Executive Certificate in Financial Planning
Frequently Asked Questions

What is the time commitment required for study outside of the classroom?
A student can expect to spend a minimum of two 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 Cases in Financial Planning. Tuition for the program is $4,950. Tuition does not include books and materials.

Why choose Daniel Webster College's Certificate in Financial Planning program over another program?
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. This program is a joint effort between Daniel Webster College and Kaplan. Kaplan 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. Combined with Daniel Webster's commitment to education, students entering this program can be assured of the best education available.

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

Education
The Education requirement can be fulfilled by successfully completing Daniel Webster's 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 the 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.

As of January 2007, a bachelor's degree is required for certification.

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.