PFS (Personal Financial Specialist)
AICPA-branded financial planning specialty for CPAs; combines CPA's tax authority with planning scope — particularly valuable for tax-led financial-planning practice.
Aviso: esta página contiene enlaces de afiliados.
Sitio web oficial →Fundado
1987
Sede
Durham, NC, USA
Público objetivo
CPAs serving personal-financial-planning clients alongside tax/accounting work — particularly in mid-sized public accounting firms with wealth-management practice arms.
Características principales
- PFS Exam: 5 hours, 165 MCQ, online proctored
- Covers tax planning, retirement, estate, investment, risk management, financial planning process, employee/business benefits
- Pass rate: ~70%
- Required: AICPA membership, active CPA license, 75 hours of personal-financial-planning education within preceding 5 years, 3,000 hours of professional experience in PFP
- 60 hours of PFP-related CPE every 3 years
- ~5,000+ active PFS designees in the US
- Grants Series 65 exam waiver in most US states (similar to CFA waiver pathway)
Cómo obtener esta certificación
Prerrequisitos
Active CPA license + AICPA membership + 75 hours PFP education (within 5 years) + 3,000 hours of PFP experience (within 5 years preceding application; reduced for those with academic credentials).
Por qué certificarse — ROI
Impacto salarial
PFS designees in tax-led planning practices often earn $20,000-$40,000 premium versus non-PFS CPA tax preparers (AICPA 2024 PFP Practice Study). Median US PFS total compensation: $130,000-$180,000.
Beneficios profesionales
- Lo que la distingue
- AICPA-branded financial planning specialty for CPAs; combines CPA's tax authority with planning scope — particularly valuable for tax-led financial-planning practice.
- Reconocimiento del sector
- AICPA proprietary.
Quién debería obtener esta certificación
Ideal para:
- CPAs serving personal-financial-planning clients alongside tax/accounting work — particularly in mid-sized public accounting firms with wealth-management practice arms.
Considere alternativas si:
- CPA-license prerequisite excludes non-CPA planners (CFP doesn't have this barrier)
- Brand recognition outside AICPA member firms is limited; many consumers don't distinguish PFS from CFP
Cómo mantener esta certificación
- Ciclo de renovación:
- 3 años
Precios
Los precios varían.
Debilidades
- CPA-license prerequisite excludes non-CPA planners (CFP doesn't have this barrier)
- Brand recognition outside AICPA member firms is limited; many consumers don't distinguish PFS from CFP
- Smaller community (~5,000) than CFP's 100,000+ limits referral-network value
- Adds AICPA membership + PFS fees on top of CPA-license costs
Mercados disponibles
US
Aviso: esta página contiene enlaces de afiliados.
Comparar con certificaciones similares
CPA (Certified Public Accountant)
The only US credential authorized to issue audit/attest opinions on financial statements — a regulat
CMA (Certified Management Accountant)
The global management-accounting credential; particularly strong fit for industry/corporate FP&A and