Choosing Becker to Meet Your CE Requirements as a CFP® Professional

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERS^® must display deep subject matter expertise in a variety of areas in financial planning. To sustain their level of excellence, CFP^® professionals must maintain their credential with yearly CFP^® continuing education requirements.

Learn your CFP^® CE requirements, so you can keep your certification in good standing and stay up to date in your area of specialization. 

CFP^® CE requirements 

You need to earn a total of 30 credit hours during each two-year renewal period to meet your CFP^® CE requirements. Your credits need to include at least two hours of CFP Board Ethics CE. The rest of your credits must cover the CFP Board's Principal Topics

1. Professional Conduct and Regulation
2. General Principles of Financial Planning
3. Risk Management and Insurance Planning
4. Investment Planning
5. Tax Planning
6. Retirement Savings and Income Planning
7. Estate Planning
8. Psychology of Financial Planning 

To be CFP Board-approved CE, courses must cover current, accurate content and be developed and taught by qualified professionals.

 

Why Choose Becker for CFP^® CE courses 

There are over 14,000 CFP Board pre-approved CFP^® CE programs, with new ones added throughout the year. The CFP Board website houses a bank of CFP^® continuing education programs that you can filter by topic, format, complexity, and credit hours. You can also search for a program or sponsor directly, if you already have a favorite CFP Board-approved provider. Many of Becker's CPE courses can help you meet your requirements, especially in areas of taxation, real estate, financial planning, and retirement planning.  

Becker's CE also meets a variety of other governing boards' requirements, including NASBA, The IIA, and The IMA, so you can meet a variety of requirements with one convenient provider. Also, our courses are offered in flexible formats, including on-demand, via live webcasts, or as podcasts, so you can learn in the way that suits your preference and your schedule. 

Top CFP^® CE Courses from Becker

Consider these courses to earn continuing education credits: 

IRA Mastery

This course provides an overview of all types of IRAs, including traditional and Roth IRAs. You'll be able to identify the rules governing investments, contributions, and withdrawals, recognize options available, and apply tax treatments. 

Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax

Better understand the generation-skipping transfer tax, including the basic requirements and other types of taxable transfers. You'll learn how to apply what is meant by "interest in property," differentiate between a skip and non-skip person, and calculate the generation-skipping transfer tax and identify the reporting requirements. 

Estate and Gift Taxes

This course provides an overview of the estate and gift tax system so you can better understand planning considerations and strategies. Upon completion, you will be able to apply the correct tax treatment for the gross estate, deductions, and credits, and calculate the estate tax. 

Dealing with Decedent's Tax Issues

Learn about the tax issues that can arise when handling a decedent's estate. This course includes learning options for resolving tax issues for a deceased taxpayer and preventing issues faced by an executor or administrator when a decedent has tax issues. 

Capital Gains and Losses: The Fundamentals

Learn how to classify assets as capital or non-capital under IRC Section 1221, calculate net capital gains or losses, and determine the applicable federal tax rate for capital gains. You'll also learn how to compute adjusted net capital gains and evaluate whether stock qualifies as a QSBS under IRC Section 1202.

Advanced Estate Planning Techniques

Dig deeper into estate planning and learn the potential tax savings of different advanced estate planning techniques and the issues or challenges associated with each one. 

Tips to complete your CFP^® CE 

1. Hone a specialization 

Use your CFP^® continuing education as an opportunity! This is your chance to stay current in your area of expertise, expand your knowledge into more specialties, and provide the best and most current services for your clients. 

2. Double dip 

If you have another professional credential (like a Certified Public Accountant license, for example), you’ll also have to complete CPE courses for that credential’s continuing education requirements. You can report these credits for CFP^® CE, too, as long as the courses fall within the CFP Board Principal Topics and meet general CFP^® CE requirements.⁴ 

3. Subscribe 

Some continuing professional education providers offer subscription packages, letting you complete your CFP^® CE requirements all in one place, on your schedule, and at your convenience. 

Find a CPE subscription that offers CFP Board-approved coursework across a wide range of qualifying specializations to make it easier to learn and meet requirements. 

4. Be proactive 

Even though CFP^® CE reporting is cumulative, and you don’t have to complete a certain number of credits annually, the two-year reporting period will go quickly. Save yourself from procrastination! You’ll get more from your courses if you have the time to dig and learn, plus you’ll avoid the stress and late-night cramming of trying to complete all your CFP^® CE at the last minute. 

For example, set a plan to complete four to five credits per quarter. This will pace your learning so you can comfortably complete your CFP^® CE on time—even setting you ahead with some wiggle room, in case unforeseen circumstances impede your learning during one quarter. 

Get started 

Don’t wait to grow your career as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^®. Leverage your CFP^® continuing education to advance your skillsets and provide even better services for your clients. 

Find CFP^® CE courses that help you complete CFP^® continuing education requirements with actionable, updated content to grow your career. Plus, unlock unlimited credit earning with Becker’s Prime CPE subscription!