REGISTERED FINANCIALPLANNERS INSTITUTE
REGISTERED FINANCIAL
Pursuing the Registered Financial Planner (RFP) designation constitutes a strategic decision for financial advisory professionals: it serves as a globally recognized credential, validating proficiency in holistic financial planning and adherence to fiduciary ethics; enables access to the growing market demand for qualified advisors; and equips individuals with practical, client-centric skills, all of which underpin the development of a resilient, long-term career in financial advisory.
To earn your designation, you need to pass a multiple-choice Exam and must have at least two years relevant experience in financial planning. Once you become an RFP designation holder, you are then strongly encouraged to participate in RFPI's Continuing Education Program (CEP) program to help stay up-to-date with the latest best practices in financial planning.
The RFP Exam is a 200-question multiple-choice exam to test your mastery of financial planning. You have 4.5 hours to complete the RFP exam with 2 hours in the morning and 2.5 hours in the afternoon, which is graded on a pass/fail basis.
The RFP exam is offered in the third Saturday of March/ June/ September and December.
The RFP exam fee totals $150, split as $75 for the morning session and $75 for the afternoon session. If a candidate fails either session, she or he must retake the failed session and pay the corresponding $75 fee.
Once the candidate passes the exam, $150 annual due plus one-time processing fee of $50 is required when applying the RFP designation.
While studying time varies per candidate, RFPI recommends an estimated 120 hours of preparation time to be successful on the RFP Exam.
After 4 years in general financial services, I could never fully meet clients’ real needs—until I earned my RFP designation. It completely shifted my approach: before, I struggled to link clients’ short-term goals (like home down payments) to their long-term ones (such as retirement). RFP designation taught me holistic financial planning and how to listen more deeply, moving beyond just “selling products.” This designation boosted my professional credibility significantly and let me deliver far more meaningful support to help clients build their ideal lives.
Daniel
Candidates must fully complete an application form and meet any other qualification criteria as applicable to the RFP designation.
All qualifications and experience will be reviewed and then the decision to assign the appropriate designation will be made.
To renew the RFP designation, it is required to pay the annual dues and submit a minimum of 20 continuing education units (CEUs) , which will be reviewed by RFPI.
A designation holder may be expelled, suspended, or disciplined if she or he
1. Violates RFPI’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, laws or regulations in the country or in the region where she or he practices.
2. Has been found guilty of discrediting to the financial planning profession.
3. Fails to complete at least 20 CEUs every year in the relevant fields of financial planning.
4. Fails to be in good standing.
Should you be interested in partnering with RFPI in RFP designation in your region, please contact us via email at info@rfpi.com for further details on potential collaboration.