Personal Financial Education Certificate (PFEC)

Certified Financial Education Instructor® (CFEI®) Certification
Accredited Personal Finance Instructor℠ (APFI℠) 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

PFEC – Personal Financial Education℠ Certificate Offers Opportunity to Demonstrate Knowledge

Would you like to show the world that you’ve gained the capability to manage your own finances with skill? The National Financial Educators Council (NFEC) offers a certification program that demonstrates your proficiency in content knowledge around 10 core personal finance topic areas: the Personal Financial Education℠ Certificate – PFEC.

In today’s economic climate, interest in gaining money management skill has reached an all-time high. Individuals who sign up for the Personal Financial Education℠ Certificate (PFEC) training program will be assigned to a well-qualified and certified financial education instructor who will analyze their personal situations and create customized lesson plans designed to address their most pressing priorities. Then the lessons guide trainees through learning and exercises to help them gain knowledge, make positive behavior change to improve how they manage their finances, and progress toward their financial and lifestyle goals.

Earning certification requires completing coursework across all 10 of the key subject areas: Financial Psychology; Savings, Expenses, & Budgeting; Account Management & Team Members; Loans & Debt; Credit Profile; Income; Economic & Government Influences; Risk Management & Insurance; Investing & Personal Financial Planning; and Education & Skill Development. The resources used in the training meet the highest educational standards for continuing education and training.

The online coursework is self-paced, with additional times scheduled for learners to meet virtually with their peers and conduct collaborative activities. Total training time is 60 hours, upon completion of which the candidate must pass an online test with a grade of 80% or higher to be awarded the Personal Financial Education℠ Certificate.

In addition to the overall certification, participants in the training can also earn badges upon successfully finishing each subsection of the programming. Each of the following certificate badges are available to earn:

The topics and instruction are based on the NFEC’s nationally-recognized learning standards, the Financial Literacy Standards & Framework for Learners. The NFEC developed this framework to improve and ensure the quality and impact of financial literacy instruction. The guiding principle behind the standards is that each individual has a unique situation, emotional relationship, and pre-existing habits related to money management. Thus learning about personal finance and retaining what’s learned require a specialized framework.

For people who sign up for the Personal Financial Education℠ Certificate training, the framework provides outcome goals that can be applied to conduct self-assessment and guide self-directed learning. Those who are interested in taking their education to the next level might look into the Certified Financial Literacy Professional℠ training segment or the Certified Financial Education Instructor℠ offering.

The NFEC is a socially responsible organization that has been designated an Accredited Provider by IACET and also a Certified B Corporation. The organization believes in investing in people who invest their time to work toward more secure futures. For that reason, anyone who completes the Personal Financial Education℠ Certificate within an 8-month time window will receive a refund of 75% of their enrollment fees. The refund will be deposited in the certificate holder’s savings or retirement account (if they don’t have savings or retirement accounts at the time of enrollment, they will by the end of the program). This refund opportunity is the NFEC’s way of giving back to those who invest in themselves.