Is Your Advisor Following The Four E’s?

With over 200,000 financial advisors across the country, how do you find one who understands and appreciates what you do as a CRNA? The financial advisor with whom you choose to work will have a significant impact on your investment strategy, the fees you pay, and the confidence you have in your financial future. This is not a decision to take lightly, especially since each advisor offers a different level of service, expertise, and ability. Does your advisor really understand the difference between an RN and a CRNA? Whether you’re a W-2 CRNA or a 1099 contractor, you deserve an advisor who not only recognizes the specific opportunities and challenges that accompany your profession, but also has the education and expertise to provide you with the services you need. (1) 

What Is A CFP®?

Nowadays, anyone can use the term “financial planner” but that doesn’t mean he or she is actually ‘certified’ as a financial planner. A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) is an advisor who has earned his or her title through courses held by the CFP® Board. When providing financial advice and services, he or she is held to a standard of fiduciary care. What differentiates a CFP® advisor from other financial advisors? Here are the Four E’s; standards that every CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ has attained in order to best serve their clients:

1. Education

Anyone with a CFP® designation following his or her name has undergone a rigorous and intensive program approved by the CFP® Board. Once an advisor has completed his coursework, he or she must submit a transcript to the CFP® Board for approval before being considered for the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. This ensures that CFP® advisors are held to high educational standards.

2. Examination

Once the coursework is completed, advisors working for the CFP® credential must then pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam, which tests comprehension on topics such as the planning process, tax planning, retirement planning, estate planning, insurance, and investment management. The exam gives an advisor the chance to prove that he or she can apply financial planning knowledge to real-world situations.

3. Experience

Knowledge is crucial when it comes to your finances, but when you trust someone with your money, you want to know that they have the hands-on, real-world experience to back their education. That is why the CFP® board requires advisors to have seven years of experience related to financial planning services. If you work with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, you can count on them to create a realistic financial plan that fits your needs.

4. Ethics

Have you heard the term “fiduciary” thrown around in regards to financial advisors and their duties? The concept can seem confusing to people, as many assume that all advisors, whether they’re stockbrokers, financial planners or insurance agents, are required to act in their client’s best interest. Unfortunately, that’s not the reality.

Advisors with the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation are fiduciaries and are held to the highest standards. They are obligated to uphold certain principles. CFP® advisors must have integrity, objectivity, competence, fairness, confidentiality, professionalism, and diligence. They must put their clients’ best interests above everything else.

(1) http://www.designationcheck.com/credentials-explained