Who Enrolls in CFEI® Training: Goals, Experience Levels, and Graduate Insights

Gain a deeper understanding of the Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®) program by exploring the perspectives of those who have recently completed the training. More than 5,000 CFEI Candidates have shared feedback on what motivated them to pursue certification, the skills and knowledge they sought to gain, and the levels of experience they brought into the program. Their comments also highlight the value of the training, the real-world impact they’ve been able to make, and how the credential has supported their professional and community goals.

Course Participants & Their Audiences

Who Takes the Course – Top 10 Industry Categories

The NFEC serves professionals from a wide variety of fields, all united by a shared mission to help individuals and communities achieve greater financial wellness. Many participants identify with more than one category – for example, a financial advisor may also be an entrepreneur and an active member of a faith-based community.

  • Educator / Employee of an Educational Institution
  • Entrepreneurs / Personal Financial Professionals / Financial Influencers
  • Financial Professional / Employee of a Financial Organization
  • Self-funded Philanthropist / Community Service Providers
  • Nonprofit Founder / Employee of a Nonprofit Organization
  • Human Resources / Corporate Trainer
  • Students / Youth Peer Trainers
  • Government / Employee of Government Organization
  • Non-governmental Organization / Employee of NGO
  • Faith-based Organization / Member of Faith-based Community

Age Groups CFEIs Are Teaching

CFEI® instructors serve audiences across the full life span – helping kids build early money habits, guiding teens and college students toward independence, and supporting adults at every stage of their financial journey. We asked 5,891 respondents the question, “What age group(s) are you most interested in teaching?” Following are the results:

18.2%

Kids (PK – 8th Grade)

18.5%

High School

20.1%

College

26.3%

Adult (basic – financial foundation or recovery)

16.9%

Adult (advanced – retirement planning)

Examples of Our Graduates & the Audiences They Serve

Bay Street Bank and Lauren Piehl CMAA Seminar

Lauren Piehl

Industry: Banking
Audience: Kids through interactive events.

Bobby Kinzer

Industry: Nonprofit after 30 years working for the FDIC
Audience: All age levels, through in-person and online events.

Donna Cirrillo

Industry: Former banking executive, now financial education entrepreneur
Audience: All ages, with most serving teens and adults.

Alison McQueen

Industry: Realtor
Audience: Adult first-time homebuyer programs.

James Lorenz

Industry: Automotive technology now financial education content creator
Audience: Teenagers through books and publications.

Bola Sokunbi

Industry: Financial Influencer
Audience: Adult women through a variety of media.

Our CFEI Students Come From a Variety of Experience Levels

Presenter Experience Levels Among CFEI® Participants

CFEI® participants bring a wide range of presentation experience – spanning from first-time novice instructors to seasoned experts – with 5,312 respondents sharing their self-assessed skill levels.

0%
Novice 657
0%
Entry-Level 726
0%
Intermediate 1,846
0%
Advanced 1,640
0%
Expert 443

Currently Teaching Personal Finance

CFEI candidates have varying levels of experience teaching personal finance. We had 5,119 respondents answer the question, “Do you currently present personal finance topics?”

45.7%

YES

39.9%

NO

14.4%

I have but not in the past year

Before Taking the CFEI Training: Teaching Confidence Levels

The CFEI course was designed to serve all levels of participants. We had 5,092 students who responded to the question: “If you were to teach a financial literacy course now [before the training started], rate how confident you would feel?”

0%
Not Confident
0%
Hesitant
0%
Comfortable
0%
Assured
0%
Very Confident

Diverse Backgrounds. Varied Experience. Unified Purpose.

The CFEI® program brings together a remarkably diverse group of professionals – from banking, nonprofit, education, government, HR, entrepreneurship, faith-based communities, and beyond – united by a shared mission to improve financial well-being. Our graduates teach across the lifespan, and the data reflect that breadth: respondents report strong interest in college and adult audiences while also reaching K–12 and teen learners.

Participants arrive with a wide range of experience – everything from first-time instructors to seasoned experts – and varied teaching activity, with many currently presenting personal finance, others not yet teaching, and some having taught in the past but not recently. Before training, many candidates rated their confidence as modest; the CFEI® curriculum is designed to raise both confidence and competence through practical skill-building, real-world activities, and hands-on teaching practice.

If you’d like to see this diversity in action, explore our graduate spotlights and program examples to learn how CFEIs translate training into real outcomes. Whether you’re just starting or looking to scale your impact, the CFEI® experience prepares you to teach with credibility, confidence, and lasting community effect.

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