FPSB Association Requirements

To become an Associate member of FPSB, after which your organization could be able to administer the CFP certification program in your territory within two years, your organization must be:

1. Registered as a nonprofit entity or its equivalent.

2. Capable of becoming the premier financial planning organization in your territory, and/or have a broad base of support from financial services firms, practitioners and regulators.

3. Provide proof of financial stability and resources to be able to put in place programs and processes to administer the CFP certification program.

4. Submit a business plan, based on FPSB's template, to FPSB for approval that includes:

   • Your organization’s legal structure, constitution, mission statement, and goals and objectives.

   • Your organization’s plan to implement/deliver:

     1. processes and procedures to establish initial and renewal standards for CFP certification (including background checks of candidates), based on FPSB’s global certification standards; and

     2. processes and procedures to administer FPSB’s initial and renewal standards for CFP certification, once accepted as an Affiliate member.

   • Your organization's plan to complete a job/task or competency analysis that identifies the abilities, skills and knowledge needed to practice financial planning in your territory, based on FPSB’s research template.

   • A timeline to develop psychometrically defensible content and procedures to administer the CFP Certification Examination.

   • Guidelines for the delivery of the CFP certification education program and registration of education providers, based on FPSB’s global certification standards.

   • Proposed work experience requirements for CFP professionals, based on FPSB’s global certification standards.

   • A set of Financial Planning Practice Standards, based on FPSB’s global certification standards.

   • A Code of Ethics and set of Disciplinary Procedures, based on FPSB’s global certification standards.

   • Processes and procedures to establish a Board of Professional Review (or its equivalent) to oversee enforcement of the Code of Ethics and Practice Standards.

   • Proposed equivalency process (if any) that will be used to establish financial planning/CFP Marks in your territory, based on FPSB's Equivalency Policy.

   • Proposed executive committee/ board of directors.

   • Projected growth of CFP professionals for five years.

   • Revenue projections for five years.

   • Five-year cash flow statements.

   • Market analysis of demand for financial planning/CFP Marks.

   • SWOT analysis and strategic plan.

   • Resources/tactics to create awareness/knowledge of financial planning and the CFP Marks.

5. Make a presentation for Associate Membership to FPSB’s Board of Directors and/or the FPSB Council.

6. Capable of meeting all criteria and requirements for FPSB Affiliate membership within two years.

7. Undergo an FPSB evaluation prior to the end of the two-year period to demonstrate readiness to administer FPSB’s CFP certification program and move to an Affiliate membership level.