Financial Professional Designations Below are more than 140 financial professional designations used in the United States. The most relevant to tax preparation are marked in bold. Letters Designation Issuing Authority AAI Accredited Adviser in Insurance The Institutes ABA Accredited Business Accountant Accreditation Council for Accountancy and ABV Accredited in Business Valuation American Institute of Certified Public AAMS Accredited Asset Management College for Financial Planning ADPA Accredited Domestic Partnership College for Financial Planning AEP Accredited Estate Planner The American College AFC Accredited Financial Counselor for Financial Counseling and Planning Education AFSI Associate, Financial Services LOMA Institute AIF Accredited Investment Fiduciary Center for Fiduciary Studies AIFA Accredited Investment Fiduciary The Institutes Analyst AINS Associate in General Insurance The Institutes AIS Associate in Insurance Services The Institutes ALMI Associate, Life Management LOMA Institute API Associate in Personal Insurance The Institutes APMA Accredited Portfolio Management College for Financial Planning APP Asset Protection Planner The Wealth Preservation Institute APR Accredited Pension Representative National Institute of Pension Administrators ARA Accredited Retirement Accreditation Council for Accountancy and ARPC Accredited Retirement Plan Consultant Society of Professional Asset Managers and Record Keepers ASA Accredited Senior Appraiser American Society of Appraisers ATA Accredited Tax Accreditation Council for Accountancy and ATP Accredited Tax Preparer Accreditation Council for Accountancy and AWMA Accredited Wealth Management College for Financial Planning
BCA Board Certified in Annuities Institute of Business & Finance BCAA Board Certified in Asset Allocation Institute of Business & Finance BCE Board Certified in Estate Planning Institute of Business & Finance BCM Board Certified in Mutual Funds Institute of Business & Finance BCS Board Certified in Securities Institute of Business & Finance C(k)P Certified 401(k) Professional The Retirement University at UCLA Anderson School of Management Executive Education C3DWP 3 Dimensional Wealth Practitioner 3 Dimensional Wealth International CAA Certified Annuity Certification Services, Inc. CAC Certified Annuity Consultant Annuity National Brokerage Co. CAIA Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst CAM Chartered Asset Manager American Academy of Financial Management CAMS Certified Anti-Money Laundering of Certified Anti-Money Laundering s CAP Chartered in Philanthropy The American College CAPP Certified Asset Protection Planner The Wealth Preservation Institute CAS Certified Annuity Institute of Business & Finance CASL Chartered for Senior Living The American College CCPS Certified College Planning National Institute of Certified College Planners CDFA Certified Divorce Financial Analyst The Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts CEA Certified Estate National of Financial and Estate Planning CEBS Certified Employee Benefits International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania of Insurance & Financial s CEIAS Certified Equity Indexed Annuity CEP Certified Estate Planner National Institute of Certified Estate Planners CEPA Certified Exit Planning Exit Planning Institute CEPF Certified Educator in Personal Center for Financial Certifications Finance CEPP Chartered Estate Planning Estate Planning Institute Practitioner CES Certified Estate Planning Institute of Business & Finance CFA Chartered Financial Analyst CFA Institute CFE Certified Fraud Examiner of Certified Fraud Examiners CFEd Certified Financial Educator Heartland Institute of Financial Education
CFF Certified in Financial Forensics American Institute of Certified Public CFG Certified Financial Gerontologist American Institute of Financial Gerontology CFP Certified Financial Planner CFP Board of Standards CFPN Christian Financial Professionals Christian Financial Professionals Network Network Certified Member CFS Certified Fund Institute of Business & Finance ChFC Chartered Financial Consultant The American College ChFE Chartered Financial Engineer Unknown ChFEBC Chartered Federal Employee Federal Seminars & ChFEBC, Inc. Benefits Consultant ChHC Chartered Healthcare Consultant The American College CIA Certified Internal Auditor Institute of Internal Auditors CIC Chartered Investment Counselor Investment CIMA Certified Investment Management American National Standards Institute Analyst CIMC Certified Investment Management Consultant Investment Management Consultants CIS Certified Income Institute of Business & Finance CITP Certified Information Technology Professional American Institute of Certified Public CLF Chartered Leadership Fellow The American College CLTC Certified Long-Term Care The CLTC Board of Standards, Inc. CLU Chartered Life Underwriter The American College CMA Certified Management Accountant Institute of Management CMA Chartered Market Analyst American Academy of Financial Management CMAA Certified Merger and Acquisition Alliance of Merger and Acquisition s CMFC Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor College for Financial Planning CMT Chartered Market Technician Market Technicians CPA Certified Public Accountant State Boards of Accountancy CPC Certified Pension Consultant American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries CPCU Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter American Institute for CPCU and the Insurance Institute of America CPFC Certified Personal Finance Center for Financial Certification Counselor CPIA Certified Professional Insurance Agent American Insurance Marketing and Sales Society CPIM Certified in Production Inventory Management American Society for Production and Inventory Control
CPIW/M Certified Professional Insurance National of Insurance Woman Woman/Man CPM Chartered Portfolio Manager American Academy of Financial Management CPWA Certified Private Wealth Investment Management Consultants CPWA Chartered Private Wealth Investment Management Consultants CRA Certified Retirement Administrator International Foundation for Retirement Education CRC Certified Retirement Counselor International Foundation for Retirement Education Cr.FA Certified Forensic Accountant American College of Forensic Examiners International CRFA Certified Retirement Financial Society of Certified Retirement Financial s CRP Certified Retirement Planner Retirement Planners, LLC CRPC Chartered Retirement Planning College for Financial Planning Counselor CRPS Chartered Retirement Plans College for Financial Planning CRSP Certified Retirement Services ABA Institute of Certified Bankers Professional CSA Certified Senior Society of Certified Senior s CSC Certified Senior Consultant Institute of Business & Finance CSEP Certified in Estate Planning National Institute for Excellence in Professional Education, LLC CSFP Chartered Senior Financial Planner of Chartered Senior Financial Planners CSRP Certified in Retirement Planning National Institute for Excellence in Professional Education, LLC CTEP Chartered Trust and Estate Planner American Academy of Financial Management CTFA Certified Trust and Financial ABA Institute of Certified Bankers CTP Certified Treasury Professional of Financial Professionals CTS Certified Tax Institute of Business & Finance CVA Certified Valuation Analyst National of Certified Valuation Analysts CWC Certified Wealth Consultant The Heritage Institute CWM Chartered Wealth Manager American Academy of Financial Management CWMC Certified Workplace Money Coach LFE Institute CWPP Certified Wealth Preservation Planner The Wealth Preservation Group
CWS Certified Wealth Strategist Cannon Financial Institute CWSS Certified Wealth Smart Strategist Unknown DAE Diversified Advanced Education National of Insurance Women DIA Disability Income Associate AHIP Center for Insurance Education and Professional Development EA Enrolled Agent Internal Revenue Service EHBA Employee Healthcare Benefits Associate AHIP Center for Insurance Education and Professional Development FAD Financial Analyst Designate American Academy of Financial Management FALU Fellow of the Academy of Life The Academy of Life Underwriting Underwriting FFSI Fellow, Financial Services Institute LOMA FLMI Fellow, Life Management Institute LOMA FRM Financial Risk Manager Global of Risk Professionals FSS Financial Services The American College LUTCF Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow The American College and the National of Insurance and Financial s MCEP Master Certified Estate Planner National Institute of Certified Estate Planners MFP Master Financial Professional American Academy of Financial Management PA Public Accountant State Boards of Accountancy PFS Personal Financial American Institute of Certified Public PPC Professional Plan Consultant Financial Service Standards, LLC PRP PLANSPONSOR Retirement PLANSPONSOR Institute Professional PRPS Personal Retirement Planning of Insurance & Financial s QFP Qualified Financial Planner International of Qualified Financial Planners QPFC Qualified Plan Financial Consultant American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries REBC Registered Employee Benefits The American College Consultant RF Registered Fiduciary DALBAR, Inc. RFA Registered Financial Associate International of Registered Financial Consultants RFC Registered Financial Consultant International of Registered Financial Consultants RFP Registered Financial Planner Registered Financial Planners Institute RFS Registered Financial American Academy of Financial Management RHU Registered Health Underwriter The American College
RTRP Registered Tax Return Preparer Internal Revenue Service RIS Retirement Income Institute of Business & Finance RP Registered Paraplanner College for Financial Planning RPA Retirement Plans Associate International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania WMS Wealth Management Kaplan University Generic Designations The "designations" Adviser, Financial Adviser, Financial Analyst, Financial Consultant, Financial Planner, Investment Consultant, Wealth Manager, and many others are generic terms or job titles, and are sometimes used by financial professionals who may, or may not, not hold any specific designation.