A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, or CFP® practitioner, is a financial professional who meets the requirements established by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. While some professionals may call themselves financial planners, only those who demonstrate the requisite experience, education, and ethical standards are awarded the CFP® mark.

What does a CFP® professional do?

A CFP® professional is trained to develop and implement comprehensive financial plans for individuals, businesses, and organizations. He or she has the knowledge and skills to objectively assess your current financial status, identify potential problem areas, and recommend appropriate options. You're also working with someone who's demonstrated expertise in multiple areas of financial planning, including income and estate tax, investment planning, risk management, and retirement planning.

How can a CFP® professional help you?

A CFP® professional can help you create a personal budget, control expenses, and develop and implement plans for retirement, education, and/or wealth protection. A CFP® professional can offer expertise in risk management, including strategies involving life and long-term care insurance, health insurance, and liability coverage. He or she often can help with your tax planning or manage your asset portfolio based on your goals. Specifically, a CFP® professional can help you:

• Establish financial and personal goals and create a plan to achieve them
• Evaluate your financial well-being with a thorough analysis of your assets, liabilities, income, taxes, investments, and insurance
• Identify areas of concern and help you address them by developing and implementing a financial plan that emphasizes your financial strengths while reducing your financial weaknesses
• Review your plan periodically to accommodate your changing personal circumstances and financial goals

How to choose a CFP® professional

Selecting a CFP® professional is like choosing a doctor for your financial health. Working with a CFP® professional involves sharing very personal information, and you will want to feel comfortable with the professional you've chosen. He or she should be knowledgeable, have integrity, and demonstrate a commitment to the highest ethical standards in the industry. Also, a CFP® professional may offer services to a particular clientele, such as small-business owners, corporate executives, or retirees, so be sure the planner you select works with people whose interests and goals are similar to yours.

The financial world has become a very complex place. Even if you're used to handling your own financial affairs, the time may be right to consult a CFP® professional at CNB Wealth Management. We will review your financial health and offer suggestions that may help you pursue your financial goals.

The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc., owns the certification marks CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the United States, which it awards to individuals who successfully complete the CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.