Financial Designations

There are many different financial designations. There are three that are recognized above all the others: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), and the Certified Financial Planner (CFP). These all require tests which are very difficult. They all require a college degree (the CPA requires a Master's) except the CFA, in which four years of experience can be used instead of a college degree. The CFA requires three tests to be passed, and the average study time for each test is three hundred hours. These tests are very, very difficult. The CFP requires the passing of six core courses and one comprehensive exam. This license shows expertise in all-around financial planning/comprehensive financial planning.