CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Certification Education Program

Curriculum

THE PERSONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING PROCESS – 3 credit hours
Course Description: This course provides a foundation to the process of personal financial planning and gives the student an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a financial advisor. Specifically the course uses relevant case studies to provide a framework on how to properly build a financial plan, the regulatory issues affecting financial professionals, advisor ethics, the time value of money, and how financial planning fits into the broader scope of a Christian worldview.

INSURANCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT – 3 credit hours
Course Description: This course focuses on the role of risk management and insurance in the financial planning process. It allows an advisor to identify a client’s risk exposure and addresses appropriate methods of mitigating this exposure. Specific topics such as life, health, disability, long-term care, property, liability, and business insurance are addressed in detail. Practical applications for clients and case studies are also provided.

RETIREMENT PLANNING AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS – 3 credit hours
Course Description: This course provides a framework of retirement planning options available to businesses and individuals. The personal planning focuses on developing a financial plan for retirement as well as income distribution techniques and strategies. The business planning focuses on qualified plans, nonqualified plans, social security, and IRA accounts. Both areas are evaluated from a biblically-based perspective on responsibility.

PERSONAL INVESTMENT PLANNING – 3 credit hours
Course Description: This course covers the principles of investment planning for individuals. It discusses risk analysis and various financial ratios to be considered in the investment process. Stocks, bonds, options, asset allocation, and alternative investments are covered. Tax issues in investing are also discussed, as well as ethical and practical issues in managing a client’s portfolio. The course culminates in a case study where an existing portfolio is analyzed and recommendations are made for bettering the client's financial holdings.

INCOME TAX PLANNING – 3 credit hours
Course Description: This course examines our American tax system with emphasis on the taxation of individual families. Items such as income tax brackets, tax deductions, tax credits, capital gains and losses, alternative minimum tax, and corporate shareholder taxation are covered.

FUNDAMENTALS OF ESTATE PLANNING – 3 credit hours
Course Description: This course covers the various aspects of the estate and gift tax systems. Trusts, valuation, strategy, probate, ethical standards, documents, and intestacy are covered with an emphasis on the client's core values as the driving force behind the planning.