You’ve probably heard the terms “financial advisor” and “Certified Financial Planner,” and it can sound like marketing jargon. So what’s the real difference?
Here’s the simple version.
A financial advisor is a broad title. Anyone who helps with investments, insurance, or general money questions can call themselves a financial advisor. There’s no single standard for what they must know or how they must be trained.
A Certified Financial Planner, or CFP professional, is different. The CFP designation is earned by completing a rigorous curriculum, passing a comprehensive exam, and meeting real-world experience requirements. CFP professionals also commit to ongoing education and must follow a strict code of ethics that legally requires them to act in your best interest.
Think of it like this: all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. All CFP professionals are financial advisors, but not all financial advisors are CFP professionals.
So when you’re choosing someone to help guide your financial life, the letters after their name can tell you a lot. They signal training, accountability, and a fiduciary commitment to put you first.
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