What Do The Letters Mean After My Financial Advisor’s Name?

“Professional designations provide a standardized way for financial advisors to convey their expertise and ability to contribute to your financial well-being.”

Finding a financial advisor can be a confusing process, especially since there are different standards of care that financial professionals provide, Forbes explains in the article “What Designations Should Your Financial Advisor Have?”

To make matters more confusing, in addition to the designations, there’s a wide range of job titles used to show their expertise. Titles are unregulated and can’t be treated as verifiable proof of someone’s credibility or authority to serve your financial needs. Instead, look at the professional designations. These (letters behind the advisor’s name) are a more standardized way for these professionals to convey their expertise. However, not all letter combinations require the same degree of knowledge and training. Most financial professionals have some combination of letters on his or her business card. Here are three of the most meaningful designations (listed alphabetically) for financial advisors offering comprehensive wealth management services.

1. Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). This designation is the most comprehensive designation for financial planning. This certification requires participants to complete a series of financial planning courses and pass a two-day board exam. The course covers general principles of financial planning, education planning, insurance planning, investment planning, tax planning, retirement savings and income planning and estate planning. The CFP Board also mandates that its participants have three years of professional experience related to the financial planning process or two years of apprenticeship experience that meets additional requirements.
2. Certified Public Accountant (CPA). These financial professionals have highly-sophisticated backgrounds in taxes and accounting. Before taking the CPA exam, candidates must successfully complete a minimum of 150 semester hours of relevant course work. The CPA exam covers auditing and attestation, financial accounting and reporting, regulation and business environment concepts.
3. Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Many financial professionals think that this designation is the toughest credential to earn. CFA candidates must pass three exams, which requires roughly 900 hours of study. The tests have a passing rate of only 44%. The graduate-level curriculum for CFA candidates concentrates on investment and market topics, such as portfolio management, economics, financial analysis, quantitative methods and corporate finance. Before being permitted to use the designation, these candidates must complete four years of professional work experience in investment decision-making.

All three of these designations require substantial financial knowledge, continuing education and adherence to a strict code of ethics.

Reference: Forbes (January 29, 2019) “What Designations Should Your Financial Advisor Have?”