Q38 - Am I Required To Have A CFP Designation To Start My Own RIA?

Episode #38:  The Certified Financial Planner (“CFP”) designation is arguably the mostly widely recognized professional designation within the financial services industry. From a purely regulatory perspective, holding a CFP is not required in order to start/maintain your own Registered Investment Advisor (“RIA”).  Depending on the state you reside in, the designation can however often be used in lieu of a Series 65 or 66, that would otherwise be required to establish your Investment Advisor Representative (“IAR”) status underneath the RIA. Likewise, while perhaps not regulatorily required, there are growing pressures within the industry that are creating an environment in which holding the CFP is increasingly becoming more of a must have, than simply a nice to have designation. About Host: Brad Wales is the founder of Transition To RIA, where he helps financial advisors to learn and understand everything there is to know about WHY and HOW to transition their practice to the Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) model. Brad has nearly 20 years of industry experience, including direct RIA related roles in Compliance, Finance and Business Development. He has an MBA and has held the 4, 7, 24, 63 & 65 licenses. On his website he has a large catalog of free videos, whitepapers, as well as other resources to help advisors fully understand the RIA model and how it would apply to their unique circumstances. Website:  TransitionToRIA.com