Offered by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils, in conjunction with The American College of Financial Services, this designation is available to professionals who meet requirements of education, experience, knowledge, professional reputation and character.

CFP® professionals have completed extensive training and experience requirements and are held to rigorous ethical standards. They understand all the complexities of the changing financial climate, and bring all pieces of a financial planning program together in a comprehensive way.

A Chartered Financial Consultant® has completed the most extensive educational program required for any financial services credential. Each ChFC® has taken nine or more college-level courses on all aspects of financial planning from The American College, a non-profit educator with the highest level of academic accreditation. The average study time for the program is over 400 hours, and advisors frequently spend years earning this coveted distinction. Each ChFC® must meet a continuing education minimum every two years, adhere to strict ethical standards, and meet extensive experience requirements to ensure that you get the professional financial advice you need.

A Chartered Life Underwriter® has earned the premier credential in the insurance profession, representing eight or more comprehensive college-level courses covering all aspects of insurance planning, estate and retirement issues, taxation, business insurance, and risk management. For more than 80 years consumers have trusted this mark, which is conferred by The American College, a non-profit educator with the highest level of accreditation.

The average study time for the program is over 400 hours and can take years to earn. Each CLU® must meet a continuing education minimum every two years, adhere to strict ethical standards, and meet extensive experience requirements, ensuring the knowledge you're counting on is both comprehensive and current.

A Financial Services Certified Professional® has established themselves as someone clients can trust. They have proven themselves to be a reliable and knowledgeable representative of their clients by understanding the financial life cycle, the financial planning process, professional standards, and the building blocks of how to establish a successful business in financial services.

The LUTCF designation formerly offered by the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) and The American College for Financial Planning®. It is designed to help new financial advisors offer more comprehensive financial advice.

A graduate with a Master of Science in Financial Services has demonstrated a mastery of knowledge in the wealth accumulation process. He or she is able to work with business owners to develop compensation, succession planning and retirement strategies; better integrate ethical considerations into the financial planning process; guide individuals in the areas of tax minimization, retirement planning, and estate planning; and apply innovative methods when planning with clients.

A Registered Employee Benefits Consultant® has a thoroughunderstanding of pensions and retirement planning, groupmedical plans, long-term care, executive compensation, andpersonnel management, making them the ideal solution for small and large business needs.

Formerly offered by The American College of Financial Services, demonstrated that the individual successfully completed a rigorous three course program that focuses on the needs in the health insurance marketplace.

Theory and Research The PhD in Financial and Retirement Planning from The American College is the only doctoral program that awards a degree with an emphasis on retirement planning. The PhD in Financial and Retirement Planning provides a comprehensive curriculum that is both relevant and timely, sought after by the most advanced financial services practitioners.

A Retirement Income Certified Professional® has demonstrated an intricate knowledge of how and why to transition clients into retirement. After years of accumulating assets, clients now need to navigate the tumultuous waters of retirement. An RICP® provides the strategy to make the most of a client’s post-professional life.