CFP Board Announces FINRA as a Quality CE Partner
New Suite of Innovative Courses Provides Additional CE Options
WASHINGTON, May 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) announced today that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has been named one of its Quality Continuing Education (CE) partners, offering CFP® professionals nearly 60 CE courses.
Many of the e-learning courses in the FINRA catalog are now eligible for CE credits for CFP® professionals. The courses, which are available online and in half-credit hour increments, cover areas such as anti-money laundering, communications with the public, cybersecurity, senior investor issues and other issues of which CFP® professionals – especially who are regulated by FINRA – need to be aware. CFP Board currently authorizes more than 77,000 individuals to use these marks in the U.S., each of whom must complete a minimum of 30 CE hours every two years as part of the requirements for renewal of CFP® certification.
"CFP Board and FINRA have a long history of working together to protect investors and ensure compliance," said Kevin Keller, CFP Board's Chief Executive Officer. "We are pleased to now have FINRA on board as a Quality CE partner, offering top-notch CE courses that are timely and informative."
The CE Quality Partner program is part of the multi-year CE Quality Initiative that CFP Board's Board of Directors approved, with the goal of assuring that CFP® professionals have access to a variety of quality CE opportunities that are diverse in their content, format and delivery. CFP Board has implemented several phases of the initiative, focused on improvements to CE standards identified by the Council for Education to better align CFP Board with industry best practices.
As a CE Quality Partner, FINRA has demonstrated a commitment to developing continuing education ("CE") programs that meet a high set of standards outlined by CFP Board. To achieve and maintain status as a CE Quality Partner, FINRA has agreed to have a random number of self-study and live programs reviewed a rubric designed by the Council on Education and based on the Continuing Professional Education (CPE) standards adopted by AICPA and NASBA. FINRA is now one of only eleven CE Sponsors listed on CFP Board's website as a CE Quality Partner, and is authorized to identify itself as such on its program materials.
"Recognizing the large number of Certified Financial PlannerTM professionals in the securities industry — who often seek out training that also satisfies continuing education requirements — we have worked with CFP Board to make our e-learning program more useful," said FINRA President and CEO Robert Cook. "This initiative could lead to new offerings for FINRA-registered firms and CFP® professionals, and reflects our continuous efforts to improve training, compliance tools and other services."
ABOUT CFP BOARD
The mission of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. is to benefit the public by granting the CFP® certification and upholding it as the recognized standard of excellence for competent and ethical personal financial planning. The Board of Directors, in furthering CFP Board's mission, acts on behalf of the public, CFP® professionals and other stakeholders. CFP Board owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements. CFP Board currently authorizes more than 77,000 individuals to use these marks in the U.S.
Twitter: @cfpboardmedia
ABOUT FINRA
FINRA is dedicated to investor protection and market integrity. It regulates one critical part of the securities industry – brokerage firms doing business with the public in the United States. FINRA, overseen by the SEC, writes rules, examines for and enforces compliance with FINRA rules and federal securities laws, registers broker-dealer personnel and offers them education and training, and informs the investing public. In addition, FINRA provides surveillance and other regulatory services for equities and options markets, as well as trade reporting and other industry utilities. FINRA also administers a dispute resolution forum for investors and brokerage firms and their registered employees. For more information, visit www.finra.org.
SOURCE Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.
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