Certified Financial Planner

The Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation is a professional certification mark for financial planners conferred by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. in the United States. To receive authorization to use the designation, the candidate must meet education, examination, experience and ethics requirements, and pay an ongoing certification fee.
To earn the CFP® designation, candidates must meet several requirements—the first of which is the educational requirement, which requires candidates to have a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited U.S. college or university. To fulfill the education requirement, students are required to complete course training in the above listed topic areas in order to meet the first requirement to sit for the 10 hour CFP Board Certification Examination. Students are tested on a number of subjects including, but not limited to:

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP(R), CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER(tm) and federally registred CFP (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Chartered Life Underwriter

The CLU® is widely considered to be the most respected insurance designation in the industry. This designation was created in 1927 by the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pa. The CLU®; has traditionally been pursued by agents who wish to specialize in life insurance for business or estate-planning purposes. The current course curriculum for the CLU® includes five required courses plus three elective courses. The required courses include the following:

The three elective courses can be chosen from such subjects as the following:

Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®)

This designation focuses on asset allocation, ethics, due diligence, risk measurement, investment policy and performance measurement. Only individuals who are investment consultants with at least three years of professional experience are eligible to try to obtain this certification, which signifies a high level of consulting expertise. CIMA® courses are offered through The Investment Management Consultants Association.

Individuals who hold CIMA® designations are required also to prove their expertise through continual recertification, which requires CIMA® designees to complete at least 40 hours of continuing education every two years.

CIMA® designation holders tend to have careers with financial consulting firms, which involve extensive interaction with clients and the management of large amounts of money.

Chartered Financial Consultant

The Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) credential was introduced in 1982 as an alternative to the CFP® mark. This designation has the same core curriculum as the CFP® designation, plus two or three additional elective courses that focus on various areas of personal financial planning. The biggest difference is that it does not require candidates to pass a comprehensive board exam, as with the CFP®.  
Chartered Financial Consultant is a financial planning designation for the insurance industry awarded by the American College of Bryn Mawr. ChFCs must meet experience requirements and pass exams covering finance and investing. They must have at least three years of experience in the financial industry, and have studied and passed an examination on the fundamentals of financial planning, including income tax, insurance, investment and estate planning.

Chartered Financial Analyst

The CFA is an international qualification for finance and investment professionals, particularly in the fields of investment management and financial analysis of stocks, bonds and their derivative assets. 
To become a CFA Charterholder, candidates must pass each of three six-hour exams, possess a bachelor's degree (or equivalent, as assessed by CFA institute) and have 48 months of qualified, professional work experience.  CFA charterholders are also obligated to adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards governing their professional conduct.  The required curriculum includes the following topics:

The curriculum for the CFA program is based on a Candidate Body of Knowledge established by the CFA Institute.  From 1963 (when the CFA designation was first awarded) to 2006, approximately 78,000 people from at least 126 different countries have been awarded the right to use the CFA designation.

Master of Science in Financial Services

The Master of Science in Financial Services is a degree program designed to advance the careers of a wide range of planning professionals including financial planners, life insurance specialists, trust officers and investment consultants.
The MSFS degree requires the completion of 36 course credits (6 credits from the residency and 30 credits from the remaining required and elective courses.)  Course topics include:

Senior Professional in Human Resources

The SPHR certification is divided into six functional areas;

Fellow, Life Management Institute

Since 1932 the FLMI Program has been the standard of excellence in the insurance and financial services industry.
Professional management designation earned by passing 10 national examinations on life and health insurance subjects including insurance, finance, marketing, law, information systems, accounting, management, and employee benefits. Examinations and course materials are prepared and administered by the Life Office Management Association.
Those receiving designation are recognized by the industry as professionals with advanced expertise in the operations, products, and management of financial service firms as well as life and health insurance companies.
Areas of proficiency include, but are not limited to: