Leveling Up Your Practice with Professional Designations

It’s time to act. Client demand for financial advisors will soon be at an all-time high and that means even experienced financial advisors need to advance their acumen to serve these clients and differentiate in a competitive market. With an eye on the future, here at Edward Jones we’re investing in development opportunities for our financial advisors, including supporting professional designations.

Cerulli research shows more than 37% of industry advisors will retire over the next decade – a group responsible for more than 41% of total assets. It’s no surprise that I’m often asked by established financial advisors how they can attract more clients. To which I reply: Have you considered how to stand out when trying to attract clients whose financial advisors are retiring?

One of the most common recommendations I provide is being proactive about pursuing personal development. Professional designations are an opportunity for financial advisors to level-up their knowledge and serve clients more deeply. These certifications can help a financial advisor become more competitive or establish a niche for their practice, but they are a significant commitment of time and resources. That’s one reason Edward Jones is supporting our financial advisors along the way.

If you’re looking to be more competitive, do two things:

Assess your competitive edge

First, have an honest conversation with yourself about what you can offer clients. As investors think about their next financial advisor relationship, it’s important to position yourself as a credible partner-of-choice – and professional designations can help. After all, the CFP Board tells us that 90% of consumers see a financial advisor’s certifications as important, and 86% of consumers prefer an advisor who has passed a certification exam and rigorous education program.

When investors can filter financial advisor options as easily as selecting a show to watch, designations can quickly communicate your qualifications and “stop the scroll.” Not only does this show potential clients you’re committed to continual improvement, but it also conveys specialty.

Your professional development should always align with your practice goals. Think about where you are trying to take your business. If you’re trying to show general experience to a broad pool of prospective clients, maybe the Certified Financial Planner®, or CFP®, certification is right for you. But if you serve business owner clients, a Certified Exit Planner Advisor, or CEPA®, designation might be better to show that you focus on succession planning.

An added bonus of obtaining a certification? Confidence. That’s what Durham, NC Financial Advisor Julie Kelly told me was one of the results she saw when she pursued her CFP®, “you have a seat at the table for comprehensive conversations. When you can look across a client’s whole financial life, those conversations are impactful. Also, your business becomes more referrable.”

Seek support from your firm

Once you have the conversation with yourself, take stock of the resources you have access to that can help you achieve a designation. Does your firm provide study support? What about financial incentives?

At Edward Jones, we provide coaching resources to help our financial advisors create goals for their practice. With a clear plan, our financial advisors can determine which professional designations best serve their ideal client.

Edward Jones supports 24 designations. We provide financial support for certification programs and offer coaches and mentors to help along the way. Investing in our financial advisors’ acumen will help us serve clients more completely and as a private partnership, it’s good for our business. It’s making a difference; we’re No. 1 in the industry for most CFP® professionals, with more than 4,500 associates in the U.S. field and home office as of December 31, 2024.

Your clients and prospects have complex lives, and with that comes varying expectations of their financial advisors. Professional designations can help you understand the depth of client needs and advance your industry knowledge, making your more competitive in the process.

Interested in the Edward Jones Financial Advisor Opportunity?

If you’re already licensed as a financial advisor, learn how we’re built to take your practice to the next level.

CFP Board owns the marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and CFP® (with plaque design) in the U.S.