FPSB Ltd. is committed to strengthening the financial planning profession and increasing the number of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) professionals in India. This initiative ensures the public has greater access to competent, ethical, and client-focused financial advice—especially during uncertain economic times.
Through its new pathway to CFP certification in India, launched with the FPSB® Investment Planning Specialist course, FPSB Ltd. delivers a high-quality learning experience for Indian students and financial advisors. This pathway supports candidates throughout their CFP journey and helps them join a global community of approximately 190,000 CFP professionals worldwide, all dedicated to acting in their clients’ best interests.
CFP Education Structure in IndiaTo simplify and enhance the education requirement for CFP certification in India, FPSB Ltd. has restructured the curriculum into three specialist education courses—Investment Planning Specialist, Retirement and Tax Planning Specialist, and Risk and Estate Planning Specialist—along with a Financial Planning Capstone course.
These programs are delivered through FPSB Ltd.’s online learning portal and include comprehensive textbooks with global and India-specific content, interactive learning modules, and practice questions. Learners can complete the courses through self-paced study or via FPSB Ltd. Authorized Education Providers.
Course Registration and AvailabilityRegistration is currently open for the first course, the FPSB® Investment Planning Specialist program.
In the coming months, FPSB Ltd. will launch the Retirement and Tax Planning Specialist, Risk and Estate Planning Specialist, and Financial Planning Capstone courses on its online platform.
Become a Certified Financial Planner™ ProfessionalUpon successful completion of the pathway certification requirements, candidates may earn recognition as an FPSB® Investment Planning Specialist, FPSB® Retirement and Tax Planning Specialist, and/or FPSB® Risk and Estate Planning Specialist.
After completing all four education courses, passing the required examinations, and meeting FPSB Ltd.’s CFP exam and experience requirements, individuals can be awarded the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification in India.
While we will have four education tracks leading to CFP certification in India, we’re rolling the courses out in sequence throughout 2020. Consequently, you can only register for the Investment Planning Specialist course at present. But come back soon – other courses will be available shortly.
Are you somebody who likes to study independently, at your own pace? If so, you might want to consider the Self-Paced Education Route. For this route, after you register with FPSB Ltd. and access your educational materials – including textbook content, PowerPoint outlines, quizzes and practice tests – via FPSB Ltd.’s online learning portal, you can study for your certification exam on your own schedule.
Do you like to have an instructor lead you through the curriculum, and ensure you’ve mastered the content? If so, take the Instructor-Led Education Route. For this route, after you register with FPSB Ltd. and purchase the FPSB Ltd. online learning materials, you will enroll with an FPSB Ltd. Authorized Education Provider (in-person and/or online courses available), and complete your coursework in ~8-12 weeks (depending on course content and frequency).
Do you have professional experience and/or qualifications or certifications that could allow you to bypass the required education component for one of the specialist courses? If so, see if you’re eligible for the Recognition of Prior Learning Route. For this route, you may apply to FPSB Ltd. for education exemption based on your professional qualifications and/or previous certifications. If approved, you will be eligible to bypass some or all of the specialist education courses and enroll directly in the FPSB Financial Planning Capstone Course.
FPSB Ltd. will have a total of four certification exams in India (matching the four specialist education courses), leading to CFP certification in India. Registration for the Investment Planning Specialist Exam will open in August 2020 (date TBC) – we will update this website shortly with the date.
To obtain certification, candidates complete FPSB Ltd.’s ethics course, and agree to uphold and abide by the FPSB Ltd. Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, which sets forth requirements for ethical behavior and professional judgment. Once the candidate has completed this ethics course for any one of the specialist track certifications, he or she will not need to complete the course for additional track certifications on the pathway to CFP certification.
By completing the steps above, and applying for FPSB Ltd. certification, successful candidates can be recognized by employers, clients and the public as an FPSB® Investment Planning Specialist, FPSB® Retirement and Tax Planning Specialist or FPSB® Risk and Estate Planning Specialist.
Individuals in India can be recognized as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional upon:
Each of FPSB Ltd.’s certifications has a continuing professional development (CPD) requirement, which is five hours of CPD per year for each of the specialist certifications or 15 hours per year for the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER certification. In addition to offering our own CPD programs, FPSB Ltd. recognizes the programs being offered by various CPD providers in India.
