Want the latest retirement plan adviser news and insights? Sign up for PLANADVISER newsletters.
In Practice March 24, 2026
CFP Board Weighs Keeping College Degree as Certification Requirement
Public comments will be sought once a recommendation is made; no decision is expected in 2026.
Reported by Edward Rueda
The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. formed a group to evaluate the necessity of requiring a bachelor’s degree for its professional certification.
The board’s new Academic Pathways and Standards Working Group, first announced on January 27, will consider whether the undergraduate degree requirement “continues to reflect current practices, emerging trends and the evolving needs of the financial planning profession,” according to the announcement.
The 10-member group includes industry professionals from Charles Schwab, Collective Wealth Partners, Edward Jones, Equitable Advisors, Janney Montgomery Scott, Principal Securities Inc., Raymond James and Savant Wealth Management and academics from Boston University and Howard University.
The group will provide a recommendation to the CFP’s board of directors on whether to keep or modify the requirement. The board will ask for public comments on any proposed modification before making a final decision.
No final decision is anticipated in 2026, according to the CFP’s announcement.
There were a record number of new CFP certificants and exam candidates in 2025. According to the board, 11,307 candidates took the CFP Board exam last year, of whom 6,709 became certified. As of December 31, 2025, there were 107,529 CFP-certified professionals, up 4.3% from 2024.