Frequently Asked Questions
What GVSU courses do I need to meet the CFP Board's requirements?
For students who begin taking courses on 1/1/12 or later, these 2 courses are required:
Course One - FPC 340
- Unit 1: Insurance Planning and Employee Benefits
- Unit 2: Retirement Planning
- Unit 3: Personal Income Tax Planning
Course Two - FPC 440
- Unit 1: Investment Planning
- Unit 2: Estate Planning
- Unit 3: Capstone Course in Financial Planning
What are the requirements to obtain CFP certification?
You must complete a CFP Board-Registered Program. At Grand Valley, that means successfully completing our two required courses. You may then sign up to take the 10-hour CFP® Certification Examination. After you pass, you must meet the ethics standards and work experience requirements.
Candidates for certification must have a bachelor's degree, in any discipline, from a regionally-accredited U.S. college or university in order to obtain CFP® certification. The college degree requirement is a condition of initial certification; it is not a requirement to be eligible to take the CFP® Certification Examination and does not have to occur before sitting for the exam or fulfilling the work experience. Please refer to the CFP Board's website at www.CFP.net.
Can I be admitted into the program without a bachelor's degree?
A bachelor's degree is required to sit for the CFP® Certification Examination (see Q2 above), and we normally require a bachelor's degree for students entering our program. However, exceptions might be made on a case-by-case basis under circumstances such as:
- A student is working on a bachelor's degree and is nearly finished.
- A student wants to complete all the courses to obtain the knowledge, but does not intend to become a Certified Financial Planner®.
All exceptions will be determined by the program director.
Where can I buy the required textbooks?
You can purchase all required materials for our classes online. Each course requires 3 books (1 per unit). The average cost is $170 per book. Some of the texts may be available from other sources. Instructors supplement the texts with their own notes and handouts.
You must also have a financial calculator, i.e., one that can calculate both IRR and NPV. Most students prefer the TI BA II PLUS, the HP 10B or 12C, or the Victor financial calculator. Note that the CFP Board does not allow the use of alpha-numeric calculators (TI 83s and TI 84s are not allowed, for example) during the national exam.
How large are the classes?
Enrollment varies, but generally there are 15 - 30 students.
Do these courses qualify for continuing education credit requirements for Michigan insurance licensees?
No. At one time, all of our courses qualified for CE credit, but they no longer do.
How long does it take to complete both courses in your certificate program?
Our program can be completed within a year.
Who teaches your classes?
Our classes are taught by both Seidman School of Business Finance Department faculty, and by professionally qualified adjunct faculty such as attorneys, certified public accountants and chartered financial analysts.
How do I get more information about this CFP Board-Registered Program?
For more information about Grand Valley's program, contact Eric Hoogstra at (616) 331-7422 or [email protected], or Jo Ann Shelton at (616) 331-7390 or [email protected].
You may also contact the CFP Board at https://www.cfp.net
Will I get a refund if I have to withdraw from a course?
The withdrawal deadline date for a full course refund is 14 days before the posted start date of the class you are withdrawing from. There will be no refunds after that date.