Education, Financial Planning and Planning

How To Determine The ‘Best’ CFP Education Program (For You): 2025 Update

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

To earn the CFP marks, candidates must fulfill four key requirements: Education (holding a bachelor's degree and completing the required coursework through a CFP Board registered program), Exam (passing the 170-question CFP exam), Experience (gaining hands-on experience providing financial advice to the public), and Ethics (acting as a fiduciary).

CFP

CFP Education Ethics Financial Planning

#FASuccess Ep 425: Implementing A Financial Planning Quality Control System To Improve Both Client Outcomes And Referrals, With Sebastian Guerra

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 18, 2025

Sebastian is the President of Guerra Wealth Advisors, a hybrid advisory firm based in Miami, Florida, with nearly $15M of revenue and almost 60 team members, supporting over 1,700 client households.

Financial Planning

Financial Planning Clients Planning Wealth Advisor

College Financial Planning Programs Ranked

Wealth Management

OCTOBER 28, 2024

The value of education is increasingly scrutinized.

Financial Planning

Financial Planning Planning Education

Webinars

Book of Secrets on the Month-End Close

What Your Financial Statements Are Telling You—And How to Listen!

Are Robots Replacing You? Keeping Humans in the Loop in Automated Environments

Data Talks, CFOs Listen: Why Analytics Is The Key To Better Spend Management

MORE WEBINARS

Enhancing Client Conversations About Charitable Giving: Sample Questions, Scripts, and Tools for Better Engagement

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

By integrating philanthropic planning into their services, advisors can add significant value to client relationships and provide more holistic planning. Resources like handouts or educational videos can also be helpful tools to inform clients – often, many people are simply unaware of the range of possibilities!

Clients

Clients Education Financial Planner Planning

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (December 21–22)

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 20, 2024

Together, these proposed changes (which are currently open for public comment) suggest CFP Board is seeking to ensure that those with the marks not only have sufficient education and experience upon receiving them, but also maintain and sharpen their skills over the course of their careers.

Financial Planner

Financial Planner Certification CFP Education

Advice Engagement Strategies: 4 Core Areas To Motivate Clients To Be More Active In The Financial Planning Process

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 24, 2023

But by focusing on advice engagement strategies and encouraging clients to become more engaged in the planning process, advisors can help clients become more motivated to take action, which will ultimately serve to improve their planning outcomes.

Financial Planning

Financial Planning Clients Planning Education

50th Anniversary Of The CFP Marks: The Journey, Current State Of CFP Board, And Growing The Financial Planning Profession

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

In the mid-20th century, the first phone call for a person who needed guidance on saving or planning for retirement was likely to be to a stockbroker or a mutual fund or insurance salesperson. So, in the late 1960s, a movement began to organize and promote best practices that would establish financial planning as a true profession.

CFP

CFP Financial Planning Planning Certification

Why Childfree People Require A Unique Financial Planning Process

Nerd's Eye View

AUGUST 3, 2022

For financial advisors, dealing with issues concerning clients’ children, from education costs to legacy goals, is a common part of the planning process. And no matter the reason, clients without children have unique planning needs that are important for advisors to recognize. Read More.

Financial Planning

Financial Planning Planning Insurance Clients

Why Checklist-Style Financial Planning Works: What Advisors Can Learn From Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 21, 2022

In other words, instead of focusing on a complex, customized plan based on a person's unique circumstances that might make for an ideal financial plan on paper, the Baby Steps are geared toward laying out a clear and inviting path for action – which might be more attractive (and effective) from a non-expert's perspective.

Financial Planning

Financial Planning Planning Financial Advice Clients

#FA Success Ep 359: Building A Financial Planning Assessment To Show Clients Progress And Value Over Time, With Eric Miller

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 14, 2023

What's unique about Eric, though, is how he leverages a custom-built financial planning assessment he calls their Financial Prosperity Index, which he gives to both prospective and ongoing current clients so that they can better understand their financial health, target the financial planning domains where clients need the most help, and even more (..)

Financial Planning

Financial Planning Clients Planning Financial Advisor

Focused on the Future: Longevity Risk and the Role of Psychology in Financial Planning with Vanessa Martinez

Wealth Management

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024

Expressive Wealth's Vanessa Martinez details how her journey shaped her commitment to empowering clients through education and comprehensive wealth management.

Financial Planning

Financial Planning Wealth Management Education Planning

Flip ‘Plan Presentation’ Into ‘Plan Engagement’ Meetings To Generate More Focus And Reflective Questions From Clients

Nerd's Eye View

JUNE 28, 2023

One of the key steps in the financial planning process is presenting the plan to the client, which has traditionally been done as part of a single 'plan presentation' meeting that takes place once the advisor has gathered and analyzed all of the client's data.

Planning

Planning Clients Financial Planning Education

Adviser links: exciting plans

Abnormal Returns

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023

(citywire.com) Creative Planning is getting creative to retain former United Capital advisers. theirrelevantinvestor.com) Taxes Why clients need to start planning now for the coming dip in the estate tax exemption. riaintel.com) Selling a service, like financial planning, is different than selling a product.

Planning

Planning Financial Advice Wealth Management Math

Kitces & Carl Ep 146: Re-Educating Clients (Scalably) After They “Read Something On The Internet”

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 5, 2024

A cornerstone service that many financial advisors provide is education. This puts advisors in a challenging situation to re-educate or redirect the client without becoming combative or condescending.

Education

Education Clients Financial Planning Communication

Mastering Financial Planning with the Bucketing Approach

Carson Wealth

JANUARY 23, 2025

Enter bucketing, a powerful strategy that helps simplify your financial planning by categorizing your assets into three time-based buckets: today, tomorrow, and the future. At its core, bucketing is a strategy to help align your wealth with your financial goals and time horizons. What Is Bucketing?

Financial Planning

Financial Planning Planning Risk Tolerance Financial Advisor

Financial Planning – Best RIAs to Work For

Tobias Financial

DECEMBER 20, 2024

We are proud to announce that Tobias Financial Advisors has been recognized as one of the Best RIAs (Registered Investment Adviser) to Work For by Financial Planning! At Tobias Financial Advisors, we foster an environment where employees can thrive both professionally and personally.

Financial Planning

Financial Planning Planning Financial Advisor CFP

Personal finance links: financial independence

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 5, 2025

humbledollar.com) There is no 'right answer' in financial planning. awealthofcommonsense.com) On the limits of personal finance literacy education. (tonyisola.com) If you don't understand it, don't invest. ofdollarsanddata.com) Uncertainty There's always something else to worry about. wsj.com) What Form 1098-T is for.

Retirement

Retirement Financial Planning Education Taxes

Member Spotlight on Colin Aubin: Building a Legacy of Leadership and Community in Financial Services

NAIFA Advisor Today

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

Raised in Orland Park, Illinois, Colin’s values were shaped by a family deeply committed to service and education. This blend of education and finance set a solid example for Colin, who now brings elements of both worlds into his work, valuing both knowledge and community-focused financial planning.

Financial Services

Financial Services Education Financial Planning Planning

Pro Tips for Using Client Education to Boost Financial Planning

eMoney Advisor

JANUARY 31, 2023

A few years ago, I had a eureka moment that changed the way our firm approached client education. But my thinking changed when I realized that as a planning-led firm, we should be providing more to our clients than market updates—we were missing a big opportunity. We also follow a cadence that helps us plan our schedule.

Education

Education Financial Planning Clients Planning

FSP Offers Professional Learning Resource on Retirement Planning

NAIFA Advisor Today

APRIL 10, 2025

Retirement Plans and Retirement Planning , a newly revised ebook by Kenn B. Tacchino , JD, LLM, Professor of Taxation and Financial Planning at Widener University , is a valuable resource for financial planning students and practitioners.

Retirement Planning

Retirement Planning Retirement Planning Financial Planning

Adviser links: choosing to work

Abnormal Returns

OCTOBER 9, 2023

Podcasts Dan Haylett talks with George Kinder on the true impact of Life Planning on retirement. humansvsretirement.com) Daniel Crosby talks financial wellness and therapy with Amanda Clayman. riabiz.com) A profile of Creative Planning's Peter Mallouk post the United Capital acquisition. thinkadvisor.com)

CFP

CFP Financial Planning Education Planning

IAR CE: Continuing Education Requirements For Investment Adviser Representatives And How Different States Adopt NASAA’s Model Rule

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 19, 2023

Continuing Education (CE) requirements are common for many professions, but historically there has been no minimum CE requirement for individual Investment Adviser Representatives (IARs) of advisory firms. While holders of certain credentials (e.g.,

Education

Education Investments Investing CFP

Importance of Financial education & Why I Joined ICOFP – by Prem Keswani

International College of Financial Planning

NOVEMBER 18, 2024

My education had been in engineering, and I spent over two decades working in technical IT roles. We studied financial statements like income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow reports—things I had never paid attention to before. It wasn’t just about numbers; it was about making smart decisions and planning for the future.

Education

Education Financial Planning Consulting Management

#FASuccess Ep 401: One-On-One Advice Through Financial Wellness Programs To (Profitably) Expand The Reach Of Financial Planning, With Zack Hubbard

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 3, 2024

Zack is the Director of Financial Planning and Participant Engagement of Greenspring Advisors, an RIA based in Towson, Maryland, that manages $2 billion of private wealth assets under management for 1,300 client households and advises on an additional $5 billion in retirement plan assets.

Financial Planning

Financial Planning Planning Retirement Planning Financial Advisor

Adviser links: the power of personalization

Abnormal Returns

SEPTEMBER 4, 2023

(standarddeviationspod.com) Creative Planning Creative Planning is buying Goldman Sachs' former Personal Financial Management unit. citywire.com) The deal underlines Creative Planning's rapid growth over the past few years. riabiz.com) Creative Planning could reintroduce the United Capital brand.

Estate Planning

Estate Planning Retirement Financial Planning Planning

#FA Success Ep 336: Showing Prospects An (Asset) Map To Generate More Advice Engagement, With H. Adam Holt

Nerd's Eye View

JUNE 6, 2023

Welcome back to the 336th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! Adam is a principal with RubinGoldman and Associates, and the Founder and CEO of Asset-Map, a financial planning tool that helps financial advisors create a visual representation of their clients’ financial situation, reaching over 1.25

Assets

Assets Financial Advisor Financial Planning Insurance

4 Women Empowering Women in Financial Planning

eMoney Advisor

MARCH 1, 2023

As financial planners, we need to build an inclusive environment where women have the confidence to use their voice in financial conversations, can discuss finances with people they relate to, and have their unique concerns addressed. Read on to learn their stories and get inspiration for your own. Sources: 1. Own your worth.

Financial Planning

Financial Planning Planning CFP Financial Planner

#FA Success Ep 325: Building Success In The Financial Advice Business From A Financially Challenged Upbringing, With Brenda Hiscock

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 21, 2023

Brenda is a financial planner with Objective Financial Partners, an advice-only advisory firm based in Ontario, Canada, that works with clients on project-based financial plans, and also offers outsourced paraplanning to other Canadian advisory firms. My guest on today's podcast is Brenda Hiscock.

Financial Advice

Financial Advice Insurance Financial Advisor Financial Planning

Small Business Retirement Plans – SEP-IRA vs. Solo 401(k)

The Chicago Financial Planner

NOVEMBER 27, 2022

One of the best tax deductions for a small business owner is funding a retirement plan. If you don’t plan for your own retirement who will? Two popular small business retirement plans are the SEP-IRA and Solo 401(k). I generally consider this a plan for the self-employed. You need to start a retirement plan today.

Retirement Planning

Retirement Planning Retirement Planning Financial Planner

Using Reflection Questions To Help Prospects Find Clarity And Focus On A Shared Planning Vision

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Initial outreach to a financial advicer rarely (if ever) results from a prospective client waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat because they just figured out that they're in desperate need of a comprehensive financial plan.

Planning

Planning Financial Advice Financial Planning Clients

#FA Success Ep 312: Resetting Your Work/Life Balance By Getting Paid For Expertise Instead Of (Just) Effort, With Emily Rassam

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 20, 2022

In this episode, we talk in-depth about how, as Emily progressed in her career from working on 401(k) plans to focusing on financial planning, she faced challenges and eventual burnout while building a successful financial planning offering in a firm that was still primarily focused on 401(k) plans first and foremost and didn’t want to allocate (..)

Financial Advisor

Financial Advisor Financial Planning Planning Financial Planner

Rebuilding The Kitces Members Section And The State Of The (Nerd’s Eye View) Blog

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 13, 2025

We've also rolled out a new private community specifically for Directors of Financial Planning (DFPs), who are increasingly becoming the lynchpins that drive planning excellence in advisory firms… which is so in alignment with our own Kitces mission that we wanted to start hosting a community for DFPs to further foster their success!

Financial Advice

Financial Advice Ethics Financial Planning Education

Announcing IAR CE From Kitces And The Mid-Year State Of The Blog

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 25, 2022

Yet despite this – and perhaps even because of it – advisory firms are putting an ever-greater focus on financial planning in 2022, as a way to both show value to clients in the midst of difficult market returns, and, more broadly, to help clients navigate the current environment.

Financial Planning

Financial Planning Education Estate Planning CFP

#FA Success Ep 368: Getting Real Social Media Marketing Results By Focusing On Your (Ideal) Client’s Desire To Learn, With Thomas Kopelman

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 16, 2024

Welcome back to the 368th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! My guest on today's podcast is Thomas Kopelman.

Media

Media Financial Advisor Financial Planning Planning

Save on Taxes with These 5 Year-End Financial Tips

MainStreet Financial Planning

NOVEMBER 8, 2024

As December unfolds, it’s easy to overlook year-end tax planning amid the holiday hustle. For 2024, the IRS has increased contribution limits: – 401(k), 403(b), and most 457 plans: You can contribute up to $23,000. However, dedicating a few moments now can lead to significant savings come tax season.

Taxes

Taxes Medical Consulting Education

Quantifying (More Accurately) The Real Impact Of A Financial Advisor’s Costs On Their Clients’ Nest Eggs

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 23, 2024

Though in practice, while a 1% AUM fee is a common 'starting point' in the industry, the actual fee structure can vary based on the firm's approach; for example, some firms may reduce the fee for high-net-worth clients, or charge an additional fee for separate and additional services (from deeper financial planning to add-ons like tax preparation).

Clients

Clients Financial Advice Financial Planning Financial Advisor

The power of holistic advising: Stronger client relationships, greater success

Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT)

APRIL 6, 2025

Because I practice holistic financial planning, I help clients navigate through all of this. On this team besides me as their financial advisor there’s an attorney, an accountant, a doctor and a banker. Educating clients We want to look out for all of our clients best interests and educate them.

Clients

Clients Education Financial Advisor Financial Planning

#FA Success Ep 353: Driving Growth By Setting A Clear Vision Of What You Do Best In Your Business(es), With Brett Danko

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 3, 2023

Welcome back to the 353rd episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! My guest on today's podcast is Brett Danko.

Certified Financial Planner

Certified Financial Planner CFP Education Financial Advisor

#FASuccess Ep 429: What It Takes To Really Help (HNW) Business Owners Navigate Their Wealth With Purpose, With Ali Nasser

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 18, 2025

Welcome to the 429th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! Ali is the Founder of the Wealth Integration System for Entrepreneurs, an education and coaching company based in Houston, Texas, that works with entrepreneurs facing a liquidity event and trying to figure out what's next… and financial advisors who serve them.

Financial Advisor

Financial Advisor Clients Financial Planning Taxes

#FA Success Ep 346: Moving Procrastinating Clients To “Yes” Instead Of Selling As A Fee-Only Advisor, With Jim Ludwick

Nerd's Eye View

AUGUST 15, 2023

Welcome back to the 346th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! Jim is the founder of MainStreet Financial Planning, an hourly, fee-only financial planning firm, and also created Procrastination Junction, a coaching program for fee-only financial advisors looking to improve their sales skills.

Fee Only

Fee Only Clients Financial Planning Financial Advisor

Financial Planning for the Retirement Transition

eMoney Advisor

NOVEMBER 7, 2022

In my book— Flipping a Switch: Your Guide to Happiness and Financial Security in Later Life — I discuss over 15 financial engagement topics to support clients as they go from someone saving for retirement to a retiree who must now manage those savings. Creating Financial Organization and Simplification for Clients.

Financial Planning

Financial Planning Retirement Planning Clients

Pro Bono Financial Planning and Beyond: 7 Opportunities to Give Back

eMoney Advisor

JANUARY 12, 2023

We’ve gathered seven unique volunteer opportunities for financial professionals, including pro bono financial planning. One of the options even counts as continuing education credit. A 2021 study measured the impact pro bono financial planning can have on cancer patients. Why volunteer?

Financial Planning

Financial Planning Planning Financial Planner CFP

How To Create A Strategic Financial Planning Process For Yourself

Clever Girl Finance

AUGUST 15, 2022

Having a solid personal financial planning process is the first step in achieving your financial goals. Instead, you can leverage the same steps that financial advisors and Certified Financial Planners (CFPs) use to create financial plans for their clients. What is a financial plan?

Financial Planning

Financial Planning Planning Certified Financial Planner Financial Planner

Adviser links: technical skill

Abnormal Returns

DECEMBER 5, 2022

Podcasts Rick Ferri talks estate planning with Ryan Barrett and Mike Piper. investmentnews.com) 401(k) plans Auto-enrollment helps boost 401(k) participation rates, the most for men. wsj.com) Planning The ways that a financial planner can add value for a client are nearly limitless. Here are 101 action items.

Financial Planner

Financial Planner Estate Planning Startup Communication

How To Determine The ‘Best’ CFP Education Program (For You): 2025 Update

#FASuccess Ep 425: Implementing A Financial Planning Quality Control System To Improve Both Client Outcomes And Referrals, With Sebastian Guerra

Webinars

Trending Sources

College Financial Planning Programs Ranked

Webinars

Enhancing Client Conversations About Charitable Giving: Sample Questions, Scripts, and Tools for Better Engagement

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (December 21–22)

Advice Engagement Strategies: 4 Core Areas To Motivate Clients To Be More Active In The Financial Planning Process

50th Anniversary Of The CFP Marks: The Journey, Current State Of CFP Board, And Growing The Financial Planning Profession

Why Childfree People Require A Unique Financial Planning Process

Why Checklist-Style Financial Planning Works: What Advisors Can Learn From Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps

#FA Success Ep 359: Building A Financial Planning Assessment To Show Clients Progress And Value Over Time, With Eric Miller

Focused on the Future: Longevity Risk and the Role of Psychology in Financial Planning with Vanessa Martinez

Flip ‘Plan Presentation’ Into ‘Plan Engagement’ Meetings To Generate More Focus And Reflective Questions From Clients

Adviser links: exciting plans

Kitces & Carl Ep 146: Re-Educating Clients (Scalably) After They “Read Something On The Internet”

Mastering Financial Planning with the Bucketing Approach

Financial Planning – Best RIAs to Work For

Personal finance links: financial independence

Member Spotlight on Colin Aubin: Building a Legacy of Leadership and Community in Financial Services

Pro Tips for Using Client Education to Boost Financial Planning

FSP Offers Professional Learning Resource on Retirement Planning

Adviser links: choosing to work

IAR CE: Continuing Education Requirements For Investment Adviser Representatives And How Different States Adopt NASAA’s Model Rule

Importance of Financial education & Why I Joined ICOFP – by Prem Keswani

#FASuccess Ep 401: One-On-One Advice Through Financial Wellness Programs To (Profitably) Expand The Reach Of Financial Planning, With Zack Hubbard

Adviser links: the power of personalization

#FA Success Ep 336: Showing Prospects An (Asset) Map To Generate More Advice Engagement, With H. Adam Holt

4 Women Empowering Women in Financial Planning

#FA Success Ep 325: Building Success In The Financial Advice Business From A Financially Challenged Upbringing, With Brenda Hiscock

Small Business Retirement Plans – SEP-IRA vs. Solo 401(k)

Using Reflection Questions To Help Prospects Find Clarity And Focus On A Shared Planning Vision

#FA Success Ep 312: Resetting Your Work/Life Balance By Getting Paid For Expertise Instead Of (Just) Effort, With Emily Rassam

Rebuilding The Kitces Members Section And The State Of The (Nerd’s Eye View) Blog

Announcing IAR CE From Kitces And The Mid-Year State Of The Blog

#FA Success Ep 368: Getting Real Social Media Marketing Results By Focusing On Your (Ideal) Client’s Desire To Learn, With Thomas Kopelman

Save on Taxes with These 5 Year-End Financial Tips

Quantifying (More Accurately) The Real Impact Of A Financial Advisor’s Costs On Their Clients’ Nest Eggs

The power of holistic advising: Stronger client relationships, greater success

#FA Success Ep 353: Driving Growth By Setting A Clear Vision Of What You Do Best In Your Business(es), With Brett Danko

#FASuccess Ep 429: What It Takes To Really Help (HNW) Business Owners Navigate Their Wealth With Purpose, With Ali Nasser

#FA Success Ep 346: Moving Procrastinating Clients To “Yes” Instead Of Selling As A Fee-Only Advisor, With Jim Ludwick

Financial Planning for the Retirement Transition

Pro Bono Financial Planning and Beyond: 7 Opportunities to Give Back

How To Create A Strategic Financial Planning Process For Yourself

Adviser links: technical skill

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