Disclosures
Advisory services are offered through RLS Private Wealth Consulting, Inc., an investment adviser registered with the State of California. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where RLS Private Wealth Consulting, Inc. and its representatives are properly registered or exempt from registration.
The information on this site is not intended as tax, accounting or legal advice, nor is it an offer or solicitation to buy or sell, or as an endorsement of any company, security, fund, or other offering. Information provided should not be solely relied upon for decision making. Please consult your legal, tax, or accounting professional regarding your specific situation. Investments involve risk and have the potential for complete loss. It should not be assumed that any recommendations made will necessarily be profitable.
The information on this site is provided “AS IS” and without warranties either express or implied and the information may not be free from error. Your use of the information provided is at your sole risk.
Designations
The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM (CFP®) certification is recognized in the United States and a number of other countries for its (1) high standard of professional education; (2) stringent code of conduct and standards of practice; and (3) ethical requirements that govern professional engagements with clients. To attain the right to use the CFP® marks, an individual must: Complete an advanced college-level course of study addressing the financial planning subject areas that CFP Board’s studies have determined as necessary for the competent and professional delivery of financial planning services, attain a Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited United States college or university (or its equivalent from a foreign university), and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Examination. CFP Board’s financial planning subject areas include insurance planning and risk management, employee benefits planning, investment planning, income tax planning, retirement planning, and estate planning. The examination includes case studies and client scenarios designed to test one’s ability to correctly diagnose financial planning issues and apply one’s knowledge of financial planning to real-world circumstances. Candidates must complete at least three years of full-time financial planning-related experience (or the equivalent, measured as 2,000 hours per year) and agree to be bound by CFP Board’s Standards of Professional Conduct, a set of documents outlining the ethical and practice standards for CFP® professionals. Individuals who become certified must complete 30 hours of continuing education hours every two years, including two hours on the Code of Ethics and other parts of the Standards of Professional Conduct, to maintain competence and keep up with developments in the financial planning field; and Renew an agreement to be bound by the Standards of Professional Conduct. The Standards prominently require that CFP® professionals provide financial planning services at a fiduciary standard of care. This means CFP® professionals must provide financial planning services in the best interests of their clients. CFP® professionals who fail to comply with the above standards and requirements may be subject to CFP Board’s enforcement process, which could result in suspension or permanent revocation of their CFP® certification. To learn more about the CFP certification, visit https://www.cfp.net.
The MASTER PLANNER ADVANCED STUDIES™ (MPAS®) designation is owned and issued by the College for Financial Planning®–a Kaplan Company. The MPAS is a Master of Science degree “awarded to individuals who complete the College’s Master of Science degree with a major in personal financial planning.” Students pursuing this degree program must complete courses totaling 36 to 43 semester credits in personal financial planning subject matter. Course content includes both research-based study coursework and real-world case studies. Completion of assignments, research, papers, and projects are required in order to earn this degree. To maintain the MPAS designation, individuals must complete 40 hours of continuing education every two years.
For more information on the MPAS certification process, visit: https://cffpdesignations.com/Designee/Requirements
FINRA also provides information about this certification, visit: https://www.finra.org/investors/professional-designations/mpas
College for Financial Planning members must comply with the College for Financial Planning’s Standards of Professional Conduct. The College for Financial Planning’s Standards of Professional Conduct can be viewed at https://cffpdesignations.com/Designee/Standards
The College for Financial Planning is a regionally accredited institution of higher learning and offers a Master of Science (MS) degree in financial planning and two Master of Science in Finance (MSF) degrees. The College for Financial Planning has been authorized to issue these degrees by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. For more information on the College for Financial Planning and its accreditation status, visit: https://cffpdesignations.com/About
The College for Financial Planning has sole responsibility for determining whether an individual is acting in conformance with applicable designation and ethical and professional standards.
The marks Master Planner Advanced Studies™ and MPAS® are marks of the College for Financial Planning and are used herein for informational purposes only. RLS Private Wealth Consulting, Inc. is not affiliated with the College for Financial Planning. The College for Financial Planning has not approved or disapproved the use of these terms on this webpage, nor has it reviewed or approved any descriptions of these marks as presented. Employees of RLS use these marks with the permission of the College for Financial Planning and in accordance with applicable terms of use.
The CERTIFIED EXIT PLANNING ADVISOR® (CEPA®) accreditation is owned by the Exit Planning Institute (EPI). Individuals who hold the CEPA credential have completed a mastery class on business exit planning focused on the value acceleration methodology provided through the EPI. The program integrates exit strategy into business, personal, and financial goals of the business owner in a concept called Master Planning. Master Planning focuses on maximizing Business Value, Personal Financial Planning, and Life After Business Planning. Through this credential, exit planning is laser-focused on what business owners can do in the present to grow the value of their business and drive income. The credentialing program focuses on business and personal readiness, financial preparedness, internal and external exit strategies, and team collaboration while advising business owners. CEPA credential holders must have a Bachelor degree and five years or more, full-time, or equivalent, experience working directly as either a professional advisor, former/current business owner, or similar professional capacity.
The Certified Exit Planning Advisor® (CEPA®) credential must be renewed every three years by completing a minimum of 40 hours of exit planning related professional education and reaffirming adherence to the EPI Professional Standards and Code of Ethics.