Demarcating designations: Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Financial Planner

Financial planning service professionals seek certifications in order to gain the necessary skills for their profession, to establish professional credibility, and to validate their knowledge base. This research provides insight and guidance for financial service professionals considering attainment of a professional designation as well as those who already hold such a designation by examining the differences and similarities between two financial analysis/planning designations: the Chartered Financial Analyst (having earned the CFA designation) and the Certified Financial Planner (having earned the CFP certification); 272 professionals who hold both designations were surveyed. The research showed that although some overlap exists, the skills, expertise and target market of these two designations remain quite distinct in terms of what they emphasise and whom they target.