Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP (with flame logo)® in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing certification requirements.

UNLV does not certify individuals to use the CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP (with flame logo)® certification marks. CFP certification is granted only by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. to those persons who, in addition to completing an educational requirement such as this CFP Board-Registered Program, have met its ethics, experience, and examination requirements.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the time commitment required for study outside of the classroom?
Depending upon previous experience and education, a student can expect to spend at least 2 hours outside of the classroom, for every hour in the classroom.

How long is the program and how much does it cost?
This is a nine-month program consisting of six courses: Fundamentals of Financial Planning and Insurance Planning, Investment Planning, Income Taxation and Tax Planning, Retirement and Employee Benefits Planning, Estate Tax Planning and a Case Course in Financial Planning. Please see the Schedule and Tuition page for information on program costs.

Why choose UNLV’s Certificate in Financial Planning program over another program?
The program offered at UNLV is a CFP ® Board-Registered program, and students can complete the education requirement to sit for the CFP® Certification Examination in nine-months.

This program is a joint effort between UNLV and KAPLAN Financial and is based on the same program offered at Georgetown and Duke Universities. UNLV’s reputation for educational excellence combined with KAPLAN Financial’s content-based expertise ensures that students will receive the highest standard of training and instruction. KAPLAN Financial is the leading provider of review materials and courses for the CFP® Certification Examination as well as a nationally recognized publisher of financial planning education materials and courses.

Quality instruction is a must for any outstanding educational program. All faculty members have advanced degrees and certifications and are experienced professionals in their respective fields. Our instructors present the material in a manner that allows students to use their study-time outside of class in an efficient and effective manner.

The program offered at UNLV is an accelerated program. UNLV is a CFP Board-Registered Program. Upon registration, UNLV students can complete the education requirement to sit for the CFP® Certification Examination in nine-months.

Why choose a certificate program?
UNLV has elected to offer this program as a certificate because such programs allows students to concentrate their studies to the specific content area relevant to their profession. By focusing the coursework, students are able to complete their education requirement in only nine-months and at a significantly lower cost than degree-granting programs.

I have already completed classes in a self-study program. Can I transfer credit to your program?
UNLV will allow students to transfer one credit from another CFP Board-Registered Program. In addition, UNLV will offer a tuition reduction of $500 for the exempted course. If granted an exemption from a course, you are still encouraged to attend the class and complete the class assignments to ensure you receive the best possible education and preparation for becoming a financial planner.

What is the process of attaining CFP® certification?
In order to attain CFP® certification, there are the four E's: Education, Examination, Experience and Ethics.

Education - Once UNLV has been accepted as a registered program, the Education requirement can be fulfilled by successfully completing UNLV’s Executive Certificate in Financial Planning program. Certain professionals such as a Ph.D., D.B.A., JD, CFA, CPA, ChFC or CLU may challenge the exam. Once you become a CFP® certificant, you will be required to complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years.
Examination - The CFP® Certification Examination is given three times per year in March, July and November. The national pass rate on the examination is approximately 50%. Based on a 1999 Job Topic Study, CFP Board issues a topic list covering 101 areas a candidate should be prepared to answer at the evaluation level or lower.
Experience - - In order to receive CFP® certification, the candidate must meet certain experience requirements. If a candidate has a bachelor’s degree, then 3 years of related work experience is necessary. Without a bachelor’s degree, the candidate must have 5 years of related work experience. In addition, this experience must be completed in the 10 years preceding the exam or 5 years after the exam. In January 2007, individuals will be required to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
Ethics - CFP® certificants are required to abide by CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and Financial Planning Practice Standards. In addition, CFP® certificants are required to disclose to CFP Board if involved in a criminal or civil proceeding.

For more information call (702) 895-3867