Which Financial Exam Do You Plan To Take in the Next Six Months?

By Henrietta Nye

Keir Educational Resources recently asked visitors to their website to tell them what exams they would be taking in the next 6 months. Readers might find the results interesting, though no surprise as it is the trend of the marketplace. Over 48 percent of the visitors reported plans to take the CFP® Certification Examination. That was far and above the designation of choice for this survey. Keir believes this interest is driven by the outstanding marketing the CFP Board of Standards does for this designation. The general public is aware of this designation and is searching specifically for advisors with these letters. The next, at only 11% was an interest in Series 7 or Series 66. It is logical that those pursuing the CFP® Certification would then require the Series 7 license to implement the needs of the client. Financial advisors see the benefit in offering a complete line of services – design the plan and then arrange the investments.

The next designation of choice was the CPCU, Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter. Again, this should come as no surprise as the advisor today wants to be well rounded. The knowledge from the CPCU program can be useful in advising those clients that are small business owners and have multiple property needs- perhaps a fleet of cars or trucks or several locations to insure. Opportunities do abound in this market.

As the Baby Boomer group is aging, one will note a strong interest in the new American College designation, the CASL, Chartered Advisor for Senior Living. The survey shows that those interested in pursuing the traditional CLU, ChFC courses, number just barely ahead of those considering the CASL. Keir expects to see this interest grow as the clients and the total population are aging.

Of course one would expect that those visiting the Keir website are searching for information regarding designations and career enrichment. These people have seen the “light” and believe their futures will be enhanced by this experience. The increased knowledge they receive from these designations can not help but increase their confidence and typically increases ones income.

To see the full results from the survey visit www.keirsuccess.com.

Keir Educational Resources has over 37 years of experience in preparing study materials for the financial services, securities and insurance industries. www.keirsuccess.com 800-795-5347