Unlike some financial advisors, all CFPs are held to a strict standard of fiduciary duty, meaning they must put your financial best interests ahead of their own, How to order a Certified Financial Planner certificate. Practically speaking, this means they are barred from buying a financial product for a client simply because it pays them a high commission. Some may not even buy products for clients at all and instead simply suggest that clients buy them themselves.
“A CFP professional’s fiduciary duty may be higher than what’s required by regulation, and—as defined by CFP Board—this includes a duty of loyalty, a duty of care and duty to follow client instructions,” says Jack Brod, CFP, board chair of the CFP Board.
While most CFPs call themselves financial advisors, not all financial advisors are CFPs. Understanding the difference is important for a few reasons.
A financial advisor can be anyone who helps you manage your money. Where to order fake CFP certificate. There’s no specific licensing or certification process required for someone to call themselves a financial advisor. Typically, a financial advisor will have passed some kind of licensing exam that allows them to buy and sell securities on behalf of their clients.
Financial advisors can be fiduciaries or non-fiduciaries. If they’re not held to a fiduciary standard, they may only be held to a suitability standard, meaning they’re required to offer suggestions that generally fit their clients’ financial situation, whether or not they have higher fees or bigger commissions than other options.
