Yes, I passed!! By the way, the national pass rate of those who took the exam this past March was only 59%. And those are people who studied and took courses to pass the exam. If you’ve ever taken a certification exam, you can relate to the stress and anticipation waiting those few seconds for the screen to flash your results. Sometimes it takes a few minutes for the proctor to scan your test sheet and give you the ‘yeh’ or ‘nay’. In my case, it took 8 ½ weeks to find out that I passed the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) exam.
I completed the certification courses (6 of them) taken through Boston University program for Financial Planning, passed the 2-day CFP tests, submitted my Bachelor’s degree transcripts, and forwarded and certified my work experience. The CFP board conducted their background check on my licensing and criminal and/or complaint records (I have none—thankfully!), and conferred upon me, the designation of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™.
The program education was fantastic. Over the past 1 ½ years, I’ve attempted to keep you, my clients and friends, informed about the subject matter and progress I was making. The subjects of investments, insurance, retirement, estate planning, taxes, and financial planning are so significant in our lives that I can’t help but love the work I do—and strive to improve how I do it.
As a CFP, I’m held to a higher standard by the CFP board in the manner of which I advise and conduct business. However, this is not to say that I was not practicing with the best intent of ethics prior to this endeavor. Rather, it demonstrates to the public and my clients that I want to be held to the highest standards in my respective field, and to attempt to differentiate me and my practice from the masses.
So now when your friend asks you if you know (or are working with) a CFP, you can say, “yes.” Hopefully, they know the rigors that go into becoming one!