07/18/2022
So, you want to be a certified financial planner? While many decisions lay ahead, now is the time to think about your options and the actions you can take to better define your path.
1. Networking is key. Start within your industry. Many people are very uncomfortable reaching out to individuals they don't know and/or walking up to a stranger at an event and introducing themselves. Like most things, the more you do it the easier it becomes. You need to make the first move, don't stand on the sidelines waiting for someone to come to you.
2. Find a mentor. A mentor serves as an excellent sounding board for navigating your path and learning more about the profession. Whether you select a formal or informal arrangement, a mentorship presents a great opportunity to ask questions, seek advice and learn from their experience.
3. What designations should I get and when? The CFP® designation is necessary and requires the completion of four areas for certification: education, exam, experience, and ethics. Depending on the path you take, many people complete the CFP® certification while they are working at a financial planning firm. Passing the exam is usually the first big hurdle and often the most stressful when getting started in the profession.
Other designations, certifications, and/or licenses financial planners find helpful in their practice include the Series 65, the IRS Enrolled Agent, Chartered Life Underwriter, and the Accredited Estate Planner. These additional qualifications increase your knowledge and expertise to bring more value to the services you can offer a client.
4. Be a lifelong learner. The financial industry consistently changes. The tax code gets updated. The Securities and Exchange Commission makes new rulings. The Federal Reserve influences the stock market by adjusting the interest rate up or down. The point is, as a financial planner you have to stay vigilant in keeping up with new information coming out from the sources that impact what you say to and do for your clients every day.