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Financial "Services" Designations & Credentials
IAQFP renders a highly valuable public service by identifying, from the "alphabet soup" of financial services designations and credentials, only those qualified in the specific field & profession of Financial Planning.
We do this through exhaustive qualitative & quantitative research, to identify for the public those who have met necessary educational, testing, experience & ethics requirements to be identified as Qualified Financial Planners. Of course, a designation, in and of itself, does not confer competency, but it can identify those who have achieved at least the generalist requirements specific to a specific field & profession such as Financial Planning.
What follows is a diverse listing of designations encountered most often by the public while traversing the general financial services marketplace. While each of those listed in the chart below has its' own area of specialty, and potential value, none of them are Financial Planning designations
For those looking for a Financial Planner look for the QFP, Qualified Financial Planner designation, which serves as the universal identifier of all of the following Financial Planning designations: ChFC, CFP®, PFS, and The American College's MSFS & the College for Financial Planning's MS, (both with a Financial Planning concentration). To verify or locate a QFP - CLICK HERE.
The "Alphabet Soup" of Financial Services Designations & Credentials
AAMS, ABA, AEP, AFC, ATA, ATP, BCE, BCI, BCM, BCS, CAA, CCRA, CDP, CEA, CEBS, CEP, CFM, CFSSP, CFA, CFS, CIC, CIMC, CISP, CLF, CLTC, CLU, CMA, CMFC, CPA, CPC, CPCU, CPhD, CRA, CRC, CRCM, CRFA, CRPC, CRPS, CRSP, CSA, CSOP, CSTSA, CTFA, EA, ELS, FIC, FLMI, JD, LLM, LUTCF, NASD(all), QPA, REBC, RFA, RFC, RFP, RHU, SEC.
Designation / Credential |
Area of Specialty |
Comments |
AAMS - Accredited Asset Management Specialist |
Investments |
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ABA - Accredited Business Accountant |
Taxes/Accounting |
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AEP - Accredited Estate Planner |
Estate Planning |
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AFC - Accredited Financial Counselor |
Finances |
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ATA - Accredited Tax Adviser |
Taxes |
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ATP - Accredited Tax Preparer |
Taxes |
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BCE - Board Certified in Estate Planning |
Estate Planning |
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BCI - Board Certified in Insurance |
Insurance |
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BCM - Board Certified in Mutual Funds |
Investments |
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BCS - Board Certified in Securities |
Investments |
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CAA - Certified Annuity Adviser |
Insurance Investments |
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CCRA - Certified Review Appraiser |
Real Estate |
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CDP - Certified Divorce Planner |
Finances & Prop. Division |
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CEA - Certified Estate Adviser |
Estate |
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CEBS - Certified Employee Benefit Specialist |
Insurance |
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CEP - Certified Estate Planner |
Estate |
Also offer Master Certified Estate Planner |
CFM - Certified in Financial Mgt. |
Corp. Fin. Mgt. |
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CFSSP - Certified Financial Services Security Professional |
Investments |
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CFA - Chartered Financial Analyst |
Securities Valuation |
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Cfs - Chartered Fund SpecialisT |
Investments |
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CIC - Chartered Investment Counselor |
Investments |
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CIMC - Certified Investment Management Consultant |
Investment Theory & Consulting |
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CISP - Certified IRA Services Professional |
Investments-Retirement |
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CLF - Chartered Leadership Fellow |
Managerial Leadership-Financial Services |
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CLTC - Certified in Long Term Care |
Insurance Sales of Long Term Care Insurance |
Centers on Elder Matters and addressing Long Term Care liabilities. |
CLU-Chartered Life Underwriter |
Life Insurance Sales |
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CMA - Certified Management Accountant |
Management Accounting |
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CMFC - Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor |
Investments |
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CPA - Certified Public Accountant |
Taxes/Accounting |
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CPC - Certified Pension Consultant |
Pension Sales |
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CPCU - Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter |
Insurance (Property & Liability) |
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CPhD - Certified Philanthropic Development |
Philanthropic Counseling |
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CRA - Certified Retirement Administrator |
Retirement Admin |
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CRC - Certified Retirement Counselor(tm) |
Retirement Counseling |
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CRCM - Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager |
Securities Compliance |
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CRFA(tm) - Certified Retirement Financial Adviser(tm) |
Financial Counseling |
Concentrates on the needs of those age 60+. |
CRPC - Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor |
Retirement Counseling |
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CRPS - Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist |
Retirement Plans Counseling |
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CRSP - Certified Retirement Services Professional |
Retirement Counseling |
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CSA - Certified Senior Adviser |
Insurance & Financial |
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CSOP - Certified Securities Operation Professional |
Securities Compliance |
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CSTSA - Certified Specialist in Tax Sheltered Accounts |
Annuity Investments |
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CTFA - Certified Trust & Financial Adviser |
General Finances |
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EA - Enrolled Agent |
Taxes |
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ELS - Estate Law Specialist |
Estate |
American Bar Association Credential |
FIC - Fraternal Insurance Counselor |
Insurance |
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FLMI - Fellow Life Management Institute |
General Finances |
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JD - Juris Doctorate |
Law |
License Credential |
LLM - Masters in Law |
Tax & Estate Law |
Graduate Studies Credential |
LUTCF - Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow |
Life & Health Insurance |
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NASD-National Association of Securities Dealers |
Securities Sales |
Self-Regulatory Organization |
QPA - Qualified Pension Administrator |
Pensions |
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REBC - Registered Employee Benefits Consultant |
Insurance |
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RFA - Registered Financial Associate |
Student of Financial Services |
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RFC - Registered Financial Consultant |
General Financial Services |
Very broad designation across many financial fields. |
RFP - Registered Financial Planner |
Introductory Level Financial Planning |
Not comprehensive financial planning. |
RHU - Registered Health Underwriter |
Health Insurance Sales |
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SEC - Securities & Exchange Commission |
Securities |
Governmental Regulatory Agency |
DISCLAIMER: This web page is designed for academic and informational purposes to assist the general public in finding information about the designations and credentials of financial services persons or entities. The information contained in this page, or throughout this site, is not intended to provide tax, legal, insurance, investment, or any other kind of advice or assistance, and is non-promotional in nature. While the information contained herein is believed to be accurate it is not to be relied upon. Many of the symbols, marks, credentials, or designations have or may have a basic logo trademark or service mark, and some others have certification marks filed with the US Trademark Office; therefore, persons should be careful in using any of these marks in commerce because you may be subject to violations of federal trademark and licensing law. The information contained comes from multiple resources, is regularly revised, and is therefore subject to regular modification. If you have a credential, designation, or information that should be added to this list, or you believe the information shown needs adjusting, please send an email to:info@IAQFP.org.
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