In addition, several professional certifications, such as certified financial planner (CFP) and certified financial analyst (CFA) designations, will provide extensive knowledge in the relevant fields. Without a strong federal standard, financial service providers can choose a standard that is financially beneficial to them rather than one that is best for their customers. The Department of Labor's new fiduciary rule states that all professionals who provide retirement planning advice or create retirement plans are subject to certain legal and ethical standards. When you're looking for a financial professional, you're likely to come across people who call themselves financial planners.
According to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), almost anyone can claim to be a financial planner and can come from different backgrounds. Most people who need financial help will turn to a financial planner, which is a more specific type of financial advisor. Unfortunately, financial planners are not regulated as a profession, despite advising millions of Americans on some of the most important financial decisions they will ever make. Financial planners are specialists who help their clients with a specific financial need, whether it's estate planning, saving for retirement, wealth management, or tax accounting.
Undoubtedly, the industry must adopt some type of uniform regulation requiring a fiduciary duty for all professionals who provide financial planning advice. It's clear that the financial services sector needs more regulation, especially considering its close relationship with the financial future of many Americans, especially older Americans. In particular, a financial planner is a professional who helps individuals or organizations achieve their long-term financial goals. While these two terms often overlap, a financial planner can be viewed as a type of financial advisor.
A behavioral science researcher and a planning professor at the HBCU gave financial advisors tangible measures that can alter the industry's legacy of exclusion. Financial planners can be brokers or investment advisors, insurance agents, practicing accountants, or people without financial credentials. A financial planner is a professional who helps individuals and organizations create a strategy to meet their long-term financial goals.
