The Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board of Standards has authorized Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) e-learning courses as eligible for continuing education credits.
Effective immediately, nearly 60 of FINRA’s e-learning courses will be eligible for continuing education (CE) credits for CFP professionals, who must complete a minimum of 30 CE hours every two years as part of the requirements for CFP certification renewal.
FINRA administers CE courses through two programs – the Firm Element and the Regulatory Element. The courses available for CFP professionals will be offered through the Firm Element program, which requires broker-dealers to establish a formal training program to keep covered registered persons up to date on job- and product-related subjects. The Regulatory Element program focuses on compliance, regulatory, ethical and sales-practice standards.
“Recognizing the large number of registered representatives who are also CFP professionals, we have worked with the CFP Board to expand our e-learning program,” FINRA President and CEO Robert Cook said. “This program reflects FINRA’s efforts to continuously improve the training, compliance tools and other services offered to our registered representatives and firms.”
FINRA’s courses, which were subjected to evaluation and review by the CFP Board’s Council on Education, will enable CFP professionals who are also registered representatives with FINRA to receive CE credits in anti-money laundering, communications with the public, cybersecurity, senior investor issues, insider trading and more.
“The CFP Board and FINRA have a long history of working together to protect investors and ensure compliance,” CFP Board Chief Executive Officer Kevin Keller said. “We are pleased to now have FINRA working with us on this initiative, offering top-notch CE courses that are timely and informative.”