Not all financial advisors are held to the same standard. This one-page story explains what the CFA® and CFP® credentials actually mean for you—rigor, planning depth, and ethics that are more than marketing language.
Quick premise: a "financial advisor" title can mean many things. Credentials and standards help you audit how advice is produced and whose interests it serves.
Many professionals meet minimum requirements and stop there. That may be "fine" for product distribution. It's not the same as deep investment training plus comprehensive financial planning.
Our founder chose a higher standard—building a practice around: proof (proctored exams), process (repeatable planning), and ethical constraints (client-first duty).
Think of CFA® charterholders as "investment specialists": valuation, risk, portfolio construction, and ethics— built for investment decision-making at a high technical bar.
CFA Institute describes the CFA Program as three exams covering investment tools, valuing assets, portfolio management, and wealth planning. [1]
Exam session time is approximately 4.5 hours per level (plus tutorial/breaks). [2]
Pass rates vary by level and window and are published by CFA Institute. [3]
It's a credential with real friction: three exams, published requirements, and an ethics code. CFA Institute states charterholders commit to integrity and to placing the interests of clients above their own personal interests. [4]
If CFA® is investment depth, CFP® is holistic planning—turning the math into a plan that fits a real life: retirement, tax strategy, insurance, estate, cash flow, and tradeoffs.
CFP® is about building comprehensive plans—and doing it under a published ethical framework. CFP Board has reported the CFP® professional population surpassing 103,000 in 2024.[8]
Alone, each credential is valuable. Together, they cover the two hardest parts of advice: investment decisions under uncertaintyand planning that survives real life.
"Trust me" is not a standard. A fiduciary standard is a constraint—an obligation—especially when markets are stressful and incentives are noisy.
The SEC has stated that an investment adviser is a fiduciary and must act in the best interests of clients.[9]CFP Board's standards also describe a fiduciary duty when providing financial advice.[7]
AUM fees can be deceptively expensive over time. A flat fee can be simpler, more predictable, and less tied to portfolio size.
Use our calculator to see how the math plays out: the numbers are transparent, shareable, and hard to ignore.
Open the fee calculator →Work with the advisor who chose the harder road to serve you better—combining investment rigor, comprehensive planning, and a client-first ethic.