Designations Of Our Team

A chartered financial analyst (CFA) is a globally-recognized professional designation given by the CFA Institute, (formerly the AIMR--Association for Investment Management and Research), that measures and certifies the competence and integrity of financial analysts. Candidates are required to pass three levels of exams covering areas such as accounting, economics, ethics, money management, and security analysis.

• The CFA charter is one of the most respected designations in finance and is widely considered to be the gold standard in the field of investment analysis.
• To become a charter holder, candidates must pass three difficult exams, have a bachelors degree, and have at least four years of relevant professional experience. Passing the CFA Program exams requires strong discipline and an extensive amount of studying.
• A CFA must pass the Level III exam, representing a weighted average completion rate of around 11%. In the last 10 years, the completion rate was slightly lower at 9.6%

Certified Financial Planner™ certification is the standard of excellence in financial planning.
CFP® professionals meet rigorous education, training and ethical standards, and are committed to serving their clients best interests today to prepare them for a more secure tomorrow.

• A certified financial planner (CFP) is an individual that has received a  formal designation from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.
• CFPs help individuals in a variety of areas in managing their finances, such as retirement, investing, education, insurance, and taxes.
• Becoming a CFP is one of the most difficult and stringent processes in terms of financial advisors. It requires years of experience, successful completion of standardized exams, a demonstration of ethics, and a formal education.
• The most important aspect of a CFP is that they have a fiduciary duty, meaning they must make decisions with their clients best interests in mind.

A certified public accountant (CPA) is a designation provided to licensed accounting professionals. The CPA license is provided by the Board of Accountancy for each state. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) provides resources on obtaining the license. The CPA designation helps enforce professional standards in the accounting industry.

• A certified public accountant (CPA) must meet education, work, and examination requirements including holding a bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, or accounting, and completing 150 hours of education.
• Other requirements for the CPA designation include having two or more years of public accounting experience and passing the Uniform CPA Exam.
  

Investment advisory representatives (IARs) are licensed and authorized personnel who work for investment advisory companies and are permitted to work with clients. The primary responsibility of an IAR is to provide investment-related advice as a financial advisor or financial planner.

In order to become an IAR, individuals must pass the appropriate licensing exam or exams and register with the appropriate regulatory bodies.

• IARs are individuals employed by or associated with an investment advisor who make recommendations or otherwise give financial or investment advice.
• IARs must be properly registered, and, at a minimum, complete credentialing exams certified by FINRA and other required regulatory agencies.
• IARs responsibilities include making financial recommendations, managing client accounts, providing advisory services to external parties, or overseeing other IARs.

Most investment professionals spend countless hours in sales and technical training, yet little time is devoted to developing their knowledge of the fiduciary standards of care for investment advisors. Two designations offered by the Center for Fiduciary Studies, a division of Fi360, give financial advisors the opportunity to enhance their fiduciary knowledge and demonstrate that they are serious about their fiduciary responsibilities. The Center for Fiduciary Studies offers the designations of Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst (AIFA).

• The Center for Fiduciary Studies offers two designations for financial advisors.
• The AIF designation involves learning the fiduciary standards of care and the 21 Prudent Practices.
  

A Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) is someone with a professional financial planning designation awarded by the College for Financial Planning. CRPCs are focused on retirement planning. The CRPC program is developed with a focus on client-centered problem-solving. Applicants gain in-depth knowledge of individuals' needs both before and after retirement. The College for Financial Planning describes the program as helping financial planners and advisers define and create a "road map for retirement" for their clients.

• The study program for this designation includes a comprehensive assessment of an individual's financial needs before or after retirement, including sources of retirement income, personal savings, income taxes, estate planning, and more.