Financial Planning Certificate

FP 401A - Introduction to Financial Planning
3.8 CEUs

This course familiarizes students with the tools that will be used to complete future coursework. With this in mind
the introductory course focuses on the time value of money, accounting, statistics, and economics, while also providing a broad overview of the entire financial planning process. Topics from the Program’s subsequent courses
are introduced here and their place in the larger financial planning process is explained. Students entering the Online Program for Financial Planning are encouraged to start with this course.

FP 402A - Insurance Planning and Risk Management
3.8 CEUs

This course addresses life, disability, and medical insurance, including how insurance rates are developed, what types of contracts are available, how to read insurance proposals, and how life insurance is used in financial planning. Students learn about property and casualty insurance, including homeowners’, liability, and auto insurance. Other topics include group life and health insurance plans.

FP 403A - Investment Planning
3.8 CEUs

This course explores the securities market, sources of information, risk/return, debt and equities, stocks, bonds, options, futures, and security analysis, and culminates with learning portfolio construction and analysis. The course is designed to help students understand how money and capital markets operate, how to conduct investment and financial research, and how to evaluate the risks and rates of return for various types of investment vehicles.

FP 404A - Tax Planning
3.8 CEUs

This course explores how state and Federal taxation impact different types of businesses, including sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations. It provides students with an in-depth look at various tax-related aspects of investments, insurance, annuities, and securities. The course introduces students to other special tax considerations, including charitable giving, sale of assets, and more.

FP 405A - Employee Benefits and Retirement Planning
3.8 CEUs

This course is taught in two sections. The retirement planning section covers tax-deferred retirement plans, IRAs, and nonqualified plans. The employee benefits section covers Social Security and Medicare, civil service, group life, disability, dental, and health insurance. Students also learn to plan, implement, and monitor individual and business-sponsored retirement plans. The course teaches how to perform retirement needs analysis, which regulatory issues surround retirement planning and benefits, and how tax issues impact these decisions.

FP 406A - Estate Planning
3.8 CEUs

This course addresses gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer taxes, at the state and Federal levels. It covers planning techniques used to reduce tax impacts on transfers of wealth. It explores the effects of gifts and bequests, including the limitations on income shifting imposed by the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Non-tax aspects of estate planning, including the estate planning process, wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney, powers of appointment, and probate procedure are also studied.

FP 407A - Financial Planning Capstone Course
4.5 CEUs

Prerequisites: Students must complete courses FP401A–FP406A in order to begin FP407A unless the participant can prove Challenge Status as defined by CFP Board. Bachelor’s Degree is highly recommended, and all students are encouraged to understand the CFP® Certification Requirements.

This competency-based course utilizes the knowledge obtained in the previous six financial planning courses to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of financial planning theory through effective application in the creation and presentation of a financial plan for a client. Effective oral and written communication must be employed in conjunction with proper analytical techniques with the ultimate goal of crafting a plan that satisfies the client’s goals and objectives within the framework of the economic, political, and regulatory environments. Utilization of the CFP Board Financial Planning Practice Standards is strongly emphasized.

Individuals that complete this course have proven their ability to apply the financial planning process to real life situations, as well as their ability to communicate their recommendations to a client in an efficient and professional manner.

Our CFP® Board registered program satisfies the educational requirements to earn the CFP® designation upon passing the exam. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, Certified Financial Planner™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements. Please visit the CFP website at https://www.cfp.net/

“I passed the CFP exam the first time around. I really owe it to you and the team there at Bryant University.” - Shelly Murasko CFP

“I am very grateful for the folks at Bryant University for providing me an outstanding online academic program that gave me a solid foundation for sitting for the CFP exam. As a CPA, I had originally thought that my existing knowledge base would cover me, but thankfully I enrolled and took all courses prior to sitting and passing my CFP exam. The coursework involving estates, retirement, investments etc. were never covered when I was obtaining my Accounting degree, to the extent needed to sit for the CFP exam. Thank you for an outstanding academic program and an excellent online experience.” - Howard Wurzel, CPA, CFP®, CGMA

Brendan Flaherty

Mr. Flaherty is currently a Senior Vice President and Rhode Island Complex Manager with Janney Montgomery Scott where he focuses on investment management and financial planning for his clients. He is also the Bryant CFP® Program Director and a Practicing Financial Planner. His credentials include CFP®and CIMA®. Brendan is a member of CFP® Board's National Council on Education. He is a former member and past president of the Board of Directors of the Financial Planning Association of Rhode Island where he chaired the Education Committee.

Adam Scherer

Mr. Scherer holds a Master of Science degree in Personal Financial Planning from the College for Financial Planning®. He has worked in financial services and education for over 10 years and is a Bryant CFP® instructor and Practicing Financial Planner. His credentials include CFP®, MS, and EA.

Mike Long

Mr. Long is in his 40th year in financial services and education. He is a Bryant CFP® Instructor and Mentor, his credentials include CFP®, ChFC®, and CLU®.