Updates to Declaration Page of CFP® Certification Application

CFP Board has revised the Declaration Page of the Initial and Renewal Applications for CFP® Certification. The purpose of the revisions is to clarify the information sought regarding involvement in criminal and civil proceedings, inquiries and investigations. In addition, a few new questions have been added to the Declaration Page that inquire about bankruptcy filings, internal reviews and customer complaints. CFP Board requires all candidates for CFP® certification, and all CFP® professionals who must renew their certification, to answer the Declaration Page questions so CFP Board can determine, based on the responses, whether the matter disclosed needs to be investigated.

In early 2009, CFP Board formed a working group to address concerns raised that the questions were ambiguous, sometimes causing the candidate or CFP® professional to answer in a way that was not intended. To address this problem, the working group recommended replacing the compound questions with clear, straightforward questions, and adding a page on which certain words and terms are defined. The revised Declaration Page will be effective for all candidates or CFP® professionals whose certification period begins on or after July 1, 2011.