What is Financial Planning? (2024)

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    • The Standard of Excellence in Financial Planning
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    • What is Financial Planning?
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  • What is Financial Planning?
    • Career Opportunities
    • Finding a Job as a Financial Planner

Career Guide

Financial planning involves looking at a client's entire financial picture and advising them on how to achieve their short- and long-term financial goals. From saving for education and planning for retirement to effectively managing taxes and insurance, financial planners develop valuable relationships with their clients to provide them with confidence today and a more secure tomorrow.

Why Rianka Chose Financial Planning

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Being a financial planner allows you to build the work-life balance that you want.

Rianka Dorsainvil

CFP® Professional

What is Financial Planning? (1)

For Students, Graduates and Career Changers

Guide to careers in financial planning

This comprehensive career guide introduces readers to the financial planning profession and identifies different entry points and typical career tracks; explores the types of companies that employ financial planners, from large to small; highlights the personal and professional benefits of a career in financial planning, and the benefits of obtaining CFP® certification; and provides details on where to find financial planning careers, including questions to ask in a job interview.

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Join a Fast-Growing Profession

The demand for personal financial advisors is expected to grow faster than average, at a rate of 13% through 2032, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. One reason is that the U.S. is on the cusp of an immense transfer of wealth, with an estimated $30 trillion expected to pass from baby boomers to their heirs over the coming decades.

With the demand for financial planners quickly outpacing the supply, now is a great time to get started on the path to CFP® certification: the mark that tells clients and firms you've achieved the standard of excellence in financial planning.

TOPIC AREAS

What is Financial Planning?

Ethical, competent financial planners bring together the different parts of a client's financial life to build a roadmap for the future. That's why developing deep subject matter expertise – in these areas and more – is critical to the role.

Explore financial planning topics

Basics of Financial Planning

Mastering financial, economic and cash flow/debt management concepts.

Investment Planning

Building a portfolio, including different investment vehicles, diversification and risk management.

Retirement Savings & Income Planning

Performing retirement needs analyses, evaluating retirement plans, and understanding Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Tax & Estate Planning

Understanding laws and management techniques around taxes, property transfer and estate planning.

Risk Management & Insurance Planning

Evaluating risk and assessing different types of insurance, from healthcare to property to disability.

Psychology of Financial Planning

Address client behavior and attitudes related to financial planning.

What is Financial Planning? (2)

What is Financial Planning?

Developing One-on-One Relationships

A personal financial planner establishes a one-on-one relationship with each of their clients. Financial planners provide holistic advice to guide clients through all aspects of their finances and help them maximize their potential for meeting their financial goals.If you enjoy helping people — listening to their needs, asking questions to determine their financial goals and developing a plan that is designed to meet those goals — you may be a good fit for working with clients as a personal financial advisor.

What is Financial Planning? (3)

What is Financial Planning?

Supporting Teams

There are also opportunities for financial planners to work at firms and support teams of advisors. Some examples include behind-the-scenes positions in investments, operations, research and analysis.These positions place you at the center of a team designed to support clients and their financial planning needs. Although you're supporting clients, you won't be meeting regularly with them in person.

Explore jobs in financial planning

Visit the CFP Board Career Center for job and internship listings, as well as career resources, and to learn more about career opportunities in financial planning.

Explore Job Opportunities

Start your journey to CFP® Certification

  • Track your progress with the CFP® Certification Tracker
  • Post your resume at the Career Center
  • Connect with a mentor who can guide you
  • Register and prepare for the exam
  • Find career and financial support
  • Connect with other candidates at our online forum

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What is Financial Planning? (2024)

FAQs

What is financial planning in short answer? ›

Financial planning is the process of assessing the current financial situation of a business to identify future financial goals and how to achieve them. The financial plan itself is a document that serves as a roadmap for a company's financial growth.

What is financial planning quizlet? ›

Define: Financial Planning. A process of setting goals, developing a plan to achieve them, and putting the plan into action.

What is a financial planner explanation? ›

A financial planner works with clients to help them manage their money and reach their long-term financial goals. They advise and assist clients on a variety of matters, from investing and saving for retirement to funding a college education or a new business while preserving wealth.

What questions should a financial plan answer? ›

Top 9 Questions Your Financial Plan Must Answer
  • Will I have enough money?
  • How long will my money last?
  • When can I retire?
  • When should I take my government benefits?
  • How much can I spend and not go broke?
  • In what order should I spend my assets?
  • Am I saving enough?
  • Will my family be okay if I get sick, hurt, or die?

What are the four basics of financial planning? ›

Use this step-by-step financial planning guide to become more engaged with and confident in your finances now and into the future.
  • Assess your financial situation and typical expenses. ...
  • Set personal financial goals. ...
  • Create a plan that reflects the present and future. ...
  • Fund your personal goals through saving and investing.
Jun 20, 2024

What are the 5 steps of financial planning? ›

Plan your financial future in 5 steps
  • Step 1: Assess your financial foothold. ...
  • Step 2: Define your financial goals. ...
  • Step 3: Research financial strategies. ...
  • Step 4: Put your financial plan into action. ...
  • Step 5: Monitor and evolve your financial plan.

What is the correct definition of a financial plan? ›

A financial plan is a document that details a person's current financial circ*mstances, their short- and long-term monetary goals, and their strategies to achieve those goals.

What is financial planning like? ›

Financial planning is like a road map to help you meet both your short-term needs and long-term goals. While every financial plan is different, they typically include the following: Your net worth: your assets (things you own) minus your liabilities (debts)

Why is a financial plan? ›

A comprehensive multipage document, a financial plan turns your vision into numbers, investment approaches and projections of potential future wealth. It quantifies the impact of tax obligations and inflation years from now and factors future costs and potential risks into your current strategies.

What is the main goal of a financial planner? ›

Financial planners provide holistic advice to guide clients through all aspects of their finances and help them maximize their potential for meeting their financial goals.

What is financial planner important? ›

A financial plan helps you prioritise your important life goals and estimate the funds needed to achieve them. It also helps with getting significant returns on your money within the time-frame available for fulfilling your goals.

How to do financial planning? ›

Personalized financial planning explained step-by-step
  1. When it comes to life's biggest moments, you probably had a plan. ...
  2. Set financial goals. ...
  3. Follow a budget. ...
  4. Build an emergency fund. ...
  5. Manage debt. ...
  6. Protect with insurance. ...
  7. Plan for taxes. ...
  8. Plan for retirement.
May 10, 2024

What do you know about financial planning? ›

Financial planning is the process of taking a comprehensive look at your financial situation and building a specific financial plan to reach your goals. As a result, financial planning often delves into multiple areas of finance, including investing, taxes, savings, retirement, your estate, insurance and more.

What are the 3 steps in creating financial plan? ›

From beginning to end, a certified financial planner professional guides you through the financial planning process - keeping in view your current financial situation and economic background.
  1. 1) Identify your Financial Situation. ...
  2. 2) Determine Financial Goals. ...
  3. 3) Identify Alternatives for Investment.

What are the three basic questions of finance? ›

What are the three basic questions addressed by the study of finance? What long-term investments should the firm undertake? How should the firm raise money to fund these decisions? How can the firm best manage its cash flows as they arise in its day-to-day operations?

What is the main function of financial planning? ›

Managing income and expenses to achieve financial goals and ensure financial security. To manage existing investment to earn maximum return. It includes managing monthly expenses, tax saving, tax planning, retirement planning, etc. It includes making new investments, asset allocation, portfolio balancing, etc.

What are the 7 key components of financial planning? ›

Key Components of the Financial Planning Process
  • Financial Goals. Setting financial goals is an essential step in financial planning. ...
  • Cash Flow Assessment and Budget Outline. ...
  • Debt Management Planning. ...
  • Investment Planning. ...
  • Estate Planning. ...
  • Emergency funds. ...
  • Insurance Plan
Sep 22, 2022

What are the main objectives of financial planning? ›

Ensuring Availability of Funds When Required: The foremost and most important objective of financial planning is to keep in check that funds are available in cases of emergency or whenever it is required for use. Sufficient funds should be available with the firms for various purposes.

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