5 Most Trusted Financial Coaching Certification Programs (2024) (2024)

Want to become a financial coach?

Then, this is for you.

Today, you’ll get the best financial coaching certification programs out there. You’ll also learn how to choose the right certification program to build a successful coaching business.

Want to learn more? Read on.

The best financial coaching certification programs are:

• AFPCE: A self-study program that takes less than a year
• Financial Planning Coaching Certification: A short course (12 hours) that leads to Level 1 certification
• Financial Fitness Coach: 6-month program that follows ICF’s framework
• Certified Financial Planner: A CFP-accredited financial planning certification by Dalton Education/UC Berkeley that takes less than a year
• Certified Financial Planner: A CFP-accredited program by the College of Financial Planning

Read more about the programs here.

What is a financial coach?

A financial coach helps clients to improve their finances by advising on how to earn and save money.

For example, financial coaches help their clients:

• Pay off their debt by helping them review their expenses and make a debt repayment plan
• Save money by encouraging them to set realistic goals
• Earn more money by exploring other income streams
• Improve their relationship with money by uncovering limiting beliefs around it
• Develop financial literacy
• Work towards their financial goals

Now this is not to be confused with financial planning.

Financial planners have a more hands-on approach to their work. They are experts in tax law, and investing. And they use that knowledge to help clients plan how their funds are allocated to grow their wealth. Financial planners need specific qualifications before they can serve clients.

A financial advisor is another type of professional who gives financial advice, such as investment advice. Also financial advisors need specific training.

As a financial coach, you don’t have the same requirements as other, specialized professionals in this industry. You can choose whether to get a certification or not. (More on that later.)

But first, let’s take a look at the best financial coach training out there.

Best financial coaching certification programs

What are the best financial coaching certifications right now?

Because financial coaching is a specific coaching niche, it’s somewhat tricky to find pure financial coaching certifications. They do exist – and I’ve listed them below – but you’re far more likely to find certifications for financial planners.

Which is perfectly fine. You can take a financial planning certification and work as a coach.

With that, let’s take a look at the top certification programs.

Disclaimer: I haven’t taken these programs myself. I’m recommending them because of the reputation of the schools and the testimonials from alumni. Always do your own research before you buy to find the program that fits you the best.

The Accredited Financial Counselor Certification Program

Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education

The AFCPE does an accredited financial counselor program that will give you a great basis for your financial coaching business. You’ll learn about all levels of financial wellness, from managing debt to assessing financial risks.

You can take an AFPCE-approved program at a variety of schools across America. Or you can purchase the self-study track directly on the website. The self-study program includes textbooks, a guide, your exam fee, and your registration fee.

ICF-accredited: No (NCCA accreditation)

CFP-accredited: No

Duration: Under one year

Delivery: Online self-study or you can apply for live virtual courses at registered schools

How to apply: Online. You don’t need any financial qualifications to apply.

Price: $750-$950

Key features:

• Different self-study tracks are available if you already have a financial qualification
• Access to a network of fellow financial counselors
• Program focuses on holistic financial wellbeing

Financial Planning Coaching Certification

Holistic Coaching Academy

See Also

100 High-Ticket Life Coaching Niches in 2024 (3 Steps)How to Make Money as a Financial CoachAverage Number of Clients Per Financial AdvisorFinancial Coaching

If you want to get certified as a financial coach quickly and learn at your own pace, this program on Udemy is worth exploring. You can get certified in less than a week, depending on how much time you have to dedicate to the course.

When you complete the course, you’ll get a Level 1 certification from the Holistic Coach Academy. You must complete a set number of hours of coaching practice to qualify for a Level 2 certification.

ICF-accredited: No

CFP-accredited: No

Duration: 12 hours

Delivery: Online self-study

How to apply: Online. No prior qualifications required.

Price: $124.99 (sometimes on sale)

Key features:

• Over 200 downloadable resources
• Lifetime access to the course, downloadables, and future versions
• Excellent reviews

Accredited Personal Finance Coach®

Sage Financial Solutions

The Sage Financial Solutions Accredited Personal Finance Coach® program is an International Coaching Federation-accredited program for aspiring financial coaches. Following the ICF’s core competencies, the program teaches you how to coach well and how to guide clients on their financial decisions.

There are four stages of the course, taking you from foundational coach to accredited financial professional. To apply, you need to have a basis of financial knowledge, so check the prerequisite qualifications before you claim your spot.

ICF-accredited: Yes

CFP-accredited: No

Duration: Around six months depending on your pace

Delivery: Online self-study

How to apply: Online. Must have prerequisite foundational financial knowledge. Approved list of former qualifications include: Management Essentials course (MME), AFC®, CFP, ChFC, CFA, CFT, CPA™

Price: $6,200

Key features:

• Highly focused on supporting clients through financial challenges
• Based on ICF core competencies
• Self-study program for the ultimate flexibility

Certified Financial Planner Program

Dalton Education/UC Berkeley

Dalton Education is a continuing education branch that covers multiple top universities across the country. That includes the University of Miami, New York University, UC Berkeley, Emory University, and so on. The Dalton Education programs are accredited by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. So no matter where you go, you can trust that the course is consistent and high quality.

The flexible tracks allow you to choose how you want the program to be delivered. You can go fully self-study or self-study with a live classroom. Whichever format you choose, you’ll become a certified financial planner in under one year.

ICF-accredited: No

CFP-accredited: Yes

Duration: Under one year

Delivery: Online self-study or live virtual classes

How to apply: Online

Price: $7,195

Key features:

• Choose from different course formats to suit your schedule
• Fixed pricing across all participating universities
• Guaranteed Pass track available with mock exam help and other additional support

Certified Financial Planner Certification

College for Financial Planning

If you want to go the financial planning route, the College for Financial Planning is one of the industry leaders. With a detailed seven-course program, you’ll come out an expert in personal finance planning, ready to help clients in all areas.

You’ll cover:

• Psychology of financial planning
• Risk management and insurance
• Investments
• Taxes
• Retirement savings
• Estate planning
• Building financial plans

You won’t get any education on how to become a coach. But if you want a thorough look at personal finance management that you can bring to your coaching practice, this is a great option.

ICF-accredited: No

CFP-accredited: Yes

Duration: Under one year

Delivery: Online self-study or live virtual classes

How to apply: Online. No prior qualifications required.

Price: $7,500-$8,049

Key features:

• Covers all aspects of personal finance planning
• Different formats on offer from full self-study to virtual live classes
• Flexible fee structures allow you to pay in full or per course

Now that you know what the top certifications are, let’s take a look at what qualifications you need to become a certified coach.

What certifications do you need to become a financial coach?

The thing is:

You don’t need any qualifications to become a financial coach.

You do need to have the right experience so that you can help your clients get results.

As financial coaching and planning aren’t the same thing, you don’t need any qualifications to do it well. (Assuming you don’t cross the line into financial planning.)

You can learn to coach by working with clients.

And by offering them a package that’s priced lower than what you’d normally ask for, you get a win-win deal. They get to work with you for less and you get to practice your coaching skills.

However, some niches do require certifications. Mostly these are in the health niches, but in case you’re wondering whether your services would be seen as financial planning or any other regulated industry, make sure you do your due diligence before starting to coach.

If you’re interested in learning more about what type of work you want to do and whether you need a certification, take a look at this list of professional designations by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Next, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of financial coaching.

Pros and cons of a financial coaching certification

Is a financial coaching certification worth it? Let’s find out:

Pros

• Educates you on the core competencies of coaching which can boost your confidence before starting a business
• Exposes you to new approaches and theories of coaching
• Offers more flexibility, if you get a CFP (certified financial planner) certificate

Cons

• It can take several months to one year to become a certified financial coach, but if you skip the certification, you can get started straight away
• There aren’t many financial coaching certification programs available; you’re more likely to find financial planning or financial counseling programs on offer
• A certification isn’t necessary as it might not add a lot to your existing skill set if you already have a lot of experience and knowledge

What is the average financial coach salary?

So how much can you earn as a financial coach?

According to Glassdoor, financial coaches earn $78,627 on average.

But this is just an average. You can earn much more if you build a successful coaching business – from six to multiple six figures or beyond.

How? Not only can you set profitable prices for your one-to-one coaching services. But you can also expand into creating a group coaching experience or selling courses to scale.

If you want to build a thriving business without the hustle mindset, here’s what to do:

How to become a financial coach

Now that we’ve gone through the many certifications on offer for new financial coaches, it’s time to get your business started. Here’s what to do.

Identify your ideal clients

To build a successful financial coaching business, you need to define who you serve. Who do you really want to work with?

Be as specific as possible. You could offer financial coaching for:

• High-level executives wanting to organize their finances
• New parents wanting to save more money
• Young professionals wanting to boost their incomes

You can even niche your services based on your strengths.

For example, if you’ve mastered the art of paying off debt, you might work with people who want to pay off their student loans.

Once you have an ideal client in mind, you’ll find it a lot easier to build, price, and market your services to your niche audience.

Note that your secret sauce or methodology needs to match your ideal client.

The way that a single young professional manages their finances will be very different from entrepreneurial moms. So create a coaching package that speaks to your intended audience to make your business a success.

Speaking of coaching packages…

Create the perfect coaching package

Your first coaching package doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s a simple formula you can use:

• A three-month coaching engagement
• Monthly or biweekly calls with Voxer or Whatsapp support in between
• $1,500 as the total rate

This formula works for a couple of reasons.

First, $1,500 is the perfect sweet spot for new coaches to charge a meaningful amount but not out of bounds for their level of experience.

Three months of coaching is ideal for helping your client get real results with their finances. It’s also short enough to be a reasonable commitment. Your client can always extend their time with you if they want more coaching.

Finally, monthly or biweekly coaching calls allow you to have impactful sessions with clients without overwhelming them. They have enough time in-between calls to get the work done.

Want to learn more about designing your first coaching package? Check out this video:

After your first few clients at this price point, you can gradually increase your coaching prices to where you want them to be.

Book your first clients

Next, let’s look at how you land your first paying clients.

The key to building a thriving business is to start with the simplest strategies.

Here are some ideas:

Reach out to your immediate network

Letting your friends, family, and colleagues know that you’re starting a financial coaching business is the easiest way to get referred new clients. And yes – you probably do have friends who’d like your help. When I first started coaching, this is how I got my first few clients.

Leverage LinkedIn

LinkedIn is also a great place to market your financial coaching services. You can create a post announcing your coaching business (a great way to make your network aware of it) and start posting helpful and valuable content. The idea is to build trust and relationships with interested people.

Build your social media presence

Another way is to use social media groups or platforms. For example, engage with your target audience on Facebook or Reddit groups. That’s what I did to grow my business to six figures and beyond.

Become a guest host on targeted podcasts

Podcasts are a great way to reach niche audiences. By pitching yourself as a guest, you get to tap into other people’s existing audiences. (And yes! People are interested in you as a guest – after all, you have unique experience their audiences can benefit from.)

Over to you!

There you have it! Now you have a list of the best financial coaching certifications you can take this year to start your coaching business.

But getting certified is one thing, starting a coaching business is another.

How do you build a successful financial coaching business?

I share a simple roadmap in my blueprint.

Get it now:

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