Financial Planning Principles

This course introduces you to the holistic, 7-step financial planning process that underpins the journey an advisor takes his or her clients through. You will learn about the common milestones in life that you may want to plan for and how an advisor will guide you through the journey.

Get Started

Free preview

Corporate Finance Institute

Overview

Financial Planning Principles Course Overview

Achieving financial goals requires two key efforts: planning and process. Understanding the principles of financial planning means you will know the holistic lifecycle of a client’s financial needs – what they need to plan for when, and how to execute against a plan. Having a strong understanding of financial planning principles is essential for bringing order and process to a client’s journey.

Financial Planning Principles Learning Objectives

Upon completing this course, you will be able to:

Describe the purpose of a financial plan and why it is important
List the 7-steps of financial planning and describe what interactions take place between a financial advisor and prospective client at each step

Who Should Take This Course?

This Financial Planning Principles course is for anyone – from those interested in pursuing a career in Financial Planning and Wealth Management, to those who do not, but are interested in becoming their own finance professional first. This course is a primer that introduces the foundational concepts you need to understand to navigate topics in financial planning and wealth management.

What you'll learn

Lesson

Multimedia

Exams

Files

Introduction

Overview Free Preview

Course Objectives Free Preview

Downloadable Course Files

Defining Key Words Free Preview

Meet the Pritchetts and their Financial Planner

The What and Why of a Financial Plan

The Plan

What and Why of a Financial Plan

Establishing the Working Relationship

The Financial Planning Process Free Preview

Terms of Engagement Agreement

Download Engagement Letter - Pritchetts - Component Parts Identified

Step-by-Step Financial Planning Process Overview

Let The Financial Planning Process Begin

Step 1: Understanding Personal and Financial Circumstances

Key Financial Ratios for Understanding Your Client Part 1

Key Financial Ratios for Understanding Your Client Part 2

Key Financial Ratios for Understanding Your Client Part 3

Key Financial Ratios for Understanding Your Client Part 4

Step 1 Recap

Meeting Between the Pritchetts and Their FP - Step 1

Meeting Debrief

Step 2: Identifying and Selecting Goals

Meeting Between the Pritchetts and Their FP - Step 2

Meeting Recap

Step 3: Analyze the Client's Course of Action

Step 4: Developing the Financial Planning Recommendation

Step 5: Presenting the Financial Planning Recommendation

Step 6: Implementing the Financial Planning Recommendation

Step 7: Monitoring Progress and Updating

Course Summary

Qualified Assessment

This Course is Part of the Following Programs

Why stop here? Expand your skills and show your expertise with the professional certifications, specializations, and CPE credits you’re already on your way to earning.

Financial Planning & Wealth Management (FPWM)™ Certification

Financial Planning Principles is part of the Financial Planning & Wealth Management (FPWM)™ certification, which includes 28 courses.

Skills Learned Financial Learning, Business Development, Investment Management, Practice Management, Relationship Management
Career Prep Financial Planner, Investment Advisor, Portfolio Manager

Learn More

What our students say

Good presentation
Please check the excel file, maybe retirement fund ratio formula is not correct

Hafiz Verdiyev

Great Efforts
Optimal efforts by CFI for finance students and professionals are the best. Lovin' it.

Yaseen Ghori

Great certificate
THe concepts were explained well and there is material and videos. So I am happy I took it.

Erick Vivas

Interesting Lecturing
Interesting Lecturing

Kassahun Kumalo

7-step Financial Planning Process
I have enjoyed the course

Lydia Angolo Endjala

Great and feeling accomplished

Wycliffe Wekesa Simiyu

Fun and Engaging
Great course content, very engaging and informative.

Tharindu Nalaka

Great Introduction
This is a foundational course for Wealth Management services and I find it really usefel to get a glimpse of everything a financial planner has to take into consideration.

Florencio Rustrián Monroy

Great Course
Very empowering for those want to go this route in their careers.

Louis Mlongoti

Good walk through of the principal framework
Good walk through of the principal framework

Julius Anuolu Oloyede

Great course
I am pursuing the FPWM certification for personal reason and this course gets right to the heart of the issues to allow you to understand the concepts quickly and think about the planning one must do to live comfortably in your later years. Great Course

Scott LaBrec

Good for beginners
Recommend for all to learn how cash is distributed when it comes to plan for the future

fotaw chambeng vivian

Worth Every Cent
Just finished the first module of the course, but I can confidently recommend the course to every frontliner in the financial industry.

Junias Naundobe

An excellent course of Financial Planning Principles
Excellent course of Financial Planning Principles with various demonstrations and details explanation of industry knowledge

Kwong Sang Yeung

Quality course
A quality course indeed

Victor Musonda

Experience
It was nice having different sessions of the course being broken down into understandable content

Newton Wachira

100% interesting to learn and understand
sometimes we don't know the value of things until we have someone to unveil them for us, if you are here, you are in the right place. You will get to know the value and importance of a lot of things

ALEMMBOM PERRY-BRIGHT LOHBAN

Amazing
Well Structured content

Papa Yaw Boateng

Great Experience
Have additional case studies

Vincent Njoroge

Planning
I learned how to make financial planning modules.

ODONG ISAIAH

fantastic
it was clear and concise

Taiwo Olayinka

Learnt a lot personal finance
Learnt a lot about personal finance, a very interesting course

Mustapha Ibrahim

Great Experience
I would recommend to anyone!

Julius Bruce Ochieng

Great introductory course
Gives a nice and clear overview on the different fields which need to be considered as a financial planner.

Auron Illing

Great introductory course
Gives a nice and clear overview on the different fields which need to be considered as a financial planner.

Auron Illing

GOOD

Ahmed mohamed mahmoud khader

Frequently asked questions

What are the requirements to take the courses?

All of our certification programs are open to students and professionals in various industries and levels of experience. Our curriculum is designed to teach what you need to know from basic fundamentals to advanced practical case studies. To take the courses and complete the exercises, students will only need access to a PC and/or Mac, Microsoft Suite (2016 or newer), and a stable internet connection. Click here to view the Technical Requirements

Can I download the Excel files and financial modeling templates for the course?

Absolutely! All the files and templates needed in a course are available for download. Just look for a module that shows Downloadable Files within the course dashboard. See here for a visual guide on how to do this.

How long do I have to complete the courses?

You will have yearly access to the courses as long as you maintain an active subscription. All the courses are self-paced as well so you can take your time in learning without worrying about any deadlines. Click here to compare our available enrollment options.

Are CFI courses officially accredited?

Yes, CFI is accredited by the Better Business Bureau® (BBB) to maintain training standards, the CPA Institutions in Canada, and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) in the USA. Most of our courses qualify for verified CPE credits for CPA charter holders. Please refer to this page to view all available CPE credits.

Are there any additional fees or costs?

None! The bundle price includes everything and there are no additional fees or charges to earn your digital certification. You can see our enrollment fees listed here.

What currency are your courses priced in?

All our online courses are priced in USD. As this is a recurring payment, we accept all major credit and debit cards including Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.

How do I earn my certificates?

Students must complete all the video lessons, quizzes, and final assessments in each course. You can retake the assessments as many times as necessary until you reach an 80% passing grade. For more information on how to earn a course certificate, click HERE.

How are the exams conducted?

Students are required to complete an online assessment (Multiple choice questions, Fill-in-the-Blanks, and Excel Questions) at the end of each course. You can take the exams on your own schedule and will need to earn at least 80% to pass the course and earn your certificate of course completion. Please note that course exams can be repeated as many times as you need. Students are also required to complete the FMVA® final exam to earn their certification. How to Take a Qualified Assessment

Can I email the instructor if I have questions?

While the courses are designed mainly for self-study, we are happy to provide email assistance for general or technical support inquiries. The Full Immersion bundles include a premium email support function that allows you to communicate directly with in-house experts regarding course content. This is one of the key features that sets the Full Immersion bundle apart and makes it a worthwhile upgrade over the more affordable self-study bundle. You can compare more features in our bundles here.

Will these courses help me advance my career?

Based on hundreds of reviews from thousands of students we know how CFI courses have helped so many people advance their finance careers. Our courses are designed to be extremely practical and simulate the experience of being trained as a professional financial analyst…the ultimate way to advance your career. For real-world examples and to help delve even deeper into the course concepts, please look into our free career resources library.

Financial Planning Principles

Overview

Financial Planning Principles Course Overview

Financial Planning Principles Learning Objectives

Who Should Take This Course?

Financial Planning Principles

Get Recognized With CFI

What you'll learn

This Course is Part of the Following Programs

What our students say

Hafiz Verdiyev

Yaseen Ghori

Erick Vivas

Kassahun Kumalo

Lydia Angolo Endjala

Wycliffe Wekesa Simiyu

Tharindu Nalaka

Florencio Rustrián Monroy

Louis Mlongoti

Julius Anuolu Oloyede

Scott LaBrec

fotaw chambeng vivian

Junias Naundobe

Kwong Sang Yeung

Victor Musonda

Newton Wachira

ALEMMBOM PERRY-BRIGHT LOHBAN

Papa Yaw Boateng

Vincent Njoroge

ODONG ISAIAH

Taiwo Olayinka

Mustapha Ibrahim

Julius Bruce Ochieng

Auron Illing

Auron Illing

Ahmed mohamed mahmoud khader

Frequently asked questions

Get certified for Financial Planning (FPWM)™