The barriers to success for those entering the financial advising field just got lowered by the College for Financial Planning^®—a Kaplan Company, which has introduced a new Financial Advising Accelerator certificate program designed to jumpstart the careers of those new to the profession, or anyone in the early stages of their career who seeks to advance their business to the next level.

The online, self-study course will address the challenges many face when starting out as a financial advisor from career-changers to recent college graduates. The expected time to complete training and earn the certificate is eight to 10 weeks at 10 hours per week. The curriculum focuses on key advising and business-building, practical skills necessary to launch into a successful career in financial planning and navigate professional advancement. Modules include: developing a business plan, marketing your practice, communicating with your clients, and understanding client psychology. To put these skills and resources into action, there are practical application activities throughout the course, such as establishing your mission and vision statements and identifying your marketing niche.

“Most new financial advisors often have the technical financial knowledge but don’t yet know how to engage with clients, and those practical skills are equally important to their success,” said Dirk Pantone, President of the College, which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. “Unless they have mentors early in their careers, the nuances of advising clients on something as personal as their finances can be a difficult skill to learn. The Financial Advising Accelerator course will teach many of the soft skills that are not taught in traditional classes or are transferable from other professions. This training can make the difference between a slow career trajectory or thriving as a financial advisor right from the start.”

In a recent survey, experienced financial services professionals acknowledged that many seeking to enter the industry need specialized skills to succeed. About 57 percent said that recent college graduates, even those with degrees in Finance, lack the career readiness to be successful and 44 percent thought that even career-changers, historically the largest group entering the profession, have an inadequate skill set.

Furthermore, about a quarter of the financial experts agreed that a training program is necessary for those entering the field to help flatten the learning curve and promote better understanding of the complexities of the job.

The Financial Advising Accelerator course is available to individuals and offered by many financial investment companies to their employees. As a standalone course, the tuition is $395. The course is discounted when bundled with other professional designation programs offered by the College, including Wealth Management Specialist (WMS) Program, Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional (FPQP) Program, and Accredited Asset Management Specialist (AAMS) Program.

The College for Financial Planning^® provides a digital learning platform to access course materials and study tools as well as to experienced, expert faculty as students complete the self-study program.

About the College for Financial Planning

Founded in 1972, the College for Financial Planning^®—a Kaplan Company provides accessible and flexible degree, non-degree, and continuing professional education programs to students nationwide. Shortly after its founding, the College introduced the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM certification, which is now the world's most recognized and respected financial planning credential with more than 93,000 certified professionals.

In addition to its CFP^® Certification Professional Education Program, the College also offers a master’s degree in personal financial planning and financial analysis, and professional designation programs that provide more in-depth knowledge of the finance industry, with specializations ranging from asset management and retirement planning to sustainable, responsible, and impact (SRI) investments. The College for Financial Planning is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association. More than 200,000 students have graduated from the College’s programs. For more information, visit www.cffp.edu.

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The College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company has introduced a new Financial Advising Accelerator certificate program designed to jumpstart the careers of those new to the profession.