CFP Study Shows Its Advisers Linked to Stronger Financial Outcomes

A decade-long study by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. is underway to assess the impact of CFP professionals’ work. The Financial Planning Longitudinal Study, which has completed its second of 10 planned years, is showing so far that clients of CFP professionals report stronger financial outcomes, greater preparedness and deeper satisfaction.

The CFP study shows that nearly all surveyed households working with a CFP professional (94%) reported feeling confident about achieving financial goals, compared with 85% of those using other advisers and 81% of unadvised households.

That confidence shows up in everyday financial habits. About 83% of surveyed people who work with a CFP professional reported having at least three months’ worth of income saved in an emergency fund (83%). By comparison, 68% of respondents advised by a financial planner without CFP certification and 53% of unadvised respondents said they had sufficient emergency savings. As a result, 25% of respondents advised by a CFP professional agreed that their family would be financially secure if they were unable to work. This exceeded those working with non-CFP financial planners (20%) and those without an adviser (11%) who expressed the same confidence.

Long-term planning was also more common: 61% of responding clients of CFP professionals reported having a will in place, compared with 46% of other-advised clients and 24% of unadvised households. About half (51%) working with CFP professionals reported living comfortably, compared with 40% of those working with other advisers and 31% of the unadvised.

Higher Trust, Client Satisfaction

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of surveyed CFP clients said they strongly trusted their adviser, compared with 52% of clients working with other advisers. Sixty-two percent of CFP clients said they were very satisfied with their adviser’s role, compared with 44% of households working with other advisers.

CFP clients also described meaningful emotional benefits, such as 59% saying they had reduced financial anxiety and 54% saying their adviser motivated them to pursue their financial goals. Only 38% of clients of non-CFP advisers said they had reduced financial anxiety, and 34% reported feeling motivation from their adviser. About 60% of surveyed clients of CFP professionals said their adviser tried to understand their family and values, reflecting a personal and client-centered approach.

More Comprehensive Planning Across Life Stages

One of the biggest differences observed so far lies in the breadth of planning. Out of six potential financial planning areas—retirement, investment, estate, risk management, insurance and taxes—respondents said CFP professionals covered an average of 2.79 of those topics, nearly twice as many areas as non-CFP advisers, who only covered 1.59 topics. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of respondents working with CFP professionals said they received detailed retirement planning, as compared with 42% of clients of non-CFP professionals. The difference in services was only slightly wider for investment, with 64% of clients of CFP professionals saying their adviser covered it, compared with 41% of non-CFP clients.

The findings from the CFP study follow a year of historic growth for CFP certification. As of December 31, 2025, there were 107,529 CFP-certified professionals, a 4.3% increase from 2024. A record 11,307 candidates sat for the CFP Board exam in 2025, up 5.7% from the previous record. Of the 6,709 individuals who earned certification, 59% were younger than 35, signaling strong momentum among the next generation of planners.

The CFP study is tracking a representative sample of U.S. households for at least 10 years to measure the impact of financial planning on long-term well-being. The May 2025 survey included 4,567 respondents, of whom 3,357 returned from 2024. Respondents were age 25 through 65 with at least $50,000 in income and $30,000 in investable assets.