Save 10% as You Pursue Your CFP® Certification

Through April 23rd, save 10% on our CFP Board Registered program and education courses. 

Use code: CFP-Start2025

The Essential Package for CFP® Certification Education

Our Essential Package features the strongest, most streamlined curriculum and an award winning learning platform with the latest advances to support efficient and effective learning. Enroll today and get started down your path to earning the CFP® mark.

The self-paced Essential Package is an excellent choice for motivated candidates who prefer to prepare and study on their own. Our Self-Study option gives you the freedom to complete your required education at your own pace.

  • Pay course-by-course for all seven courses or order just the ones you need. 
  • Your online access begins as soon as you make your purchase.
    • Take up to 90 days to complete each course.
    • You can extend a course for an additional 30 days for a fee.
  • Take advantage of online testing; no need to go to an outside testing facility.
  • Most coursework can transfer towards a Masters Degree in Personal Financial Planning.

At the end of our 7-course curriculum you'll earn a Certificate in Personal Financial Planning. Most coursework you complete as part of the CFP® certification education program provides stackable credit towards a Masters in Personal Financial Planning in your future.

Start our Self-Study option anytime and sit for the CFP® exam when you prefer. 

 

Your Essential Package Includes:

Education Program

Designed for the motivated self-starter, our Self-Study package with no class component allows you to prepare and study at your own pace.

Customized Schedule

Choose when to start studying and complete your education at your own pace. Take up to 90 days to complete each course. If needed, you can extend a course for an additional 30 days for a fee.

Flexible Payments

Pay course by course to make reimbursement and budgeting easy.

Pay Course by Course

Important note about course by course packages: While your subtotal will reflect the total price for the package during checkout, your credit card will only be charged for the first course. (Each future course in the 7-course curriculum will be charged once you complete the course before it.)

Your Essential Package Includes:

Education

Our Essential Package is an excellent choice for candidates who prefer to prepare and practice on their own. The Essential Package grants you the freedom to complete all 7 required education courses at your own pace, so you can be sure you are ready to perform on the CFP® exam. 

As you progress through the 7-course curriculum, each subsequent course will immediately show in your learning platform once you complete the course before it.

Education Course Materials and Study Tools
Each financial planning course comes with a corresponding education program textbook. Complete your required education with these concise, clear, and comprehensive study notes and supplemental readings.

Your education package includes all textbooks as eBooks. You will receive an email with instructions on how to access materials through the VitalSource® platform. 

If you select to also order print textbooks (available at an additional cost), you will receive your soft-bound book via UPS. Books release and ship based on your course start date.

You will not receive a textbook or eBook for FP517 course because all materials are provided to you via your online classroom.

 

Through the combination of videos and digital workbook, students willl gain a thorough understanding of how to use the HP 10BII+ and Texas Instruments BAiiPlus financial calculators as part of their studies.
 

To facilitate student learning with content in our curriculum, our video library contains topical videos that target topics that are commonly tested on the exam, topics many candidates find challenging and topics often asked about by students.

As you progress through each of the modules in your courses, your Activity Feed will prompt you to take Module Quizzes. These quizzes act as checkpoints in your education and mimic the difficulty and format of the actual CFP® exam. At the end of each course, a Practice Exam lets you apply your exam-taking techniques. 

 

A Performance Tracker in our learning platform will identify how well you understand the topics that have been covered and highlight weak areas where more review is needed. 

Practice what you have learned by taking focused QBank quizzes to master module concepts. Access your QBank online and view answer explanations for every question.

    Learning Platform

    The Activity Feed truly takes the guesswork out of creating a study plan! Depend on the Activity Feed to efficiently guide you through the content and study tools, giving you an effective, integrated study experience. You can even schedule days off, and your activities will adjust accordingly.

    In addition to giving you a snapshot of how you're progressing against all study plan activities, Performance Tracker helps you understand which topic areas you're doing well in and which areas need some work so you can master all knowledge topics.

    Connect with our experienced instructors and subject matter experts easily on your Student Dashboard to get your exam- and content-related questions answered.

    Bundle Your Education with a CFP® Exam Prep Review

    Ensure you’ve retained the material you learned in your education package and are prepared for the CFP exam with a review study package. Practice your exam technique with a full array of prep products for complete confidence on exam day. 

    Learn More

    Course Descriptions:

    Graduate-level (0 academic credits); Prerequisite(s): none

    This course examines basic financial planning concepts for developing client relationships; gathering, analyzing and evaluating financial documents, statements and other information; developing and communicating relevant recommendations to clients; implementing recommendations through the use of a financial planning team; and monitoring the financial plan on a periodic basis, all within CFP Board professional and regulatory standards. Students will develop a pragmatic perspective of the field of financial planning as they learn to analyze personal financial statements, understand time value of money concepts, explore education funding techniques, advise clients regarding the management of debt, apply behavioral finance concepts, gain an understanding of federal and state regulatory requirements, learn the ethical environment of financial planning and integrate the legal and economic aspects of financial planning within a practice.



    Graduate-level (3 academic credits); Prerequisite(s): none

    This course explores fundamental insurance, annuity, and employee benefit concepts and products. Students will gain knowledge of the principles of risk and insurance; learn how to analyze and evaluate risk exposures; and understand the concepts of personal and business insurance for life, health, disability, long-term care and property insurance. Students will also develop perspectives regarding the integration of social insurance (e.g. Medicare, workers compensation)within the framework of financial planning. Equity-based compensation, nonqualified deferred compensation and other employee benefits will also be presented and discussed.


    Graduate-level (3 academic credits); Prerequisite(s): none

    This course examines the characteristics, uses and taxation of investment vehicles: stocks, bonds, cash and cash equivalents, promissory notes, guaranteed investment contracts, real estate, and alternative investments. Students will also develop an understanding of the various types of risk: systematic and unsystematic, purchasing power, interest rate, business, and financial risk. Students are introduced to quantitative investment concepts, measures of investment returns, bond and stock valuation concepts, investment theory, portfolio development and analysis, investment strategies, asset allocation, and asset pricing models.


    Graduate-level (3 academic credits); Prerequisite(s): none

    This course focuses on income tax fundamentals and calculations, tax accounting, characteristics and income taxation of business entities, basis, depreciation and cost recovery concepts. The impact of the alternative minimum tax (AMT), passive activity, at-risk rules, charitable contributions and charitable deductions on a client’s financial plan is also studied. Students will gain an understanding of the tax consequences of like-kind exchanges and the disposition of property, and will learn how the loss of a spouse through death or divorce affects a client’s tax status.


    Graduate-level (3 academic credits); Prerequisite(s): none

    Students will be exposed to retirement needs analyses, types and characteristics of retirement plans, qualified plan rules and options, and provisions of tax-advantaged plans. The effects of ERISA on retirement plans is examined and the impact of Social Security on a client’s retirement plan is also discussed. Students will gain an understanding of plan distribution options, rules, alternatives and taxation, and will also explore key factors affecting plan selection for businesses and investment considerations for retirement plans.


    Graduate-level (3 academic credits); Prerequisite(s): none

    This course analyzes the various techniques and strategies used in developing estate plans based on client criteria and needs. Property titling, property transfer at death, gifting strategies, and sources of estate liquidity are discussed. Students will also gain insight on wills, probate, and the types, uses and taxation of trusts during estate planning.


    Graduate-level (0 academic credits); Prerequisite(s): none
     
    Students participate in a case analysis and evaluation in which the following major areas of financial planning are integrated:
    • General Financial Planning Principles, Professional Conduct, and Regulation
    • Risk Management, Insurance, and Employee Benefits Planning
    • Investment Planning
    • Income Tax Planning
    • Retirement Savings and Income Planning
    • Estate Planning


      Please note: The final course FP 517, Financial Plan Development, is not offered in the Essential package format. Self-Study students can enroll in the EssentialPlus course for FP 517 and begin the course at anytime.

      Have Questions? Make an Appointment

      Our enrollment team is here to help you choose the program that's right for you. We'll explain your options and support you through the enrollment process.

      Schedule an Appointment

      Don't need all 7 courses?

      Select a course below or call our Designation Specialists at 877.641.3920 to order only the courses you need.

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      Choose your Individual Course:

      Click the drop-down to select your individual course.

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      The College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company does not certify individuals to use the CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP (with plaque logo) certification marks. CFP® certification is granted only by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. to those persons who, in addition to completing an educational requirement such as this CFP Board-Registered Program, have met its ethics, experience, and examination requirements. The College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company is an education and exam prep review provider for the CFP® Certification Examination administered by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. CFP Board does not endorse any education or review course or receive financial remuneration from education or review course providers.

      Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

      Terms and Conditions: 10% off applies to Premium, EssentialPlus, and Essential education packages and courses, and CFP® Premium Exam Study Package only. All offers are for new enrollments only. To redeem online, enter code CFP-Start2025 at checkout. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with other discounts or promotions, cannot be applied to previous purchases, and is not redeemable for cash value. Offer begins at 9:00 am CT March 19, 2025, and expires April 23, 2025, at 11:59 pm CT.