ entitles you to use the distinguished CFP® mark, setting you apart in the financial services industry.

In partnership with College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company, our Certificate in Financial Planning program enables you to satisfy CFP Board’s education requirement, which is one of four requirements necessary to sit for the CFP® exam. This program benefits both experienced professionals seeking to advance their careers and those entering the field for the first time. Taught by working professionals, our flexible and convenient learning options allow you to master the eight major domains covered on the CFP® exam.

Kennesaw State University offers an in-person program. Upon successful completion of all required courses, you will receive a Certificate in Financial Planning from Kennesaw State University.

Please note: While the Certificate in Financial Planning program is a CFP Board registered program, it is not a program geared toward teaching test-taking tips and strategies for passing the CFP® exam.

CFP® Certification Requirements 

An individual is required to meet certain requirements put forth by CFP Board in order to qualify for CFP® certification. CFP Board refers to these requirements as the 4 E’s to CFP® certification, and they include:

• Education
• Examination
• Experience
• Ethics

Kennesaw State University is registered with CFP Board to provide the education requirement for financial professionals to obtain the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. For more information regarding all requirements for the CFP® certification, visit CFP Board.

Curriculum

This program provides participants with a broad knowledge of financial planning and satisfies the educational requirements to sit for the CFP® exam. Below is an overview of what is covered in each course. Please note for Live Certificate Partner programs, there are six courses. FP511/FP512 are combined.

Course FP 511: General Financial Planning Principles, Professional Conduct, and Regulation

Your first course is an introduction to the concepts and profession of personal financial planning. You will gain an understanding of the role and responsibilities of a financial planner, along with some analytical skills to aid in financial decision-making.

Topics in the course include the financial planning process, securities regulation and licensing, CFP Board ethics, the economic environment, the time value of money, and planning for special situations such as a college education, the formation and operation of a closely held business, and disability. The course also previews wealth accumulation, tax, retirement, and estate planning techniques.

Course FP 512: Risk Management, Insurance, and Employee Benefits

This course considers risk management principles and the various types of insurance coverage in the marketplace today, focusing on

the role of planning for insurance needs. Insurance topics include life, medical expense, and property/casualty policies, as well as long-term care and disability. It also covers benefits made available to employees by employers—commonly referred to as employee or fringe benefits. Employee benefit topics include group policies, deferred compensation, equity-based compensation, and business applications of life insurance.

Course FP 513: Investment Planning

The third course follows sound investment principles as a primary means of wealth accumulation for financial planning clients. In turn, the process of wealth accumulation provides the funds necessary to achieve many financial planning goals. In this course, you will learn investment concepts as well as effective investment planning strategies for helping your clients accumulate wealth. Asset allocation principles are reviewed, modern portfolio management theory is explained, and the importance of tax-efficient investing is considered.

Course FP 514: Tax Planning

This course discusses effective income tax planning strategies, whether personal or related to clients’ business interests. This course reviews tax planning basics—individual income tax calculations, deductions, exemptions, and credits. Key topics include the disposition of property, cost recovery, passive activity losses, charitable contributions, and alternative minimum tax.

Because planners often assist clients who own businesses, the tax characteristics of various business entities and tax planning for those businesses are also discussed in this course. Finally, trust and estate taxation techniques are presented.

Course FP 515: Certified Financial Planner™: Retirement, Savings and Employee Benefits

Your fifth course deals with the single most important issue millions of people will be facing in the years to come: affording to retire. Normally, the amount of money necessary to achieve this goal is substantial and, just like the satisfaction of any other financial goal, requires significant planning. It covers determination of the retirement savings need and subsequently considers both government and employer-sponsored methods of providing for one’s retirement. Distribution options from corporate retirement plans are reviewed, as well as the suitability of an investment portfolio in ensuring a comfortable and profitable retirement.

Course FP 516: Estate Planning

Once the wealth accumulation process is complete, distributing excess wealth is a primary goal for many financial planning clients. This course presents the challenges of effective estate planning raised by tax code changes. It begins with a consideration of the estate planning process and the documents of transfer. The course then addresses the unified transfer tax system and the calculation of an individual’s estate tax liability. Estate planning techniques such as trusts, marital and charitable deduction vehicles, and intra-family business and property transfers are then discussed. The course ends with a consideration of postmortem tax planning.

Course FP 517: Financial Plan Development

In the final course of the program, you will receive instruction and review sample financial plans based on various case facts. You will then be required to complete a written financial plan, which you will also present orally.