Professional Designations
Accredited Investment Fiduciary® professional
The Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (“AIF®”) is a professional certification issued by Fi360’s Top Management and the Center for Fiduciary Studies (“The Center”) that demonstrates an advisor or other person serving as an investment fiduciary has met certain requirements to earn and maintain the credential.
Fi360, Inc. is a business legally incorporated in the state of Delaware and has been providing innovative solutions to financial services providers and other investment fiduciaries since 1999. Fi360’s parent company, Broadridge Retirement and Workplace, Inc., grants authority to Fi360’s Top Management and The Center to make essential certification decisions related to standards, policies, and procedures of the certifications. The Center is a division of Fi360 that is responsible for the management of the certification program and is comprised of the certain staff and the Certification Oversight Committee and its advisory commissions. Those decisions are made independently of and under no influence by any other individual or business entity within or outside of Fi360.
AIF® professionals may refer to themselves as Accredited Investment Fiduciary® or an AIF® professional and use these designation marks. The AIF® certification is voluntary. No federal or state law or regulations requires advisors or other persons serving as an investment fiduciary to hold AIF® certification. You may find more information about the AIF® certification at https://www.fi360.com/what-we-do/learning-development/aif-training/aif-designation
To become an AIF® professional, an individual must meet the following requirements:
•Training- complete AIF® training through Fi360 or other qualified providers. This training prepares investment professionals and those managing investments on behalf of others to carry out their fiduciary responsibilities.
•Examination- Pass the AIF® examination. The examination is designed to assess an individual’s ability to apply duties an advisor in a fiduciary role would be expected to perform.
•Experience- one of the following combinations of education, industry experience and/or professional development:
Individuals who become certified must complete the following ongoing education and ethics requirements to remain certified and maintain the right to continue to use the AIF® designation marks.
Fi360, Inc. is a business legally incorporated in the state of Delaware and has been providing innovative solutions to financial services providers and other investment fiduciaries since 1999. Fi360’s parent company, Broadridge Retirement and Workplace, Inc., grants authority to Fi360’s Top Management and The Center to make essential certification decisions related to standards, policies, and procedures of the certifications. The Center is a division of Fi360 that is responsible for the management of the certification program and is comprised of the certain staff and the Certification Oversight Committee and its advisory commissions. Those decisions are made independently of and under no influence by any other individual or business entity within or outside of Fi360.
AIF® professionals may refer to themselves as Accredited Investment Fiduciary® or an AIF® professional and use these designation marks. The AIF® certification is voluntary. No federal or state law or regulations requires advisors or other persons serving as an investment fiduciary to hold AIF® certification. You may find more information about the AIF® certification at https://www.fi360.com/what-we-do/learning-development/aif-training/aif-designation
To become an AIF® professional, an individual must meet the following requirements:
•Training- complete AIF® training through Fi360 or other qualified providers. This training prepares investment professionals and those managing investments on behalf of others to carry out their fiduciary responsibilities.
•Examination- Pass the AIF® examination. The examination is designed to assess an individual’s ability to apply duties an advisor in a fiduciary role would be expected to perform.
•Experience- one of the following combinations of education, industry experience and/or professional development:
- Minimum of two (2) years of relevant experience PLUS a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an accredited U.S. college or university PLUS a professional designation
- Minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience PLUS EITHER a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an accredited U.S. college or university OR a professional designation
- Minimum of eight (8) years of relevant experience
Individuals who become certified must complete the following ongoing education and ethics requirements to remain certified and maintain the right to continue to use the AIF® designation marks.
- Ethics and Standards- Satisfy the Code of Ethics and the Conduct Standards and attest to these annually. Fi360 may sanction an AIF professional who does not abide by this commitment.
- Continuing Education- Complete six (6) hours of continuing education, four (4) of which must be delivered by Fi360 or one of Fi360’s approved continuing education providers.
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional
The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional designation is issued by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (“CFP Board”) and certifies that the professional is certified for financial planning services in the United States.
Therefore, the professional may refer to themselves as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional or a CFP® professional and may use these and CFP Board’s other certification marks (the “CFP Board Certification Marks”). The CFP® certification is voluntary. No federal or state law or regulation requires financial planners to hold the CFP® certification. You may find more information about the CFP® certification at https://www.cfp.net.
CFP® professionals have met CFP Board’s high standards for education, examination, experience, and ethics. To become a CFP® professional, an individual must fulfill the following requirements:
•Education – Earn a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university and complete CFP Board-approved coursework at a college or university through a CFP Board Registered Program. The coursework covers the financial planning subject areas CFP Board has determined are necessary for the competent and professional delivery of financial planning services, as well as a comprehensive financial plan development capstone course. A candidate may satisfy some of the coursework requirement through other qualifying credentials. CFP Board implemented the bachelor’s degree or higher requirement in 2007 and the financial planning development capstone course requirement in March 2012. Therefore, a CFP® professional who first became certified before those dates may not have earned a bachelor’s or higher degree or completed a financial planning development capstone course.
•Examination – Pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Examination. The examination is designed to assess an individual’s ability to integrate and apply a broad base of financial planning knowledge in the context of real-life financial planning situations.
•Experience – Complete 6,000 hours of professional experience related to the personal financial planning process, or 4,000 hours of apprenticeship experience that meets additional requirements.
•Ethics – Satisfy the Fitness Standards for Candidates for CFP® Certification and Former CFP® Professionals Seeking Reinstatement and agree to be bound by CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct (“Code and Standards”), which sets forth the ethical and practice standards for CFP® professionals.
Individuals who become certified must complete the following ongoing education and ethics requirements to remain certified and maintain the right to continue to use the CFP Board
Certification Marks:
•Ethics – Commit to complying with CFP Board’s Code and Standards. This includes a commitment to CFP Board, as part of the certification, to act as a fiduciary, and therefore, act in the best interests of the client, at all times when providing financial advice and financial planning. CFP Board may sanction a CFP® professional who does not abide by this commitment, but CFP Board does not guarantee a CFP® professional's services. A client who seeks a similar commitment should obtain a written engagement that includes a fiduciary obligation to the client.
•Continuing Education – Complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years to maintain competence, demonstrate specified levels of knowledge, skills, and abilities, and keep up with developments in financial planning. Two of the hours must address the Code and Standards.
Therefore, the professional may refer to themselves as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional or a CFP® professional and may use these and CFP Board’s other certification marks (the “CFP Board Certification Marks”). The CFP® certification is voluntary. No federal or state law or regulation requires financial planners to hold the CFP® certification. You may find more information about the CFP® certification at https://www.cfp.net.
CFP® professionals have met CFP Board’s high standards for education, examination, experience, and ethics. To become a CFP® professional, an individual must fulfill the following requirements:
•Education – Earn a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university and complete CFP Board-approved coursework at a college or university through a CFP Board Registered Program. The coursework covers the financial planning subject areas CFP Board has determined are necessary for the competent and professional delivery of financial planning services, as well as a comprehensive financial plan development capstone course. A candidate may satisfy some of the coursework requirement through other qualifying credentials. CFP Board implemented the bachelor’s degree or higher requirement in 2007 and the financial planning development capstone course requirement in March 2012. Therefore, a CFP® professional who first became certified before those dates may not have earned a bachelor’s or higher degree or completed a financial planning development capstone course.
•Examination – Pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Examination. The examination is designed to assess an individual’s ability to integrate and apply a broad base of financial planning knowledge in the context of real-life financial planning situations.
•Experience – Complete 6,000 hours of professional experience related to the personal financial planning process, or 4,000 hours of apprenticeship experience that meets additional requirements.
•Ethics – Satisfy the Fitness Standards for Candidates for CFP® Certification and Former CFP® Professionals Seeking Reinstatement and agree to be bound by CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct (“Code and Standards”), which sets forth the ethical and practice standards for CFP® professionals.
Individuals who become certified must complete the following ongoing education and ethics requirements to remain certified and maintain the right to continue to use the CFP Board
Certification Marks:
•Ethics – Commit to complying with CFP Board’s Code and Standards. This includes a commitment to CFP Board, as part of the certification, to act as a fiduciary, and therefore, act in the best interests of the client, at all times when providing financial advice and financial planning. CFP Board may sanction a CFP® professional who does not abide by this commitment, but CFP Board does not guarantee a CFP® professional's services. A client who seeks a similar commitment should obtain a written engagement that includes a fiduciary obligation to the client.
•Continuing Education – Complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years to maintain competence, demonstrate specified levels of knowledge, skills, and abilities, and keep up with developments in financial planning. Two of the hours must address the Code and Standards.
Certified Investment Management Analyst ® professional
Investments & Wealth Institute® (the Institute) is the owner of the certification marks “CIMA®,” and “Certified Investment Management Analyst®”. Use of CIMA® and/or Certified Investment Management Analyst® signifies that the user has successfully completed the Institute’s initial and ongoing credentialing requirements for investment management professionals. You may find more information about the CIMA® credential at https://investmentsandwealth.org/certifications/cima-certification
To become a CIMA® professional, an individual must fulfill the following requirements:
Certificants must complete the following ongoing education and ethics requirements every two years to remain certified and maintain the right to continue to use the Institute’s Certification Marks.
To become a CIMA® professional, an individual must fulfill the following requirements:
- Education- Complete executive education program with registered education provider. The coursework covers the investment industry’s specific, technical body of knowledge areas needed to navigate the entire portfolio construction and investment consulting process as determined by industry practitioners via a job task analysis study that is updated every five to seven years.
- Examination- Pass the comprehensive CIMA® Certification Examination. The examination is designed to test a candidate’s knowledge and skills in the areas of work performed by an investment management consultant/advisor.
- Experience- Demonstrate a minimum of three (3) full years of verified professional experience in financial services or related industry,
- Ethics- Pass the background check requirements, complete license agreement and agree to adhere to both the Institute’s Code of Professional Responsibility, which was adopted to promote and maintain a high standard of professional conduct in the investment consulting and wealth management disciplines, and the Rules and Guidelines for the Use of the Marks.
Certificants must complete the following ongoing education and ethics requirements every two years to remain certified and maintain the right to continue to use the Institute’s Certification Marks.
- Ethics- Commit to complying with the Institute’s Code of Professional Responsibility. This includes a commitment to acting in the best interest of the client. The Institute my discipline a CIMA® professional who does not abide by this commitment, but the Institute does not guarantee a CIMA® professional’s services.
- Continuing Education- Complete and report a minimum of 40 hours of continuing education (CE), two of which must be ethics credits and one must be tax or regulatory credits.