CFP (Certified Financial Planner) - Australia
Premier Australian financial planning credential — required for senior planner / partner roles at AMP, Insignia Financial, Centrepoint Alliance, Synchron, MLC.
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Visit Official Site →Founded
1990
HQ
Sydney, NSW, Australia
Target Audience
Senior Australian financial planners pursuing the global CFP designation via FAAA, the FPSB-affiliated Australian licensee.
Key Features
- Five-unit CFP Certification Program: CFP1 (Strategic Thinking), CFP2 (Applied Strategies), CFP3 (Investment Strategies), CFP4 (Risk Strategies), CFP5 (Certification Assessment — case-study)
- Each unit ~2-3 months part-time; full certification typically 2-3 years
- Bachelor-level financial planning degree prerequisite (aligned with Treasury FAS requirements)
- Must hold authority to provide retail advice under AFSL
- ~5,000+ active CFP professionals in Australia (FAAA 2024)
- 40 CPD hours/year required + FAAA Code of Ethics
How to Get This Certification
Prerequisites
Approved bachelor's degree + Treasury FAS education completion + 3 years of relevant experience + AFSL authorisation.
Why Get Certified — ROI
Salary Impact
Australian CFP holders earn AUD 25,000–AUD 60,000 premium versus FAS-only-qualified advisers (FAAA 2024 Industry Income Survey; Hays Australia 2024). Median CFP-credentialed senior planner total comp: AUD 145,000–AUD 230,000.
Career Benefits
- What makes this stand out
- Premier Australian financial planning credential — required for senior planner / partner roles at AMP, Insignia Financial, Centrepoint Alliance, Synchron, MLC.
- Industry recognition
- FAAA proprietary; FPSB-affiliated for global CFP recognition.
Who Should Get This Certification
Ideal for:
- Senior Australian financial planners pursuing the global CFP designation via FAAA
- the FPSB-affiliated Australian licensee.
Consider alternatives if:
- Long path layered on top of already-mandatory FAS bachelor
- FAS Bachelor + FA Exam already covers many CFP topics — incremental learning is narrower
Pricing
Pricing varies.
Weaknesses
- Long path layered on top of already-mandatory FAS bachelor
- FAS Bachelor + FA Exam already covers many CFP topics — incremental learning is narrower
- Annual AUD 595 + 40 hrs/yr CPD costs
- FAAA-only provider
Markets Served
Australia
Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links.
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