United States
Hong KongHow do you verify someone is a CFP professional?
CFP Board maintains a public search tool showing whether an individual currently holds certification and whether they have any public discipline history. It is free and takes under a minute.
Free, public, and worth knowing about both as a consumer and as a certificant.
What it shows
- Whether the individual currently holds CFP certification.
- The period of certification.
- Any public discipline imposed by CFP Board.
- Certain other disclosures where CFP Board publishes them.
Public discipline means public censure, suspension or a permanent bar. A private censure is, by definition, not published.
What it does not show
Regulatory history with the SEC, state securities regulators or FINRA. Customer complaints that did not reach CFP Board. Civil litigation. Employment history.
CFP Board is a certifying body rather than a regulator, and its database reflects its own actions rather than the whole record.
For a full picture, check CFP Board's verification, FINRA BrokerCheck for brokers, and the SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure system for advisers. Each holds different information and none is complete on its own.
Why it matters to certificants
Because it is public. Clients, prospects, employers and journalists can all look you up, and public discipline appears there.
It is also how a lapse becomes visible. Someone using the marks after certification has lapsed can be checked in under a minute, which is one reason the misuse rules are enforceable in practice.
The consumer point
A prospective client can confirm in a minute whether the letters after a name are real, which is exactly what a public credential is for.
A planner who mentions the verification tool unprompted is doing something small and genuinely useful, and it costs nothing.
If your entry is wrong
Contact CFP Board. Errors happen, usually around name changes, and they are administrative rather than substantive.
Worth checking your own entry occasionally, particularly after a name change or a period when the annual fee was paid by an employer.
CFP® is a registered mark of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. We are not affiliated with, or endorsed by, CFP Board. Confirm details against cfp.net, which is the authority.
Common questions
How do you verify a CFP professional?
Through CFP Board's public search tool, which shows whether the individual currently holds certification, the period, and any public discipline. It is free and takes under a minute.
What does the database not show?
Regulatory history with the SEC, state regulators or FINRA, customer complaints that did not reach CFP Board, civil litigation and employment history. It reflects CFP Board's own actions.
Where else should you check?
FINRA BrokerCheck for brokers and the SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure system for advisers. Each holds different information and none is complete alone.
Does it show private censures?
No. A private censure is by definition unpublished. Public censure, suspension and permanent bars do appear.
Should certificants check their own entry?
Occasionally, particularly after a name change or a period when an employer paid the annual fee. Errors are administrative and CFP Board corrects them.