CFP® certification is built on global standards that protect the public and strengthen trust in financial planning. These standards ensure every CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional meets high standards of competence, ethics, and client care.
What this means:
• Clients can trust the advice they receive.
• Professionals demonstrate proven expertise.
• The profession is guided by a clear benchmark for best practice.
FPSB Ireland applies these standards locally, ensuring consistent, high-quality financial advice in Ireland.
How the Standards Evolved
Financial planning developed as a profession in the United States in the 1970s with the introduction of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. Since then, it has evolved in response to changing client needs, increasing financial complexity, and a more regulated environment.
Today, over 230,000 professionals across 28 territories hold CFP® certification, working across banking, insurance, tax, investment, and advisory services, all focused on helping people achieve their financial goals.
FPSB Ireland applies these global standards in Ireland, supporting professionals in maintaining the value and integrity of the CFP® marks.
A Global Framework for Excellence (Updated January 2025)
In January 2025, FPSB refreshed its global framework to reflect the modern role of a financial planner. It is built around three core pillars:
Knowing (Education Standards)
Strong technical knowledge of financial planning, products, and regulation.
Doing (Competency & Professional Practice Standards)
The ability to apply that knowledge, analysing client needs, creating plans, and communicating clearly.
Being (Ethics Standards)
FPSB’s Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility defines the professional mindset grounded in ethics, integrity, and acting in the client’s best interests.
Together, these pillars underpin CFP® certification in Ireland and worldwide, and guide how financial planners serve their clients.
[Global Financial Planning Standards->]
The Value of CFP® Certification.
CFP® certification represents a commitment to professionalism, accountability, and continuous learning.
It ensures every CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional in Ireland delivers competent, ethical, and client-focused advice—strengthening public trust and reinforcing CFP® as a global standard of excellence.