CFP Board Marks Milestone Year, Topping 100K Certificants and Boosting Consumer Trust and Awareness

Growth in Diversity, Youth Engagement and Scholarship Funding Highlights the Value of CFP® Certification

CFP Board today reported a milestone year in 2024, with record numbers of new CFP® certificants and exam candidates. As of December 31, 2024, the number of CFP® professionals reached an all-time high of 103,093, an increase of 4.3% over 2023. Last year also had the most exam candidates in CFP Board history, with a total of 10,437 candidates sitting for the exam. This growth mirrors the success of CFP Board’s public awareness campaign, which has significantly boosted recognition of and preference for CFP® certification, reinforcing its value as the standard in financial planning.

“The value of CFP® certification has never been stronger,” said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. “CFP® certification is the most recognized and respected financial planning designation among financial services firms, financial professionals and the public. It builds trust and credibility, showing clients and employers that a financial professional has met rigorous standards for ethics, education and experience.”

Public Awareness Campaign Success

CFP Board’s public awareness campaign achieved record-breaking milestones in 2024, significantly boosting recognition of and preference for CFP® certification. The results from independent research firm Heart+Mind Strategies highlight growing consumer confidence and demand for working with CFP® professionals:

• 44% unaided awareness of CFP® certification (up from 17% before the public awareness campaign began in 2011)
  • (NOTE: “Unaided awareness” refers to the percentage of respondents who recall a brand, product or concept without being prompted. It measures spontaneous recognition and gauges how well-known something is based solely on memory.)
• 91% total awareness of CFP® certification (highest ever tracked)
  • (NOTE: Total awareness measures how many people recognize a brand or concept, whether prompted or not.)
• 89% preference for CFP® certification (highest ever tracked, up 5% from 2023)
  • (NOTE: Preference for CFP® certification refers to the degree to which individuals favor or prioritize working with financial planners who have earned CFP® certification over those who do not. It demonstrates the value and trust associated with the certification in holistic financial planning.)
• 83% would recommend using a CFP® professional (up from 74% in 2023)

Since 2011, over $160 million has been invested in raising consumer awareness of CFP® certification as the standard for financial planning, indirectly supporting firms and certificants in their marketing efforts.

Most Diverse Certificant Class in CFP Board History

Overall, the class of 2024 welcomed 6,541 new CFP® professionals. Of these new certificants, 57% are under age 35, bringing the total share of all certificants under age 50 to 55.6%. This new class of CFP® professionals represents the most diverse class in CFP Board’s history, with the most new women and racially and ethnically diverse CFP® professionals in a single year:

• The number of new women CFP® professionals grew to 1,720. The overall number of women CFP® professionals increased by 4.5% to 24,546 (23.8% of all CFP® professionals).
• The number of racially and ethnically diverse professionals surpassed 10,000 for the first time, increasing to 10,239 (9.9% of all CFP® professionals) and signifying a growth rate of 8.8% — twice the overall growth rate of all CFP® professionals.

Diversity is vital to CFP Board as it helps the financial planning profession better reflect the communities it serves. A diverse workforce fosters trust, expands access to financial planning and brings varied perspectives that drive innovation. It also promotes equity, inclusion and the profession’s growth by attracting talent from all backgrounds. For more information on the demographics of CFP® professionals, visit CFP.net/demographics.

Pro Bono Hours and Scholarship Awards Increase

In a demonstration of CFP® professionals’ commitment to volunteer service, both the number of pro bono hours and the number of CFP® professionals contributing to pro bono reached new records in 2024. Pro bono hours increased by 18%, reaching 389,435 hours, with a total of 17,916 CFP® professionals reporting pro bono hours.

Additionally, CFP Board administered $668,300 in scholarships to a record 266 recipients, marking a 51% increase in the number of scholarship awards from the previous year.

“CFP Board is dedicated to fostering a profession where financial planners not only succeed but actively give back to their communities,” Keller added. “A culture of pro bono service attracts people seeking meaningful careers. Building the future of financial planning is a collective effort, and we are grateful to the organizations and individuals funding scholarships to expand the profession’s talent pipeline.”

Growing and Celebrating a Thriving Financial Planning Community

In 2024, CFP Board brought together the best components of its major annual events into the first-ever CFP Board Connections Conference, which convened financial planning professionals, educators, students and industry leaders in Washington, D.C., for three days of learning and networking. Building on this success, the 2025 CFP Board Connections Conference will be held October 6-8 in Chicago.

To help raise awareness of CFP® certification, CFP Board welcomed 20 new volunteers to the CFP Board Ambassador program, a nationwide network of CFP® professionals who engage with the media, the public and individuals aspiring to become CFP® professionals.

Closing out 2024, CFP Board celebrated the milestone of reaching 100,000 CFP® professionals by ringing the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Dec. 13 with the 100,000th CFP® professional, Simone Lee Alston, CFP®.

ABOUT CFP BOARD

CFP Board is the professional body for personal financial planners in the U.S. CFP Board consists of two affiliated organizations focused on advancing the financial planning profession for the public’s benefit. CFP Board of Standards sets and upholds standards for financial planning and administers the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification — widely recognized by the public, advisors and firms as the standard for financial planners — so that the public has access to the benefits of competent and ethical financial planning. CFP® certification is held by more than 100,000 people in the U.S. CFP Board Center for Financial Planning addresses diversity and workforce development challenges and conducts and publishes research that adds to the financial planning profession’s body of knowledge.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250116244876/en/