Classes

Winter Classes begin January 9th! Register now!

Financial Planning Curriculum
and Course Descriptions

(Classes are subject to change and/or cancellation. Minimum class size is 8 students. If a class does not have the minimum enrollment by the registration deadline, it may be cancelled. Registration deadlines for each class are listed on the registration form.)

FPC 300	Principles of Financial Planning (prerequisite to all other courses) This course will provide an introduction to the principles of personal financial planning. Major topics include: time value of money concepts and applications, the regulatory requirements for the CFP® certification, Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc., the economic environment, and the financial planning process. Each enrollee will prepare a personal financial statement and analyze it for financial strengths and weaknesses.
FPC 301	Insurance Planning This course will provide a basic framework for the indentifying personal risk exposures and managing them through insurance, avoidance, or self-insurance. Major topics include risk identification and evaluation, risk management techniques, legal principles, life insurance, and the insurance industry. Also, other types of personal insurance, such as health, auto, disability, and liability will be covered, as well as the Social Security program. Prerequisite FPC 300.
FPC 302	Investment Planning An understanding of the types and characteristics of investment alternatives is critical to the success of financial planning. The purpose of this course is to develop that understanding. Major topics include: types of investment vehicles and their characteristics, government regulation of securities and financial markets, the historical record of risk and returns, security valuation, investing strategies, asset allocation strategies, the efficient market hypothesis, matching investments with clients' needs, and the impact of tax policy on investment choices. Prerequisite FPC 300.
FPC 303	Personal Income Tax Planning This course identifies many of the income tax problems that arise in financial planning and addresses alternative courses of action to maximize clients' after-tax wealth. Major topics include: the U.S. income tax system, individual income tax determination and the impact on investment and financial planning decisions, taxes on investment income and capital gains losses, the cost basis of investment, and tax planning for retirement and death. Prerequisite FPC 300.
FPC 304	Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits This course focuses on retirement planning considerations, many of which are heavily influenced by clients' employee benefits. Major topics include types of retirement plans, legal and ethical considerations in retirement planning, determining the size of contributions necessary to accomplish retirement goals, qualified vs. non-qualified plans, asset allocation considerations within retirement plans, and employee fringe benefits. Prerequisite FPC 300.
FPC 305	Estate Planning This integrative course applies principles of insurance, taxation, the time value of money, retirement planning, and investments to the problems of estate planning. Major topics include government regulations, especially with respect to taxation, wills and trusts, probate, marital deductions, charitable contributions, and gifts. This course integrates many of the principles you will have learned in the previous courses. Accordingly, it must be taken last in the sequence of Financial Planning courses. Prerequisite FPC 300, 301, 302, 303, and 304.
FPC 399	Review for CFP® Certification Examination The purpose of this course is to prepare students to take the CFP® National Examination. This review includes highlights from the 101-item topic list covered by the exam. During the first three days, five instructors from the Seidman Financial Planning Certificate Program will spend four-hour segments covering the highlights of six major topical areas including financial planning principles, risk and insurance, investments, personal income taxes, retirement planning, and estate planning. The last day of the review covers solving and discussing financial case problems. NOTE: This course is an elective - it is NOT part of our CFP Board-Registered program. Prerequisite: Must have completed a CFP Board's education requirement. Information about our REVIEW COURSE
	Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and , which it awards to individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing certification requirements. Grand Valley State University does not certify individuals to use the CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and certification marks. CFP® certification is granted only by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. to those persons who, in addition to completing an educational requirement such as this CFP Board-Registered Program, have met its ethics, experience, and examination requirements.