User:Mkreft/sandbox

Subject of my article is...The Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) is the "Advanced Financial Planning" designation conferred by The American College. The ChFC professional is a financial planner qualified to assist individuals, professionals, and small-business owners with advanced comprehensive financial planning, including investments/investment consulting, income taxation, retirement planning, insurance, and estate planning. The authority to use the ChFC mark is granted by the Certification Committee of the Board of Trustees of The American College.

Requirements

To earn a ChFC designation, a candidate must meet a number of requirements and have extensive training. Students must first complete three years of full-time related business experience within the five years preceding their application for the ChFC award. Next, students must complete nine college-level courses and an exam after each course (seven required courses plus two electives). The courses cover integrated financial planning topics such as:
 * General Principles of Finance and Financial Planning
 * Insurance Planning
 * Income Taxation
 * Retirement Planning
 * Executive Compensation
 * Investment Planning
 * Employee Benefits Planning
 * Estate Tax, Gift Tax, and Transfer Tax Planning
 * Asset Protection Planning
 * Estate Planning
 * The Financial System in the Economy

After completing educational, experiential and examination requirements, candidates must take the Professional Pledge of the American College Board of Trustees and agree to comply with the College's Code of Ethics. The average study time for the program is over 450 hours, and advisors frequently spend several years earning the designation. Each ChFC must also complete a minimum of 30 hours of continuing education every two years to maintain their designation.