CFP Study Materials, Course Material, Syllabus, Learning Outcome 2023

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CFP Syllabus comprises several modules related to Financial Planning, Risk Management, Investment Management and many others. CFP syllabus comprises FPSB's financial planning program. All the aspects Certified Financial Planner in this exam program topics.

Certified Financial Planner courses are opted by those candidates wishing to work as a Financial Planner, Financial Advisor, Financial Analyst, Management Trainee, Project Associate, etc. The CFP syllabus mainly focuses on training the students in Financial Planning and Investment so that one can become a good Financial Planner.

Table of Content

CFP Syllabus

1.1 CFP Subjects

CFP Course Study Material in India

2.1 CFP Course Module Books

CFP Course Learning Outcomes
FAQs

CFP Syllabus

The CFP Exam can be taken in two modes or different pathways for the examination. They are known as Regular Pathway or Challenge Status Pathway.

For Regular Pathway, candidates must have qualified 5 CFP exams that are composed of 6 modules to be eligible to acquire the CFP Certification.
For Challenge Status Pathway, candidates must meet the minimum Eligibility requirements in Advanced Financial Planning or possess higher qualifications like LLB, Ph.D., CA, CS, etc.

Know more: Why study CFP?

The CFP syllabus is inclusive of fundamentals and real-life skills that are required to tackle finance related problems in the real world. Candidates wishing to acquire the CFP certificate and wishing to become Certified Financial Planner are required to qualify for 5 examinations of the 6 modules. Given below are the 6 modules for the examination of CFP course.

Introduction To Financial Planning
Risk Analysis & Insurance Planning
Retirement Planning & Employee Benefits
Investment Planning
Tax Planning & Estate Planning
Advanced Financial Planning

Check out: Who should study CFP course?

CFP Subjects

CFP subjects cover the important topics from the basics fundamentals to the application and practical skills to become a professional Finance Planner. The important modules and the important topics that are taught in those modules are given below in the table chart:

CFP Modules	CFP Topics
Introduction to Financial Planning	Establishing client- planner relationships
	Analyse Client Objectives, Needs and Financial Situation
	Implementing and Monitoring the Financial Plan
	Regulatory requirements for CFP Certificants
	Assessment of risk and client behaviour Cash flow planning, Budgeting, Personal use asset management
	Financial Mathematics
	Legal aspects of Financial Planning, etc.
Risk Analysis and Insurance Planning	Introduction to Risk Analysis and its processes
	Insurance and Risk Contract
	Legal principles in insurance
	Identification of life, medical, householders, auto and other property and liability risk exposures
	Life insurance needs analysis and policy analysis
	Medical insurance
	Insurance of business risk, etc.
Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits	Issues in retirement planning
	Types of plAns. Defined benefit plans, Defined contribution plans, Superannuation and other retirement plans
	Group Life and Health Insurance
	Retirement income streams
	Post-retirement counseling
	Reform proposals
Investment Planning	How investment planning is different from selling investment products
	Investment risk
	Measuring and Managing Risk
	Investment portfolio
	Fixed income instruments
	Mutual funds and Equity shares
	Asset allocation
Tax Planning & Estate Planning	Tax Planning Considerations
	Tax Computations
	Tax Planning Strategies
	Estate Planning
	Property documentation, etc.
Advanced Financial Planning	Financial Planning Process
	Determining the client’s financial status by analysing and evaluating the client's information
	Risk management
	Estate planning
	Capital needs at retirement, projections at death, disability, general needs, and others
	List of prioritised action items
	Foreign exchange issues for individuals, etc.

CFP Study Material & Books

There are many CFP course study materials, one can easily get several books or online resources to cover the CFP course Syllabus. There are several books and cfp study material in India available that are published by some of the best Institutions and authors. One can refer to books especially published by Indian Institute of Banking and Finance and other established top colleges.

Also Check: CFA Jobs

The following table shows some of the best CFP study materials in India that one can go through to qualify all the necessary examinations to get become a Certified Financial Planner:

Name of the Book	Name of the Author
Insurance Planning Fundamentals	James F Dalton
Your Guide to CFP Certification Exam: A Supplement to Financial Planning Coursework and Self-Study Materials (2019 Edition)	Matthew Brandeburg
Wiley Study Guide for 2019 CFP Exam: Complete Set	Wiley
CFP Exam Calculation Workbook	Coventry House Publishing
CFP - All Modules Set (6 Modules i.e. set of 8 books) + 20 CASE STUDIES + 15 MOCK TESTS	Vedanta Educare
Risk Analysis,Insurance and Retirement Planning	Indian Institute of Banking and Finance
Investment Planning Tax Planning and Estate Planning (2017 Edition)	Indian Institute of Banking and Finance
Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management	Prasanna Chandra
Risk Analysis & Insurance Planning (CFP Module 2)	Sanjiv Bajaj and Indranil Sarkar

CFP Course Modules Books

Students can also get CFP course syllabus study material especially designed to cover a particular module of CFP course. One can find these books or CFP study material in India either through online or offline mode. Tabulated below are some of the important books of the CFP course syllabus module in the table below:

CFP Course or Modules	Name of the Book	Name of the Author
Course 1: Introduction to Financial Planning	Tools and Techniques of Financial Planning, 13th Edition	Stephan R. Leimberg
Course 2: Insurance and Risk Management	Insurance Planning, 7th Edition	Dalton, Gillice and Langdon from Money Education
Course 3: Investments Planning	Tools and Techniques of Investment Planning, 4th Edition	Stephan R. Leimberg
Course 4: Tax Planning	Income Tax Planning, 14th Edition	Thomas P. Langdon, E. Vance Grange, Michael A. Dalton
Course 5: Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits	The Tools and Techniques of Employee Benefits & Retirement Planning, 17th Edition	Stephen R. Leimberg, Joseph F. Stenken, and John J. McFadden
Course 6: Estate Planning	Principles of Estate Planning, 3rd Edition	Carolynn Tomin and Colleen Carcone
Course 7: Capstone Course in Financial Planning	The Fundamentals of Writing a Financial Plan, 1st Edition	John E. Grable, Michelle E. Kruger, and Megan R. Ford

CFP Learning Outcomes

The following are some of the learning outcomes of CFP course syllabus:

To follow and practice the CFP Board’s Financial Planning Practise Standards and Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility.
To understand the role of CFP in the personal risk analysis process, retirement planning process, etc.
To know the importance of investment planning that is involved in the Financial planning process.
Basic understanding of the ethical issues involved in the finance industry.
To understand and evaluate the appropriateness of tax strategies for different scenarios.

Students can become a successful Financial Planner, Advisor, Financial Manager, and other similar job roles and career prospects after getting the CFP certification, which has a huge scope in India in the field of finance.

Check: CFP Salary

CFP Syllabus FAQs

Ques. What are the advantages of a Certified Financial Planner?

Ans. Certified Financial Planner or CFP is the most recognized Certification course in this field that increases employment rate at Mutual Funds, Wealth Banks, etc. This Certification course improves career progression, enhances crucial skills and boosts advisory services.

Ques. What is the duration of the CFP Certification Course?

Ans. The overall duration for the CFA certification course is flexible, which indicates that the total time needed to complete the CFP course depends on the aspirant’s level of dedication and focus. The entire CFP Certification course duration fluctuates between 6 months to 2-years based on the candidate’s potential. It is a self paced course and the duration of the course depends upon the course provider and aspirants.

Ques. How can you differentiate between CFA and CFP?

Ans. There are a lot of differences between CFA and CFP, however in terms of working CFA graduates often work on the investment analysis with corporate clients, while a CFP course graduate builds a financial plan with individual investors.

Ques. How long is the CFP course?

Ans. The CFP course depends upon the course provider and the aspirants pace. Typically CFP courses are offered for the minimum duration up to 6-9 months and it can take up to 3-4 years.

Ques. What is CFP course eligibility?

Ans. The basic CFP eligibility is passing class 10+2 from a recognised board. Aspirants should have cleared CA/ Intermediate level, CFA, ICWA, CAIIB, CS, etc.for applying through Challenge status. In this mode candidates need to clear only the fifth exam (Advance Financial Planning) to earn the certificate.

Ques. How much does a CFP course cost?

Ans. The average fees for the CFP course along with the certification can cost ranges between INR 40,000 and 60,000 depending upon various parameters.

Ques. Is CFP a good course?

Ans. Yes, CFP is an excellent and a very good career option for those wishing to develop their career in the field of Finance. After the successful completion of the CFP course there are a lot of job opportunities as well as there is good scope for private consultancy as Financial Advisor. CFPs are mainly hired or employed in various sectors including Banks, NBFCs, Financial Institutions, Wealth Management companies, Mutual Funds, etc.

Ques. Is CFP valid in India?

Ans. CFP certificates are valid in India. CFP certification in India is one of the globally recognized certifications which provides the highest quality standards in personal financial planning. CFP course imparts knowledge of various concepts related to Finance Planning and Management.

Ques. What is the salary of CFP in India?

Ans. After the successful completion of the CFP course, candidates can land various lucrative and highly paid jobs. The average salary one can expect to earn at the starting of their career as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) can be around INR 4,15,700 per year (INR 22,520 per month) depending upon various aspects like Region, Designation, etc. The average highest salaries of a CFP in India is around INR 12 lakhs per annum and can exceed more than 20 lakhs per annum with experience.

Ques. Can I do CFP after 12th?

Ans. Yes, one can pursue a CFP course after completing their 10+2. They can opt CFP course by Regular Pathway mode, the candidate must have passed class 12th and should have qualified the five exams that covers all six modules of the CFP course certification programme to be eligible to be certified as a CFP by the FPSB (Financial Planning Standards Board).