2014 SURVEY of TRENDS

Transcription

1 2014 SURVEY of TRENDS I N T H E F I N A N C I A L P L A N N I N G I N D U S T R Y

2 LEARN MORE.

3 EARN MORE SURVEY of TRENDS IN THE FINANCIAL PLANNING INDUSTRY The purpose of this study is to provide a snapshot of the financial planning industry via the eyes of CFP practitioners as well as graduates of our own professional designation and MS programs. The College has been conducting the survey since 1996, although it hasn t been published yearly due to varying response rates. This year s Survey of Trends features an entirely new format to make the most requested survey results easier to see, interpret, and digest. Additionally, it offers a bit more background on each of the credentials and what their purpose is.

4 S U R V E Y O B J E C T I V E S The objectives of the studies were to: Develop an understanding of current planner income levels and satisfaction with their financial planning education. Examine the level of satisfaction, attitudes, and success in providing personal financial planning services for those who hold the CFP certification, one of the College s professional designations, or one of our MS degrees. These results will be of interest to corporations and individuals looking for benchmarks against which to compare themselves, their clients, and their careers. Since the first Survey of Trends in the Financial Planning Industry was conducted in 1996, these findings have remained consistent. A financial certification or professional designation leads to greater earnings, job satisfaction, and more clients. Respondents reported across the board that their success could be directly attributed to having their current credential, their education background, and their continuing education efforts. Other factors that received strong recognition were client referrals and effective communication skills.

5 O V E R A L L R E S U L T S The Survey of Trends in the financial planning industry has illustrated three main findings: 21 % BEFORE $105,273 $127,260 AVERAGE EARNINGS INCREASE % INCREASE in respondents # of clients Survey respondents report significant increases in their earnings after earning their credential Survey respondents report significant increases in their number of clients after earning their credential Survey respondents report significant increases in their job satisfaction after earning their credential

6 STUDENT WEALTH of EXPERIENCE More respondents reported that they had been working in the industry between years than any other 5-year window. That was the case for nearly every program, although AAMS and RP designees were slightly younger due to the introductory nature of those programs. SATISFACTION RATING OUT OF Reported they were extremely satisfied with their career choice. MEN 72 % 28% WOMEN Male respondents outnumbered female respondents, although two programs, the ADPA & Foundations in Financial Planning SM, received a majority of female respondents. 59 % THE AGE OF OUR RESPONDENTS 5 % 21-29

7 CFP EDUCATION PROGRAM + PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATION RESULTS

8 EXPERIENCE years YEARS OF AGE 60 % % MEN 75 % WOMEN 25 % BEFORE $109,966 $132,347 CERTIFICANT 5-10 yrs AVERAGE EARNINGS INCREASE 20 % The CFP certification was created by the College for Financial Planning in 1972 as the financial industry s first comprehensive personal financial planning credential. The certification is now currently maintained and issued by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc., with more than 65,000 active practitioners and 200 registered programs.

9 The Accredited Asset Management Specialist SM program was developed in 1995 to help advisors develop stronger client relationships and give comprehensive financial advice with a specific focus on investment management. EXPERIENCE 5 9 years YEARS OF AGE 55 % % under 40 MEN 84 % WOMEN 16 % DESIGNEE 1-4 years BEFORE $135,812 $170, % AVERAGE EARNINGS INCREASE

10 YEARS OF AGE 67 % NONE EXPERIENCE 5 9 years MEN 48 % under 30 WOMEN 52 % DESIGNEE 1-4 years BEFORE $106,934 $117,021 9 % AVERAGE EARNINGS INCREASE The Accredited Domestic Partnership Advisor SM designation was created in 2009, and is the nation s first financial designation specifically designed for advisors looking to provide financial advice to LGBT individuals as well as heterosexual couples who have chosen not to marry.

11 The Accredited Portfolio Management Advisor SM program was created in 2010 to better educate advisors on the process of creating, augmenting, and maintaining profitable client portfolios. EXPERIENCE years YEARS OF AGE % BEFORE $71,891 $101,677 MEN 90 % WOMEN 10 % DESIGNEE 1-4 years 41 % AVERAGE EARNINGS INCREASE

12 EXPERIENCE years YEARS OF AGE 62 % % under 40 MEN 87 % WOMEN 13 % BEFORE $93,484 $129,375 DESIGNEE 1-4 years 38 % AVERAGE EARNINGS INCREASE Created in 2005, the Accredited Wealth Management Advisor SM designation focuses on providing advisors with the tools to better handle the unique needs of high net worth clients.

13 The Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor SM program was created via a partnership with the College and the Investment Company Institute (ICI) in The CMFC designation is the nation s only recognized mutual fund credential. EXPERIENCE years YEARS OF AGE 69 % MEN 94 % WOMEN 6 % DESIGNEE 1-4 years BEFORE $62,200 $75, % AVERAGE EARNINGS INCREASE

14 Created in 1995, the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor SM designation is the nation s premier comprehensive retirement planning credential with more than 23,000 graduates. EXPERIENCE years YEARS OF AGE 29 % under % % MEN 77 % WOMEN 23 % DESIGNEE 1-4 years BEFORE $104,680 $122, % AVERAGE EARNINGS INCREASE

15 $105,910 BEFORE $126,085 EXPERIENCE years YEARS OF AGE 81 % MEN WOMEN 51 % 49 % DESIGNEE 1-4 years AVERAGE EARNINGS INCREASE 19 % Created in 1995, the Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist SM program educates advisors on the process for building and maintaining business retirement plans.

16 EXPERIENCE 5 9 years YEARS OF AGE 41 % under 40 MEN WOMEN 18 % 82 % DESIGNEE 1-4 years BEFORE $40,193 $46,447 In 1985 the College created the Foundations in Financial Planning SM Program which leads to the Registered Paraplanner SM designation to educate front-line employees and support staff on the basics of personal financial planning. 16 % AVERAGE EARNINGS INCREASE

17 EXPERIENCE years YEARS OF AGE over % 54.5% MEN 85 % WOMEN 15 % BEFORE $230,818 $274, % AVERAGE EARNINGS INCREASE The College began offering graduate degree programs in These programs build on the knowledge from other credentialbased programs and combine it with real-world scenarios and case studies. The College is currently home to three MS programs: the Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning, the Master of Science in Finance, and the Master of Science in Finance, Financial Analysis major.

18 SOT 2014 AVERAGE INCREASE IN RESPONDENT EARNINGS ACROSS THE BOARD 300k 250k 200k 150k 100k 50k 0k 25 % 9 % 41 % 38 % 20 % 22 % 17 % 19 % 16 % CMFC AAMS ADPA APMA AWMA CFP CRPC CRPS RP 19 % MS

19 A B O U T T H E S U R V E Y O F T R E N D S Methodology A series of questions was developed to inquire about planner demographics including age, sex, experience, and earnings. The survey was administered in cooperation with Discovery Database, which provided a list of recipients for our financial planning survey. We also sent the survey to recent graduates of our own CFP Certification Professional Education Program, each of our professional designation programs, and Master of Science degree programs. Procedure An letter of invitation, along with a link to the survey, was sent to the various credential holders. As compensation for their efforts, the respondents were offered a free Code of Ethics online class. The deadline for accepting surveys was 11/1/13. The number and percentage of surveys distributed and returned by the final cutoff date were judged to be satisfactory for the purposes of describing and comparing the opinions and experiences of the group of respondents. There were 927 total valid responses for the Survey, although not every respondent answered every question. Survey Results In addition to the demographic information in the previous pages, the survey contained questions about advisor client bases, method of earnings, and type of practice. If you have any questions about the survey or the results, contact the College at: cffpresearch@cffp.edu. INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE COLLEGE FOR FINANCIAL PLANNING AND ANY OF THE CREDENTIALS COVERED IN THE SURVEY OF TRENDS? VISIT Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the marks CFP, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM, and the federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing certification requirements.

20 2014 SURVEY of TRENDS IN THE FINANCIAL PLANNING INDUSTRY 9000 E. NICHOLS AVENUE CENTENNIAL, CO CALL CLICK CFFPINFO.COM