Accredited Personal Finance Instructor℠ (APFI℠)

The National Financial Educators Council® offers an advanced training program for financial education instructors that is focused on creating and deploying a financial education program, analyzing data from financial education program delivery, and leveraging the results to build a program positioned to scale.

Designing and implementing a financial wellness program that creates measurable increases in participants’ financial capabilities while also supporting organizational objectives takes expertise. The APFI℠ program was developed to help you gain that expertise.

Learning Outcome Level Objectives

The Accredited Personal Finance Instructor℠ course drives learners toward higher-order thinking skill sets and has participants complete a process that puts them in position to execute financial education programs that best serve their students, organizations, and communities.

Through the course students will create all the materials needed to run a program, including:

  • Establish your professional image as a financial educator.
  • Gain the skills to effectively communicate your role in financial education and how you can serve others.
  • Improve your ability to select the financial literacy lessons and activities that best meet the needs of your audience.
  • Gather data that highlight your abilities to conduct an effective financial education program.
  • Have all the resources needed to execute a financial education program organized and reviewed.
  • Be in position to fund or earn revenue for your financial education program.
  • Know how to promote and market your financial literacy offering.
  • Better understand the business aspects of financial wellness programs.

Course Requirements & Details

Training Schedule: Self-paced with scheduled meeting times for peer work.

Training Hours: 59 hours comprised of education and completion of activities that help you build a financial education program.

Testing: Pass a closed book test comprised of 25 to 55 questions with a passing score of 80%.  All assignments must be turned in and are graded – candidates must average above 80% grade to earn designation.

Ongoing Training & Testing Requirements: 3 years after earning certification and completed within 9 months to maintain good standing.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Certified Financial Literacy Professional℠ course and the Certified Financial Education Professional℠ training with both credentials in good standing.

Standards & Disciplinary Process: View here.

Accredited Personal Finance Instructor Logo

CEUs Issued Upon Successful Completion

The NFEC℠ is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is internationally recognized as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

IACET CEUs are offered to those who successfully complete all the coursework and steps.

Guarantee, Terms, & Annual Renewal

A 30-day No Questions Asked Guarantee. Read the complete terms and conditions. Every third year, training and testing are required to maintain APFI℠ status. Starting in year 2 (365 days after order), your annual investment is $147 and includes all the training, tools, and testing you need to keep your certification up-to-date.

Certified Financial Education Instructor® (CFEI®) Certification
Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant℠ (CPFWC℠) Certification
Accredited Personal Financial Wellness Consultant℠ (APFWC℠) Certification
Certified Financial Literacy Professional℠ (CFLP℠) Certification
Accredited Financial Literacy Professional℠ (AFLP℠) Certification

APFI – Accredited Personal Finance Instructor℠ Training Sets Educators Up for Sustainable, Scalable Positioning

Financial educators seeking advanced training focused on how to create and deploy programs, analyze data from program delivery, and leverage those results to take programs to scale should investigate the Accredited Personal Finance Instructor℠ – APFI – training offered by the National Financial Educators Council (NFEC). This advanced training program prepares instructors to take financial education to the next level – making measurable increases in learners’ financial capabilities, while also supporting the organizational and philanthropic objectives of collaborators and sponsors.

The APFI℠ coursework builds upon two other certification programs the NFEC offers: the Certified Financial Education Instructor℠ training and Certified Financial Education Professional℠ coursework. Both of these courses – with credentials maintained in good standing – are prerequisites for entering the Accredited Personal Finance Instructor℠ program. Once the candidate has successfully completed these two prerequisites, the APFI℠ training involves 80 hours of self-paced online lessons and activities coupled with scheduled peer collaboration time. Graduates also must complete a moderated test comprising 50 – 75 questions and selected assignments turned in and graded, each of which must be passed with a score of 80% or better.

The learning outcomes for the APFI℠ programming encompass the following essential components:

  • Establishing your professional image as a financial educator.
  • Giving you the skills to effectively communicate your role in financial education and ways in which you can serve others.
  • Improving your ability to select financial literacy lessons and activities tailored to meet the needs of a given audience.
  • Gathering data that highlight your capability to conduct effective financial education programs.
  • Organizing and receiving review of all the resources you need to execute a financial education program.
  • Putting you in position to fund or earn revenue for your financial education program.
  • Knowing how to promote and market your financial literacy offerings.
  • Understanding the business aspects of financial wellness programming.

Receiving certification as an Accredited Personal Finance Instructor℠ also comes with an ongoing education requirement to maintain the credential. Every three years after earning certification, APFIs must complete continuing education training and pass an abbreviated test to keep their certification in good standing.

Learning how to motivate and steer learners toward higher-order thinking processes and creating quantifiable improvements in their financial wellness capabilities takes specialized expertise. The Accredited Personal Finance Instructor℠ training is designed specifically to impart that expertise. Graduates of this program take their place among the most highly-respected and recognized leaders of financial education in the world.

How to develop, launch, implement, garner funding for, and publicize the results of financial education programming lies at the heart of this advanced-level training system. Thus graduates are fully prepared to deploy financial wellness programs that can achieve sustainability and scalability. An APFI is well-positioned as an advocate and financial education champion who can make a powerful difference at the individual, community, and global levels.

This training also offers graduates internationally-recognized Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The NFEC℠ is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and thus is able to offer IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is internationally recognized as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training. IACET CEUs are offered to all graduates who successfully complete the coursework and testing requirements.

The NFEC also has been recognized as a Certified B Corporation. That means the NFEC is a for-profit company that uses the power of business to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. Part of that effort is demonstrated in the NFEC’s certification programs to train others with a commitment to spreading financial well-being. B Corporations meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.