Leading industry education provider Kaplan Professional has partnered with the College for Financial Planning® – a Kaplan US company – to offer three globally-recognised designations in Australia that will enable financial advisers and financial services professionals to further differentiate themselves as specialists in a particular area of financial advice. Over 50 years ago, the College for Financial Planning® introduced the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification in the United States*, which is now the world’s most recognised financial planning credential. The College for Financial Planning® today is one of the largest and most respected worldwide providers of financial planning designations with 12 global certifications available and more than 100,000 holders worldwide. The first three specialist designations that will be made available in Australia through this pioneering partnership between Kaplan Professional and the College for Financial Planning® are: Financial Paraplanner Qualified ProfessionalSM (FPQP®) Chartered Retirement Planning CounsellorSM (CRPC®) Accredited Behavioural Finance ProfessionalSM (ABFP®) Individuals can apply to earn each one of these globally-endorsed designations based on their previous studies with Kaplan Professional whether that be specific subjects or a full qualification, with many being eligible to apply immediately. With thousands of individuals already having completed education as part of the Financial Adviser Standards, regardless if they qualify for the experience pathway or not, the three designations are designed to offer recognition and reward for their efforts. As consumers actively seek financial advisers and financial services professionals who are certified specialists in their particular field, these designations are unique to any other designation in Australia and will allow individuals to further differentiate themselves from their peers and other industry participants. “The introduction of these globally-recognised designations to the Australian market offers more ways for individuals to showcase their hard-earned expertise and knowledge, enhancing their credibility and trust in the eyes of consumers,” said Kaplan Professional CEO Brian Knight. “Since the introduction of the Financial Adviser Standards, we have had thousands of individuals who have completed their education pathways with us; many would already meet the educational criteria to be eligible for these designations. “With the legislation of the experience pathway, we have received strong feedback that those who have committed to their education pathway should be aptly recognised – we want these designations to be one form of reward for their efforts. “The three designations serve a distinct purpose and offer a point of difference from other industry designations; millions of Australians are expected to retire in the next decade, a behavioural finance approach to advice can help differentiate services and better serve clients, and formal recognition of the highly skilled and valuable role of the paraplanner is important. “The College for Financial Planning® designations are globally recognised and carry significant weight with more than 100,000 holders – we strongly believe there will be significant appetite amongst the Australian financial advice community to bolster their credentials, complementing their education, experience and any other designations they may have earned with an industry association.” Mr. Knight stressed the additional benefits of earning the new designations. “Those who earn these designations can showcase their credibility, expertise and knowledge through added credentials on their adviser profile, website, business cards and other digital marketing materials, which may help attract clients and employers seeking well-qualified financial advisers and financial services professionals. “The achievement can be further amplified through a digital badge, which allows individuals to easily share verified proof of each designation (including the process required to earn it), wherever and whenever they choose,” he said. Kaplan Professional intends to make more global College for Financial Planning® designations available to the Australian market in the near future. In addition to the tuition fees with associated course/subjects they may be required to complete, individuals will be required to pay a one-off $395 fee to assess and issue the certification. A certification can be renewed every two years for $90 provided any annual CPD requirements under the Financial Adviser Standards are maintained. As an introductory offer, the certification fee is discounted by 15 per cent until 30 June 2024. To learn more about the FPQP®, CRPC® and ABFP® designations, please visit: www.kaplanprofessional.edu.au/financial-planning-specialist-designations. * In 1969, the International Association for Financial Planners (IAFP) and the College for Financial Planning were created to help meet the financial needs of Americans. In 1985, the College entered an agreement to establish an independent, nonprofit certifying and standards-setting organisation. Ownership of the CFP® marks and responsibility for continuing the CFP® certification program was transferred to the new organisation, International Board of Standards and Practices for Certified Financial Planners, Inc. (IBCFP), now known as CFP Board.