Training for Financial Consultation: Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant℠ (CPFWC℠)
If you want to become a credible, self-confident, expert financial coach, you need look no further than the National Financial Educators Council’s Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant℠ (CPFWC℠) training program. Your competence and integrity will be assured by earning this high-quality certification, demonstrating that you are well-qualified to coach individuals toward greater financial health.
There’s an important reason why gaining this top-level certification demands specialized effort and expertise: because each person has a unique relationship with finances, pre-existing money habits, and current financial status. The NFEC training prepares personal financial wellness consultants with skill-building, practicum, and experience to maximize their success when they begin serving clients.
Aptitudes a CPFWC℠ Must Attain
A Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant℠ is a specialist who has, through the NFEC training, proven his or her ability to support clients toward improving their personal finances. Once the CPFWC℠ completes the training and earns certification, he or she is amply qualified to undertake a variety of activities to strengthen the financial health of both individuals and their communities.
The Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant℠ (CPFWC℠) training was crafted to comply with the highest standards for educational rigor. At the same time, the program offers implementation and skills practice so consultants receive hands-on experience honing their financial coaching abilities.
To graduate, a CPFWC℠ must successfully complete about 180 hours of training and implementation (18 Continuing Education Units [CEUs]). Then he or she must earn a score of 80% or higher on a proctored final exam. You may be allowed to test out of some portions of training where you have prior knowledge.
Once you graduate, these credentials show your advanced level of competence as a Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant℠. The NFEC continues to provide support and tools to help position you as an expert and documented authority in the financial consulting space.
The National Institute of Health’s Competencies Proficiency Scale provides the benchmark the NFEC uses to measure the aptitudes a financial consultant must achieve. Learn More.
Topics Comprised in the Personal Financial Wellness Consultant Training
The Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant℠ training program was developed specifically to teach the skills and processes that empower consultants to get top results. To optimize your learning, the program covers not only content knowledge regarding personal finances, but also financial and behavioral psychology and consultation strategies. Instructional methods include virtual active learning and skills practice.
Topic Sections Included in the NFEC Financial Coach Training
Experiential Training Components
Becoming a successful Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant℠ (CPFWC℠) requires much more than studying a few lessons. You must try out the new skills in an environment where you can “learn by doing.” The NFEC training offers just such a setting.
Think about it from a future client’s point of view. A person wouldn’t want to get open-heart surgery from a doctor who had never performed that operation, but would want a doctor who had a long proven track record of successful surgeries. The same is true for clients choosing a personal finance consultant to help with their financial futures.
The NFEC’s CPFWC℠ training incorporates experiential learning where you practice applying your skills in various exercises to build your confidence and ability.
Four Types of Experience Gained through NFEC Training
The NFEC Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant℠ (CPFWC℠) training incorporates four levels of experiential training so graduates have the skills they need to counsel effectively:
NFEC Certification Course Incorporates Four Types of Experiential Training
Personal Financial Wellness Consultation Standards
To make CPFWCs stand out above the average and hold them to the strictest standards of excellence, the NFEC created its own standards requirements. The fundamental principle of these benchmarks is that the consultant has fiduciary responsibility to his or her clients, that is, the interests of the client always come first. Over a dozen regulatory authorities in industries related to financial wellness consultation were consulted to develop these standards. Those agencies include the International Coaching Federation, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Securities & Exchange Commission, and the American Psychological Association.
While financial wellness consultation is not regulated per se, the NFEC took a proactive approach to protecting CPFWCs and their clients by drafting these comprehensive standards and ethical codes. The standards were written from the perspective that financial consultants should be trained using evidence-based frameworks for instruction, educational programming, communications, and awareness-raising.
Integration of Processes and High-quality Materials
The Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant℠ is carefully trained not just to counsel clients effectively, but also to develop consultation systems and gain access to the highest quality of counseling resources. The active learning exercises give you experience applying the materials, and the training also takes you through the consultation process for effective client management.
The resources to which you gain access represent the state of the art in financial wellness education, and you use those same resources while you undergo training. That way, you develop in-depth understanding of the consultation process, skills, and application of the high-quality materials.
All these resources are included in the NFEC CPFWC℠ training package:
100+ training videos
Optional weekly webinars in real-time
Manuals & workbooks
Professional Certification Award
In Addition to the Training, You Can Add Client & Business Resources
To help ensure that our coaches are successful and have the resources they need to professionally serve their clients, those enrolled in NFEC Financial Coach program can add client and business resources, including:
Client Financial Education Resources. Gain access to all NFEC financial education resources (eLearning center, client physical handouts, fillable PDF education resources) that allow you to easily assign lessons based on clients’ needs.
Coaching Software & Client Report System
Coaching Processes & Communications
Forms and Coaching Practice Resources
Client Financial Education Resources
Business Planning, Training, & Resources
Marketing, Promotions, & Client Leads
Bonus: Full Coaching Website Customized with Your Information
Select the full financial coaching program (Certification, Coaching Resources, Client Communications & Business Resource Package) to receive a custom website when you graduate– complimentary. This is more than just a website – it gathers leads, helps to manage clients, and can process payments. Details:
Guarantee, Terms & Renewal
You agree to the terms of the financial coaching program and upon purchase our bound by the agreement. Read the complete terms and conditions. Annual training and testing are required to maintain NFEC Financial Coach status. Starting year 2 (365 days after order), your annual investment is $295 for the Certification and includes all the training, tools. Additional resources are $295 annually starting year 2. Testing and background check is $127 one time investment. Bonus coaching website terms.
Terms of the 1-year, 100% Guarantee: Those purchasing the complete financial coaching program receive the most comprehensive financial coaching program on the market available today. This statement is measured based on the following key traits: Highest Standards & Credibility, Education Quality & Practicality of Instruction, Scope of Client Resources. This is backed with a 1 year, 100% money back guarantee. Read Full 1-Year Guarantee terms.
FAQs
Certified Financial Education Instructor® (CFEI®) Certification
Accredited Personal Finance Instructor℠ (APFI℠) Certification
Accredited Personal Financial Wellness Consultant℠ (APFWC℠) Certification
Certified Financial Literacy Professional℠ (CFLP℠) Certification
Accredited Financial Literacy Professional℠ (AFLP℠) Certification
Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant℠ Certification Prepares Highly-qualified Professionals Who Meet Top Ethical Standards
Competence, integrity, confidence, credibility – these are some of the qualities that define individuals who have achieved the Certified Personal Financial Wellness℠ – CPFWC -Certification available through the National Financial Educators Council (NFEC). This distinguished designation indicates that a person has achieved advanced-level aptitude in financial wellness knowledge, practical skills application, and applied theory.
Coaching as part of a wellness regime has become increasingly more popular in today’s world, where technology and innovation take center stage. That growing popularity happens largely because coaching does not focus on medicine or therapeutics to fix what’s wrong, but rather takes a practical, peer-driven approach to making behavioral choices and changes that maximize individual efficiency in life skills. A Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant helps clients understand the practical action steps toward managing their own money and motivates them to take those steps, with the end goal of empowering clients toward financial independence and self-sufficiency.
The Certified Personal Financial Wellness℠ Certification training program prepares specialists who are qualified to perform a broad range of activities that strengthen the financial health of clients and communities alike. The coursework meets top standards for academic rigor, and also incorporates extensive experiential training components so consultants get plenty of hands-on practice at applying the skills they’ve learned.
Graduation from this certification program requires completion of approximately 180 hours of training and implementation practice, representing 18 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). A student may test out of some portions of the program if they have sufficient prior knowledge in a given topic. After coursework completion, the candidate must pass a proctored exam with a score of 80% or above. The aptitudes a graduate must demonstrate were informed by the National Institute of Health’s Competency Proficiency Scale.
The training covers eight subject areas related to financial wellness and coaching:
These topics build on the money management content covered in the Certified Financial Literacy Professional℠ and Accredited Financial Literacy Professional℠ courses, but are expanded to encompass the processes, methodologies, client management systems, and professional standards that lead the industry and help ensure that a Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant℠ has the tools and information he or she needs to run a successful coaching practice.
Achieving practical success demands much more than studying a few lessons about personal finances. The NFEC recognizes that a truly competent coach must “learn by doing,” that is, practice their consulting skills in a supportive learning environment. The hands-on learning in the CPFWC℠ training takes four forms: 1) Practicum, where learners virtually observe financial wellness coaches in action; 2) Project-based Learning (PBL), where students coach themselves; 3) Case Method, which has learners hone their skills by designing solutions to characters’ situations posed in case studies; and 4) Implementation, a phone program where trainees practice counseling skills with their peers.
Graduates also demonstrate their ability to comply with the NFEC’s proprietary standards of excellence, the Financial Coaching Standards & Code of Conduct. These ethical and professional standards drew upon guidelines from more than 12 regulatory agencies including the American Psychology Association, U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), and International Coaching Federation.
The National Financial Educators Council is an Accredited Provider through IACET, the international leader in providing accreditation for high-quality continuing education and training. The accreditation demonstrates the NFEC’s commitment to high-quality adult learning. Also a Certified B Corporation, the NFEC’s mission is to empower a global team of financial wellness champions with resources and tools to build greater financial security at the individual and community levels.
Are you interested in earning your Financial Coach Certification? The National Financial Educators Council (NFEC) offers multiple options for individuals who desire to improve their capabilities to teach financial literacy and money management programming. The financial coach certification programs offered through the NFEC (Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant) consist of practical, hands-on lessons that allow participants to develop and build upon the skill sets necessary to become effective coaches and counselors, thereby increasing your impact on positive client outcomes.
Individuals who graduate from this rigorous programming take their place among the most highly-qualified financial coaches category. Earning this certification proves that you meet top national standards and possess the skills and expertise to help others work toward their personal finance goals. In addition to coaching ability, you will master techniques for motivating, engaging, and moving clients of all ages and backgrounds to take positive financial action.
Financial Coaching Certification Process
Enrollees in the NFEC’s Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant financial coach certification programs participate in a host of activities designed to build and demonstrate their qualifications as prominent financial coaches. These activities comprise completion of stringent educational requirements, including 180 hours (18 Continuing Education Units) of coursework and implementation practicum. Further program activities include advocacy, assessments, platform-building, and student interactions.
Becoming a certified financial coach requires earning an 80% or higher score on all activities and the final examination. These financial coach certification programs include performance and implementation evaluations, where enrollees must exhibit their coaching ability by conducting event practice and delivery, documenting their hours, and submitting surveys and test results proving their impact. Participants in these certification programs must show leadership ability by creating financial literacy content that indicates their content knowledge and delivery expertise. Strategic planning ability must be demonstrated by developing a written advocacy plan, including the educational focus and overall business model for the coaching effort.
Financial Coaching Standards
The NFEC developed standards for earning Financial Coach Certification to distinguish coach qualifications and assure potential clients that they are held to the highest standards of excellence. These standards are centered around the principle that the coach has fiduciary responsibility to the client. More than a dozen authorities regulating the financial literacy industry are cited in the NFEC’s Financial Coaching Standards and Code of Ethics, including the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the American Psychological Association (APA), and the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Although the financial coaching industry is not subject to specific regulations, the NFEC has proactively developed its own set of standards to protect both coaches and their clients. These standards include a theory-based teaching framework that ensures the quality and impact of educational programming. The standards also stipulate common language as a method to improve communication; and contain an awareness tool that underscores the ultimate importance of selecting highly-skilled educators.
Coaching Systems
Graduates of the Financial Coach Certification programming obtain exclusive access to comprehensive systems for gathering and reporting data. At the heart of any financial coaching effort lies the coach’s ability to understand each client’s complete financial position. To uncover the full client profile, they should review the individual’s income, assets, liabilities, interest rates, credit scores, insurance coverage, and any other piece of relevant personal finance information. The NFEC systems include proprietary reporting software that allows coaches to professionally illustrate this financial picture to the client, and easily generate up-to-the-moment progress reports that track their achievements. A financial coach should do far more than just talk – they must give clients personalized plans and illuminate how their actions affect their overall financial picture over time.
Educational Resources for Financial Coaching
Taking part in the NFEC financial coach certification programs means you have more than 400 hours of top-grade financial education curriculum at your fingertips. These curriculum modules and presentations are engaging and fun for clients, while also meeting core educational standards. The materials were developed in collaboration with a Curriculum Advisory Board comprised of financial professionals, educators, and financial education experts. This partnership yielded a comprehensive educational package that bridges the gap between evidence-based learning principles and practical applicability of the lessons.
The NFEC’s 100% independent curriculum encompasses flexible delivery modes, including an online learning option. Most financial literacy programs that tout themselves as ‘online learning’ consist only of videos and articles on a website. That is not eLearning. In contrast, the NFEC’s eVolve platform leverages best practices in online personal finance education, high-quality content, and vivid design features to create a unique participant-centered learning experience. The robust, accessible eVolve program is designed to accommodate a variety of schedules and learning outcomes; it also offers blended learning options.
Topic Expert Support
Those who earn the Financial Coach Certification designation are experts in personal finance coaching; but they have not achieved expertise in every topic. Mastering the full gamut of advanced personal finance knowledge can take decades of practical experience. That means that a coach may not know the answers to every question a client raises. It’s important to realize that it’s okay not to know every answer because, as a coach certified through the NFEC, you have access to a team of expert professionals licensed in their respective fields. These experts can work directly with you, or together with you and your client. The sole objective of this expert team is to help you serve your clients’ needs in the most effective possible way. Learn how you can become a financial coach through the NFEC.
Financial Coach Certification Programs Track Options
Through its financial coach certification programs, the NFEC serves three distinct groups. For organizations, staff training and professional development are offered. For individuals who seek employment in the financial coaching space, the certification courses provide outstanding credentials. For entrepreneurs, the programs provide training and resources for building a viable and successful financial coaching business.
Those who receive their credential via the financial coach certification programs do much more than an average financial coach. They have proven competency and systems in place to support clients toward strengthening their personal finance situations. Graduates are uniquely positioned to serve clients and communities across four main areas:
Guest Article
Financial Coach Certification Program Benefits Individuals and Communities Alike
The National Financial Educators Council offers a wide range of financial education services. One of the most valuable is their financial coach certification program. The NFEC coursework developed to train Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultants goes far beyond typical financial coaching programs. Graduates of this comprehensive certification program are able to lead and participate in a variety of activities that help move people of all ages and backgrounds toward a state of financial wellness.
Program graduates who become a financial coach through this program are experts in personal finance with the ability to help others reach their financial goals. The curriculum contains more than 320 hours of training and hands-on experience that give NFEC Financial Coaches an in-depth understanding of key money management principles. These highly qualified financial coaches are dedicated to providing expert advice to coaching individuals and bringing best practices for financial education to their communities.
Recent research has indicated that most people never receive basic money management training. Personal finance classes are rarely part of public school core curriculum, and too many people resort to taking advice from friends, colleagues, or salespeople who are trying to sell them financial products. An NFEC-trained financial coach, on the other hand, are not selling anything and instead have a vested interest in their clients’ success and secure futures. Having graduated the financial coach certification program and earning the NFEC Financial Coach designation gives you confidence that your coach is well-trained to teach and motivate you to take positive action.
Anyone interested in a consultation with a trained educator who has no competing interest in the financial product marketing should contact the NFEC. Further, those who would like to become a financial fitness coach themselves may investigate the NFEC’s Certified Financial Education Consultant program.