Continuing Education Sponsors

Read CFP Board's communications to CE sponsors:

• CFP Board CE Sponsor Program: 2012 Preparation and Updates (10/21/2011)
• CFP Board Ethics CE Sponsor Program: Is Your Instructor Qualified? (10/3/2011)
• CFP Board Launches Pilot Volunteer CE Program Review Initiative (6/30/2011)
• CFP Board Updating Ethics CE Sponsor Requirements (3/31/2011)
• Top Twenty CE Sponsor Tips and Reminders for 2010 (4/19/2010)
• CFP Board CE Sponsor Updates: Recording of Policy Change Webinar Now Available (11/11/2009)
• Upcoming Changes to CFP Board's Continuing Education Policies (9/21/2009)
• Updated Terms and Conditions
• Important News Regarding Not-for-Profit CE Sponsors (10/14/2005)
• Online Program Registration Now Available (9/30/2005)
• CFP Board to Require Electronic Reporting of CE Attendee Lists (3/2005)

October 21, 2011

Dear CE Sponsors,

CFP Board recently held a webinar to share the following updates on 2012 CE Sponsor registration, program renewals, and the subject topics accepted for continuing education (CE).

2012 CE Sponsor Registration and Program Renewal

In anticipation of 2012 CE Sponsor registration and program application submission, I am pleased to share that we will use the same submission process as in 2011, and CFP Board plans to open online registration for 2012 CE Sponsor registration in mid-November 2011. As with 2011 CE Sponsor registration, CE Sponsors will be able to confirm their 2012 CE Sponsor registration online using their secure CFP Board account.

CE Sponsors will also be able to renew eligible CE programs for 2012 using their secure, online CFP Board account. As with 2011 program renewals, CE Sponsors will be able to select which CE programs they wish to renew for next year.

An e-mail will be sent to CE Sponsors to announce the specific date on which 2012 online registration and program renewal opens.

2012 Subject Topics Accepted for CE Credit

CFP Board's 2009 comprehensive job task analysis identified new Job Task Domains and Principal Topics. The Job Task Domains serve as the blueprint for the March 2012 and later administrations of the CFP® Certification Examination. The Principal Topics serve as a curricular framework for CFP Board-Registered Programs.

Effective January 1, 2012, CFP Board will accept for CE credit only programs that address subject topics identified in either the lists of Job Task Domains or Principal Topics.

The Job Task Domains and Principal Topics are very similar to the list of subject topics currently accepted for CE credit. Topics related to investments, general principals of financial planning, estate planning, retirement planning and other current topics are all represented in the lists of Job Task Domains and Principal Topics. Topics currently in the "Addendum" of topics accepted for CE credit – including topics related to communications, values, and the like – are also included in the lists of Job Task Domains and Principal Topics.

For 2012, all processes will remain the same for online program application submission, application reviews, confirmation of application acceptance or denial. Due to the similarities of the lists of Job Task Domains or Principal Topics to the current list of subject topics accepted for CE credit, we expect minimal change for CE Sponsors in having program applications submitted to, and reviewed by, CFP Board.

View the List of Job Task Domains at:
www.CFP.net/downloads/CFPBoard_Job_Task_Domains.pdf

View the List of Principal Topics at:
www.CFP.net/downloads/CFPBoard_Principal_Topics.pdf

Webinar Recording

CFP Board first shared the updates outlined above during a webinar on October 4, 2011. A recording of the Webinar is now available and can be viewed on CFP Board's YouTube channel. The presentation slides are also available for review.

Thank you for your continued participation in CFP Board's CE Sponsor program. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best Regards,

Vanessa Williamson, CAE
Education and Qualifications Manager

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October 3, 2011

Dear CE Sponsors,

As we shared with you last March, CFP Board has implemented new program content and instructor eligibility requirements for CFP Board Ethics CE programs that are effective as of October 1, 2011. If you plan to host a CFP Board Ethics CE program, please confirm that the instructor(s) of your program meet the new instructor qualifications.

The instructor of a CFP Board Ethics CE program must:

• Hold current CFP® certification, with all CFP Board continuing education requirements up-to-date and all CFP Board renewal and other fees paid in full.
• Have held CFP® certification for 5 years or more.
• Must not be the subject of a pending investigation by CFP Board or any federal or state regulator.
• Must not have been the subject of a CFP Board discipline (i.e. private censure, public letter of admonition, or suspension) received within the past five years.

CFP Board Ethics CE programs conducted by instructors who do not meet these requirements will not be accepted for CFP Board Ethics CE credit.

Individuals who do not meet the instructor eligibility requirements may submit a Policy Exception Request to CFP Board and, if the request is approved, may begin teaching CFP Board Ethics CE programs following notification of that approval. Please note that policy exceptions may be granted in only the rarest of circumstances. CFP Board will not retroactively grant CE credit for a program taught by an instructor who does not meet the eligibility requirements during the time a Policy Exception Request is being reviewed, even if the request is later approved.

For CE Sponsors hosting CFP Board Ethics CE programs in the coming weeks, we strongly urge you to connect with the instructor to confirm their qualifications and verify their eligibility to present these programs. To conduct a quick check of an instructor's certification status and any public disciplinary history issued by CFP Board, you may also use CFP Board's verification search option at http://www.CFP.net/Verify.

I also encourage you to join us on October 4, 2011 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (Eastern) for the rescheduled 2012 Preparation and Updates for CE Sponsors webinar. The webinar will feature information on 2012 Sponsor registration and program renewal and to review accepted topics for continuing education for 2012. It will also include updates on the implementation of the new CFP Board Ethics CE Sponsor requirements. Register to attend at: http://cfpboard.adobeconnect.com/cesponsorsprep2012/event/event_info.html

Best Regards,

Vanessa Williamson, CAE
Education and Qualifications Manager

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June 30, 2011

Dear CE Sponsor,

CFP Board is launching a pilot program which encourages CFP® professionals to share feedback with CFP Board regarding the continuing education (CE) programs they complete. This new initiative supports CFP Board's work to ensure the availability of quality continuing education programs for CFP® professionals, and we expect it will provide valuable feedback for CE Sponsors serving the CFP® professional community.

CFP® professionals who volunteer to participate in the pilot program review initiative will be asked to provide comments based on their experience with a CFP Board-accepted CE program. Volunteers will receive advance training to ensure they have an accurate understanding of CFP Board's CE requirements and are prepared to provide objective reviews. Feedback will be submitted using a brief, structured form that will help identify how closely aspects of the CE program are aligned with CFP Board's CE requirements.

CE Sponsors will not be pre-identified for a program review. Any program accepted by CFP Board will be eligible for review by a CFP® professional volunteer, and program reviews will be conducted at the discretion of the volunteers.

CFP Board will share the results of the feedback with each CE Sponsor whose programs are reviewed. We expect this program review initiative will allow the opportunity to share positive feedback with CE Sponsors which are found to be conducting programs in accordance with CFP Board's CE requirements. CFP Board will also reach out to CE Sponsors which may need assistance in complying with the CFP Board's CE requirements.

The pilot program will run for six months. Once completed, CFP Board will consider ongoing implementation of this volunteer review effort.

There is no action required of CE Sponsors. We're pleased to share the news of this pilot effort with you. And we look forward to sharing positive feedback with you.

Reminder: CFP Board Ethics CE Sponsor Changes Go Into Effect October 1, 2011

Updated requirements for CFP Board Ethics CE programs take effect on October 1, 2011. All CFP® professionals are required to complete a CFP Board-accepted Ethics CE program every two years as part of their certification renewal. The CFP Board Ethics CE program changes apply only to CE Sponsors which plan to offer CFP Board-accepted Ethics CE.

The changes include new learning objectives requirements and instructor eligibility requirements. Details regarding the Ethics CE Sponsor program changes, including a recorded webinar overview of CFP Board Ethics CE requirements, may be found in the CE Sponsor section of CFP Board's website at www.CFP.net/teamup/ethicsce.asp.

If you have questions about CFP Board's CE Sponsor program, please contact Vanessa Williamson, CFP Board's Education and Qualifications Manager, at 202-379-2211 or vwilliamson@CFPBoard.org.

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March 31, 2011

Dear CE Sponsor,

CFP Board’s CE Sponsor program will implement updated requirements for Ethics continuing education (CE) programs, effective October 1, 2011. All CFP® professionals are required to complete a CFP Board-accepted Ethics CE program every two years as part of their certification renewal. The Ethics CE program changes apply only to CE Sponsors which plan to offer CFP Board accepted Ethics CE.

The changes include new learning objectives requirements and instructor eligibility requirements, as described below.

Learning Objectives for CFP Board Ethics CE Programs
Effective October 1, 2011, Ethics CE programs registered with CFP Board must be designed to accomplish the following required learning objectives.

Upon successful completion of the course, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of, and be able to define financial planning, the financial planning process, and financial planning subject areas.
2. Describe the material elements of financial planning.
3. Determine if a CFP® professional is providing financial planning or material elements of financial planning.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the required elements of a written agreement when financial planning services are provided.
5. Articulate disclosure requirements and apply disclosure requirements to their practices.
6. Define and outline elements of the fiduciary standard and know when it applies.

Ethics CE programs may go beyond the learning objectives to include additional information specific to CFP Board’s ethical standards as outlined in the publication titled Standards of Professional Conduct. However, all Ethics CE programs must, at a minimum, address the required learning objectives.

CFP Board will evaluate the learning objectives every two years to ensure relevance and consistency with CFP Board’s ethical standards.

Instructor Requirements for CFP Board Ethics CE Programs
Effective October 1, 2011, instructors of Ethics CE programs registered with CFP Board must meet the following requirements.

The instructor of an Ethics CE program must:

1. Hold current CFP® certification, with all CFP Board continuing education requirements up-to-date and all CFP Board renewal and other fees paid in full.
2. Have held CFP® certification for 5 years or more.
3. Must not be the subject of a pending investigation by CFP Board or any federal or state regulator.
4. Must not have been the subject of a CFP Board discipline (i.e. private censure, public letter of admonition, or suspension) received within the past five years.

Individuals who do not meet all of the above criteria may submit a Policy Exception Request to CFP Board. The Policy Exception Request is subject to review by CFP Board staff.

All other Ethics CE program requirements remain unchanged, as outlined in the Ethics CE Sponsor Registration Agreement. This includes the requirement that the program focus exclusively on CFP Board’s ethical standards.

The changes to the Ethics CE program requirements follow CFP Board’s careful consideration of trends in complaints reviewed by CFP Board’s Professional Standards staff, comments from CFP Board’s Disciplinary and Ethics Commission in their first hand experience conducting disciplinary hearings, and feedback received from CFP® professionals.

In May CFP Board will conduct a Webinar to review the learning objectives and instructor eligibility requirements for Ethics CE programs in more detail. This Webinar will be valuable for currently registered Ethics CE Sponsors and for others considering offering CFP Board accepted Ethics CE programs. Information regarding the webinar date, time and online registration will be emailed to CE Sponsors in the coming weeks.

We look forward to working with CE Sponsors to providing CFP® professionals with high quality programs on CFP Board’s Standards of Professional Conduct. Please contact me at 202-379-2211 if you have any questions. I can also be reached via email at vwilliamson@CFPBoard.org.

Sincerely,

Vanessa Williamson, CAE
Continuing Education Manager
CFP Board

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April 19, 2010

Dear CE Sponsor,

With the recent implementation of changes to CFP Board’s CE Sponsor program, the CE Sponsor team would like to assist you in your transition to the new structure and processes. Based on our contacts with CE Sponsors in the past few months, we’ve developed a list of tips and reminders we hope will help you as you develop program applications, prepare attendance reports, and more.

1. The annual CE Sponsor registration fee does not cover any program application fees.
2. All program application submissions incur a program application fee.
• Application fees are not only for program applications accepted by CFP Board.
3. All program applications take up to 7 business days for review.
4. CFP Board cannot accept a program application if the CE Sponsor has not registered with CFP Board as a 2010 CE Sponsor.
• Sponsors may check their organization’s registration status in their secure, online CFP Board account. (Or, contact the CE Sponsor staff to confirm your organization’s 2010 CE Sponsor registration status.)
5. Be sure to notify the CE Sponsor team if your organization is a nonprofit to take advantage of the nonprofit fee structure.
• Organizations with tax exempt status granted by the government are categorized as nonprofits by CFP Board.
• Documentation of nonprofit status is required in order to receive nonprofit fee rates.
6. The CE Sponsor team cannot review program information without the submission of a program application.
7. Each program requires a unique program identification number (of your choice).
8. All conference sessions require a separate online program application.
• Each conference session will be reviewed individually.
9. There is a $25 fee for the manual processing of any applications not submitted through the online form.
• The $25 fee applies to any program applications received via mail, fax, and/or as a PDF attachment to an e-mail.
10. A program application submitted after a program has been held will incur a $75 late fee.
11. Program applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received.
• There is no mechanism currently in place to allow for a CE Sponsor’s program application to move to the front of the queue.
12. Submit attendance reports only for ‘active’ programs.
• The CE Sponsor team cannot process attendance reports for ‘inactive’ programs and/or for programs which have not yet been accepted by CFP Board.
13. Attendance reports (“batches”) are processed based on the information provided by the Sponsor.
• To ensure timely and accurate processing of your student’s record, please be sure all information in the batch report is accurate.
14. All programs must be a minimum of 50-minutes in order to earn 1 hour of CFP Board continuing education credit.
15. Be sure that program content meets CFP Board’s topic requirements for continuing education to ensure acceptance of your program application.
• A list of accepted topics is available in the booklet “CFP® Certification: Policies, Renewal Requirements and Continuing Education Standards” available online at www.CFP.net/downloads/RenewalCE1_06.pdf.
16. Programs with content focused on practice management information do not qualify for continuing education credit.
• CFP Board defines practice management as programs focused on the planning, development and management of a CFP® certificant's business operations, including topics such as office management, business model design, budgeting processes, leadership training, and other activities that don't directly contribute to the knowledge, skills and abilities needed for a CFP® certificant to provide competent and ethical financial planning to clients.
17. Marketing is a topic excluded by CFP Board for continuing education credit.
18. Software/technology, company-specific, and product-specific discussions are topics excluded by CFP Board for continuing education credit.
19. Keep the CE Sponsor team informed of any contact information changes.
• This will ensure your company/organization’s point of contact is receiving information from the CE Sponsor team.
20. The best way to reach the CE Sponsor team via e-mail is at cesponsor@CFPBoard.org.

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November 11, 2009

Dear CE Sponsor,

CFP Board recently held a Webinar to discuss upcoming changes to CFP Board’s Continuing Education (CE) Sponsor program. The changes – which were announced in September 2009 with a January 2010 effective date – introduce an annual, calendar year-based registration process for CE Sponsors and the CE programs they make available to CFP® certificants, as well as a new fee schedule, which includes program application fees determined by the length of each individual program (number of hours).

More information about these updates is available on CFP Board’s Web site at: www.CFP.net/teamup/2010_CE_Policies.asp.

During the Webinar, we reviewed the updated policies, provided background on important factors CFP Board considers as it reviews CE Sponsor and program applications, and addressed questions from the CE sponsors who attended the live event. If you weren’t able to join us, I hope you’ll take time to view a recording of the Webinar, which is now available at: www.CFP.net/teamup/2010_CE_Policies.asp#Webinar.

Invoice statements were recently mailed to those active CE Sponsors which need to re-register with CFP Board to maintain CE Sponsor status for 2010. (Sponsors who signed a CFP Board CE sponsor registration agreement in 2009 will not be asked to re-register for 2010). These invoices are now accessible for review and payment in each organization’s secure online CFP Board CE Sponsor account.

I’m also pleased to share that CFP Board’s Web site has been updated to hold links for all sponsors who have provided CFP Board with a valid Web site address. You can review your organization’s link and other contact information by searching for your organization’s name at: www.CFP.net/certificants/sponsors.asp. If your Web site or any other contact information has changed, updates can be made through your online CFP Board CE Sponsor account.

I look forward to working with you in 2010 and beyond to provide the highest quality continuing education for CFP® certificants. Please contact me at vwilliamson@CFPBoard.org if you have any questions regarding the CE Sponsor program policy changes.

Sincerely,

Vanessa Williamson, CAE
Continuing Education Manager
CFP Board

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September 21, 2009

Dear CE Sponsor:

I am writing to share with you, a valued continuing education sponsor registered with Certified Financial Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board), news of upcoming changes to CFP Board’s continuing education policies. CFP Board recently reviewed its continuing education policies and determined to make several changes in an effort to best meet the needs of our growing sponsor registry, to ensure the ongoing widespread availability of quality continuing education options for CFP® certificants, and to maintain the rigorous standards CFP Board has established for the CFP® certification.

The following is a brief overview of some changes that will go into effect January 1, 2010:

• CE Sponsor registration with CFP Board will be required on an annual, calendar year basis.
• CE programs offered by registered CE Sponsors will be registered with CFP Board on an annual, calendar year basis, with program application fees determined by the length of each individual program (number of hours).
• CFP Board will discontinue the “Web link” option and associated fee for CE Sponsors who wished to have their Web site appear as a link on CFP Board’s listings of CE Sponsors; CFP Board’s Web site will hold links for all sponsors who provide valid Web site addresses.

• Any CE Sponsor which signed a CE Sponsor agreement to register with CFP Board in 2009 will not be asked to re-register for 2010.
• All CE programs accepted in 2008 or 2009 will be considered “active” through December 31, 2010.

We understand that these changes are likely to generate a number of questions, and to address these questions in an open and structured manner, we are hosting a free Webinar. The Webinar will be held on Friday, October 23, 2009 from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time). You and other CE Sponsors are invited to submit questions before and during the Webinar. To register for the Webinar, visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/808643827.

We look forward to working with you in 2010 and beyond to provide the highest quality continuing education for CFP® certificants. For any immediate questions you have specific to the continuing education policy changes, please contact Vanessa Williamson, CAE, continuing education manager, at vwilliamson@CFPBoard.org.

Sincerely,

Michele Wetherald, Esq.
Managing Director, Examinations, Education and Talent
CFP Board

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CFP Board has updated the terms and conditions for continuing education sponsors, including the following changes:

CFP Board-registered CE sponsors are required to electronically report lists of attendees within 30 days after a program has been completed. (Effective 1/1/2006)

CE program registration will expire two years after the program’s initial presentation date and will need to be re-registered upon expiration if the program is still active. (All programs registered as active in our database on or before 12/31/2005 will be assigned an expiration date of 12/31/2007.)

CFP Board will grant credit for self-study programs based on the total recommended completion time rather than half of the recommended completion time.

CE sponsors may choose to have their Web site linked from CFP Board’s Web site. The fee for this linking is $50 annually and must be paid online by credit card. (Effective 1/1/2006)

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October 14, 2005 - CFP Board will offer not-for-profit entities that provide CE programs to their members a reduced program registration fee schedule. As with the other announced changes in CFP Board's CE sponsor and CE program registration policies, this fee reduction will go into effect January 1, 2006. The fee schedule is as follows:

Not-for-profit CE sponsors pay a one-time $100 CE sponsor registration fee.

If the not-for-profit CE sponsor charges its members a fee to attend its CE programs, the sponsor may register programs online at a discounted program registration fee of $25.*

If the not-for-profit CE sponsor does not charge its members to attend its CE programs, the sponsor may register programs online without charge.*

* Please note that the reduced not-for-profit fee schedule is available only for programs that are registered online and will not apply to conferences or to programs provided by for-profit entities.

CFP Board will require as verification of not-for-profit status a copy of the organization's Articles of Incorporation or other documentation confirming the organization's state of incorporation reflecting its 501(c) status with the IRS.

If your organization is a not-for-profit entity and would like to take advantage of the reduced fee schedule on January 1, 2006, CFP Board will need to receive documentation verifying your organization's not-for-profit status prior to December 24, 2005.

If CFP Board does not receive the required documentation verifying your organization's not-for-profit status by December 24, 2005, your organization will subject to the standard $50 per program registration fee until the documentation verifying the not-for-profit status has been received and processed. Programs submitted after receipt and processing of the required documentation will be eligible for the discounted prices listed above; programs submitted before that time will not be retroactively eligible for the discounted prices.

CFP Board anticipates many requests for the reduced fee schedule from not-for-profit CE sponsors before January 1, 2006. Processing those requests will take some time, so we encourage you to submit your organization's request early. Please be assured that all CE sponsors requesting the reduced not-for-profit fee schedule before December 24, 2005, will receive a response to their request before January 1, 2006. Requests received after this date, are not guaranteed to be processed by January 1, 2006.

If your organization is interested in applying for the reduced not-for-profit fee schedule, please fax a copy of your organization's Articles of Incorporation or other documentation verifying your organization's 501(c) status with the IRS to CFP Board at 303-860-7388. Make sure your organization name and e-mail address clearly appear on the materials.

If you have questions regarding the reduced fee schedule for not-for-profit CE sponsors, please feel free to contact CFP Board at 888-830-0042 or cesponsor@CFPBoard.org.

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September 30, 2005 - GREAT NEWS! YOU CAN NOW REGISTER PROGRAMS ONLINE!

Online program registration is now available for continuing education (CE) sponsors currently registered with CFP Board. When registering online, you will get immediate feedback on the program(s) submitted.

Please Note: Online registration is NOT currently available for conferences longer than one day, conferences with breakout sessions, or programs related to CFP Board's Code of Ethics and/or Practice Standards. Please follow existing procedures when submitting these programs. To request forms to register conferences and programs related to CFP Board's Code of Ethics and/or Practice Standards please call 888-830-0042 or e-mail cesponsor@CFPBoard.org.

Log in to your organization's online CE sponsor account at www.CFP.net/cesponsors.asp and follow the step-by-step instructions for registering CE programs. If you have not logged in before, your organization's password will be set to your organization's CFP Board CE sponsor ID number.

Other Changes Taking Effect January 1, 2006

CFP Board-registered CE sponsors will be required to electronically report lists of attendees within 30 days after a program has been completed. This announcement was originally made in March 2005. For more information on the electronic reporting process, please visit CFP Board's Web site at www.CFP.net/teamup/cetools.asp.

CE program registration will expire two years after the program's initial presentation date and will need to be re-registered upon expiration if the program is still active. All programs that are currently active in our database for your organization will automatically expire on 12/31/2007.

Not-for-profit entities that provide CE programs to their members will be offered a reduced registration fee schedule. These entities will be required to pay a one-time $100 sponsor registration fee and submit documentation verifying their not-for-profit status. If a not-for-profit CE sponsor does not charge its members to attend its CE programs, CFP Board will waive the program registration fee and allow the sponsor to register programs online without charge. If the not-for-profit CE sponsor does charge its members a fee to attend its CE programs, CFP Board will discount the program registration fee to $25. These discounts are only available for programs that are registered online and will not apply to conferences or to for-profit entities.

Effective immediately, CFP Board will grant credit for self-study programs based on the recommended completion time rather than half of the recommended completion time.

If you need assistance with the online program registration process, or if you have questions regarding the upcoming changes regarding CE sponsor and program registration, please contact us at 888-830-0042 or cesponsor@CFPBoard.org.

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Dear CFP Board CE Sponsor:

Effective January 1, 2006, CFP Board will require all CE Sponsors to report attendee lists electronically.  All of the information showing you how to get started can now be obtained online at www.CFP.net/teamup/cetools.asp. The sooner you get started, the easier it will be once the requirement has taken effect.  Please contact CFP Board at 888-830-0042 with any questions you may have about the process. 

If your organization is no longer offering CE, please send an e-mail to cesponsor@CFPBoard.organd indicate that you would like to be deleted as a CE Sponsor with CFP Board. Please specify your organization name in the subject field.

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