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How should I maintain my PFP® designation?

To represent yourself as an active PFP® holder in good standing and to uphold the prestige of your letters, you must meet the designation maintenance requirements annually.

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Renew your PFP® Designation

All PFP® holders must renew their designation by their anniversary date (the date the designation was originally granted). You will receive reminders 4 weeks and 1 week prior to your deadline.

Designation holders who do not renew will be deemed to be “not in good standing.” You are no longer eligible to use the PFP® trademarks. If you continue to use the trademarks, then legal action may be taken. You will also be removed from the PFP® Directory.

Meet Continuing Education Requirements

The world we work and live in is constantly evolving. As a financial advisor, it is critical that you commit to lifelong learning and have a handle on the trends and issues that affect your industry—and most importantly, your clients.

Each PFP® holder is required to earn 20 continuing education (CE) hours per calendar year, starting the first full year after you earn your designation, including:

  • 15 hours of Professional Development CE credits
  • 5 hours of Ethics and Compliance-related CE credits

CE content must fall within the competencies as provided in the PFP® Professional Competency Profile.

Taking CE Courses

Courses can be taken from CSI or other external providers (e.g., community colleges, universities, other professional education providers or in-house at your employer). It is up to you to determine if a course meets CSI’s PFP® CE Course Guidelines.

We have created a CE Finder Tool to help PFP® holders explore CSI professional development, ethics and compliance courses for designation holders.

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Tracking CE Requirements

PFP® holders can track the number of CE credits completed and how many are needed within a specified cycle using CSI’s CE Tracker Tool. The CE Tracker is an interactive dashboard that serves as a central repository for PFP® holders to track and manage their CE requirements to maintain their PFP® designation.

The dashboard will display all courses completed through CSI and their associated credits. PFP®s can also add third-party credits completed through other providers. The tool allows users to download their CE transcript with the click of a button. To access the CE Tracker Tool:

  • Login to your MyCSI profile, and click on the CE Tracker Tool tab
  • Select your PFP® as your association and view the CE credits you have earned

Make sure you retain supporting documents to confirm the completion of CE credits. Each year, a percentage of PFP®s will be audited to verify the CE hours claimed on their designation renewal applications.

Continuing Education Auditing Process

CSI will conduct periodic audits of PFP® holders upon renewal of their designation to assess compliance with continuing education (CE) requirements. Designation holders must retain supporting documents to confirm the completion of CE credits.

  • PFP® holders selected for audit purposes will be sent a letter of notification
  • They will be asked to submit documents to verify the CE hours they have indicated on their designation renewal form
  • They will have 60 days to comply with the audit request

 

Failure to comply with the request may result in the designation holder being declared “not in good standing.” This means they will no longer be able to use the PFP® trademarks.

Misstated or fraudulent reporting of CE credits will be reported to the Designation Ethics Committee as a violation of the PFP® Code of Ethics and will be considered according to the Ethical Misconduct Process.

Code of Ethics

When applying for the PFP®, you must commit to the PFP® Code of Ethics.

Trademark License and Application Fees

You are also required to agree to the terms of the PFP® Certification Mark Licence Agreement, which grants you the right to use the PFP® trademarks in your own marketing.

The initial application fee is $355 and includes your license fee for the year, your commitment to the maintenance requirements and your Fit and Proper Declaration.

If you have met the above requirements, apply now, and harness your potential with the PFP®.

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Reinstatement Policy

PFP® holders are given the opportunity to reactivate their license after a lapse of up to 5 years. If your designation has lapsed for more than 5 years, you’ll be required to re-take and successfully complete the Applied Financial Planning (AFP) Certification Examination and meet the work experience requirement in addition to agreeing to the PFP® Code of Ethics and the Certification Mark License Agreement.

  • If you allow your designation to lapse for less than 60 days of your renewal date, you will be able to renew online without penalty.
  • If you allow your designation to lapse beyond 60 days, but less than one year of your license renewal date, you will be required to pay a $50 administration fee in addition to your annual licence fee.
  • If you allow your designation to lapse longer than one year, but less than 5 years, you will be required to pay a $50 administration fee and $375 reinstatement fee in addition to the annual renewal licence fee of $355, as well as provide proof of completion of CE over the full lapse period.

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