Professional Designations

Use this database to decode the letters that sometimes follow a financial professional’s name. Find out what training, if any, is required to receive a professional designation and whether the issuing organization requires continuing education, takes complaints, or has a way for you to confirm who holds the credential.

Important Disclaimer: FINRA does not approve or endorse any professional credential or designation. Learn More >>


4 (2) | A (27) | B (8) | C (142) | D (3) | E (3) | F (15) | G (2) | I (3) | L (2) | M (5) | N (2) | P (5) | Q (2) | R (25) | S (2) | T (2) | W (2)
Designation Acronym View Details
401(k) Rollover Specialist (k)RS View Details
401(k) Specialist N(k)S View Details
Accredited Adviser in Insurance AAI View Details
Accredited Asset Management Specialist AAMS View Details
Accredited Behavioral Finance Professional ABFP View Details
Accredited Beneficiary Stewardship Program ABS View Details
Accredited Domestic Partnership Advisor ADPA View Details
Accredited Estate Planner AEP View Details
Accredited Financial Analyst AFA View Details
Accredited Financial Counselor AFC View Details
Accredited Investment Fiduciary AIF View Details
Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst AIFA View Details
Accredited Management Accountant AMA View Details
Accredited Pension Representative APR View Details
Accredited Personal Finance Instructor APFI View Details
Accredited Portfolio Management Advisor APMA View Details
Accredited Retirement Plan Consultant ARPC View Details
Accredited Tax Advisor ATA View Details
Accredited Tax Preparer ATP View Details
Accredited Wealth Management Advisor AWMA View Details
Affirming Advisor AA View Details
Agriculture Focused Financial Planning Professional AFFP View Details
Asset Protection Planner APP View Details
Associate in Insurance AINS View Details
Associate in Insurance Services AIS View Details
Associate in Personal Insurance API View Details
Associate, Financial Services Institute AFSI View Details
Associate, Life Management Institute ALMI View Details
Associate, Secure Retirement Institute ASRI View Details
Behavioral Financial Advisor BFA View Details
Board Certified Fiduciary BCF View Details
Board Certified in Annuities BCA View Details
Board Certified in Asset Allocation BCAA View Details
Board Certified in Estate Planning BCE View Details
Board Certified in Mutual Funds BCM View Details
Board Certified in Securities BCS View Details
Bucket Plan Certified BPC View Details
Capital Markets & Securities Analyst CMSA View Details
Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement CIPM View Details
Certification for Long-Term Care CLTC View Details
Certified 401(k) Professional C(k)P View Details
Certified Annuity Advisor CAA View Details
Certified Annuity Consultant CAC View Details
Certified Annuity Specialist CAS View Details
Certified Asset Protection Planner CAPP View Details
Certified Business Exit Consultant CBEC View Details
Certified College Financial Consultant CCFC View Details
Certified College Funding Specialist CCFS View Details
Certified College Planning Specialist CCPS View Details
Certified Credit Counselor CCC View Details
Certified Debt Management Professional CDMP View Details
Certified Deferred Retirement Option Plan Consultant cDROP View Details
Certified Digital Asset Advisor CDAA View Details
Certified Divorce Advisor CDA View Details
Certified Divorce Consultant CDC View Details
Certified Divorce Financial Analyst CDFA View Details
Certified Divorce Financial Specialist CDFS View Details
Certified Divorce Planner CDP View Details
Certified Divorce Specialist CDS View Details
Certified Educational Consultant CEC View Details
Certified Educator in Personal Finance CEPF View Details
Certified Elder Planning Specialist CEPS View Details
Certified Employee Benefit Specialist CEBS View Details
Certified Equity Indexed Annuity Specialist CEIAS View Details
Certified Estate Advisor CEA View Details
Certified Estate and Trust Specialist CES View Details
Certified Estate Planner CEP View Details
Certified ETF Advisor CETF View Details
Certified Exit Planner CExP View Details
Certified Exit Planning Advisor CEPA View Details
Certified Financial and Career Coach CFCC View Details
Certified Financial Behavior Specialist FBS View Details
Certified Financial Consultant CFC View Details
Certified Financial Counselor CFC View Details
Certified Financial Divorce Practitioner CFDP View Details
Certified Financial Education Instructor CFEI View Details
Certified Financial Education Professional CFEP View Details
Certified Financial Educator CFEd View Details
Certified Financial Fiduciary CFF View Details
Certified Financial Gerontologist CFG View Details
Certified Financial Health Counselor CFHC View Details
Certified Financial Marketing Professional CFMP View Details
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER CFP View Details
Certified Financial Transitionist CeFT View Details
Certified Financial Wellness Educator CFWE View Details
Certified Fixed Income Practitioner CFIP View Details
Certified Fund Specialist CFS View Details
Certified in Blockchain and Digital Assets CBDA View Details
Certified Income Specialist CIS View Details
Certified Insurance Counselor CIC View Details
Certified Insurance Industry Professional CIIP View Details
Certified Insurance Service Representative CISR View Details
Certified Investment Management Analyst CIMA View Details
Certified Investment Management Consultant CIMC View Details
Certified IRA Professional CIP View Details
Certified IRA Services Professional CISP View Details
Certified Kingdom Advisor CKA View Details
Certified Life Field Underwriter CLFU View Details
Certified Management Accountant CMA View Details
Certified Medicaid Planner CMP View Details
Certified Medicare Insurance Planner CMIP View Details
Certified Merger and Acquisition Advisor CM&AA View Details
Certified Military Financial Advisor CMFA View Details
Certified Pension Consultant CPC View Details
Certified Personal Banker CPB View Details
Certified Personal Finance Counselor CPFC View Details
Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant CPFWC View Details
Certified Personal Retirement Specialist CPRS View Details
Certified Personal Risk Manager CPRM View Details
Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor CPFA View Details
Certified Portfolio Manager CPM View Details
Certified Portfolio Specialist CPS View Details
Certified Private Wealth Advisor CPWA View Details
Certified Professional Insurance Agent CPIA View Details
Certified Professional Insurance Man CPIM View Details
Certified Professional Insurance Woman CPIW View Details
Certified Professional Retirement Coach CPRC View Details
Certified Public Accountant CPA View Details
Certified Regulatory and Compliance Professional CRCP View Details
Certified Retirement Administrator CRA View Details
Certified Retirement Counselor CRC View Details
Certified Retirement Education Specialist CRES View Details
Certified Retirement Financial Advisor CRFA View Details
Certified Retirement Planner CRP View Details
Certified Retirement Services Professional CRSP View Details
Certified Risk Analyst CRA View Details
Certified Risk Manager CRM View Details
Certified Risk Specialist CRS View Details
Certified Senior Advisor CSA View Details
Certified Senior Consultant CSC View Details
Certified Social Security and Medicare Specialist CSS View Details
Certified Social Security Claiming Strategist CSSCS View Details
Certified Specialist in Estate Planning CSEP View Details
Certified Specialist in Retirement Planning CSRP View Details
Certified Student Loan Advisor CSLA View Details
Certified Student Loan Counselor CSLC View Details
Certified Student Loan Professional CSLP View Details
Certified Tax Advisor CTA View Details
Certified Tax Specialist CTS View Details
Certified Treasury Professional CTP View Details
Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor CTFA View Details
Certified Wealth Consultant CWC View Details
Certified Wealth Management Specialist CWMS View Details
Certified Wealth Preservation Planner CWPP View Details
Certified Wealth Smart Strategist CWSS View Details
Certified Wealth Strategist CWS View Details
Certified Workplace Money Coach CWMC View Details
Chartered Advisor for Senior Living CASL View Details
Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy CAP View Details
Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst CAIA View Details
Chartered Asset Manager CAM View Details
Chartered Blockchain Analyst CBA View Details
Chartered Digital Asset Analyst CDAA View Details
Chartered Estate Planning Practitioner CEPP View Details
Chartered Federal Employee Benefits Consultant ChFEBC View Details
Chartered Financial Analyst CFA View Details
Chartered Financial Consultant ChFC View Details
Chartered Financial Engineer ChFE View Details
Chartered Financial Manager ChFM View Details
Chartered Financial Risk Engineer CFRE View Details
Chartered International Insurance Advisor CIIA View Details
Chartered Investment Counselor CIC View Details
Chartered Leadership Fellow CLF View Details
Chartered Life Underwriter CLU View Details
Chartered Market Analyst CMA View Details
Chartered Market Technician CMT View Details
Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor CMFC View Details
Chartered Portfolio Manager CPM View Details
Chartered Private Wealth Advisor CPWA View Details
Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter CPCU View Details
Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor CRPC View Details
Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist CRPS View Details
Chartered Senior Financial Planner CSFP View Details
Chartered Special Needs Consultant ChSNC View Details
Chartered SRI Counselor CSRIC View Details
Chartered Trust and Estate Planner CTEP View Details
Chartered Wealth Manager CWM View Details
Christian Financial Professionals Network Certified Member CFPN View Details
College Funding and Student Loan Advisor CFSLA View Details
Direct Participation Professional DPP View Details
Disability Income Associate DIA View Details
Diversified Advanced Education DAE View Details
Employee Healthcare Benefits Associate EHBA View Details
Endorsed Local Provider ELP View Details
Enrolled Agent EA View Details
Federal Retirement Consultant FRC View Details
Fellow of the Academy of Life Underwriting FALU View Details
Fellow, Financial Services Institute FFSI View Details
Fellow, Life Management Institute FLMI View Details
Fellow, Secure Retirement Institute FSRI View Details
Financial Analyst Designate FAD View Details
Financial Behavior Planning Specialist FBPS View Details
Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional FPQP View Details
Financial Planning & Wealth Management Professional FPWMP View Details
Financial Risk Manager FRM View Details
Financial Services Certified Professional FSCP View Details
Financial Services Specialist FSS View Details
Fraternal Insurance Counselor FIC View Details
Fraternal Insurance Counselor Fellow FICF View Details
Fraternal Professional Certificate FPC View Details
Global Financial Steward GFS View Details
Globally Certified Financial Education Specialist G-CFES View Details
International Health Insurance Professional IHIP View Details
International Mergers & Acquisitions IM&A View Details
IRMAA Certified Planner IRMAACP View Details
Life and Annuity Certified Professional LACP View Details
Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow LUTCF View Details
Master Certified Estate Planner MCEP View Details
Master Financial Planner MFP View Details
Master Planner Advanced Studies MPAS View Details
Master Registered Financial Consultant MRFC View Details
Mergers & Acquisitions Professional M&AP View Details
National Social Security Advisor NSSA View Details
Nonqualified Plan Consultant NQPC View Details
Personal Financial Specialist PFS View Details
Personal Retirement Planning Specialist PRPS View Details
PLANSPONSOR Retirement Professional PRP View Details
Professional Plan Consultant PPC View Details
Psychology of Financial Planning Specialist PFPS View Details
Qualified Financial Planner QFP View Details
Qualified Plan Financial Consultant QPFC View Details
Registered Accounting Professional RAP View Details
Registered Annuity Advisor RAA View Details
Registered Banking Professional RBP View Details
Registered Business Broker RBB View Details
Registered Employee Benefits Professional REBP View Details
Registered Estate Planner REP View Details
Registered Fiduciary RF View Details
Registered Financial Associate RFA View Details
Registered Financial Consultant RFC View Details
Registered Financial Gerontologist RFG View Details
Registered Financial Planner RFP View Details
Registered Financial Planning Professional RFPP View Details
Registered Financial Specialist RFS View Details
Registered Insurance Professional RIP View Details
Registered Investment Banker RIB View Details
Registered Merger & Acquisition Advisor RM&AA View Details
Registered Paraplanner RP View Details
Registered Property & Casualty Professional RP&CP View Details
Registered Retirement & Wealth Specialist RR&WS View Details
Registered Social Security Analyst RSSA View Details
Registered Tax Professional RTP View Details
Retirement Income Certified Professional RICP View Details
Retirement Income Specialist RIS View Details
Retirement Management Advisor RMA View Details
Retirement Plans Associate RPA View Details
Sports and Entertainment Accredited Wealth Management Advisor SE-AWMA View Details
Student Loan Repayment Advisor SLRA View Details
Tax Planning Certified Professional TPCP View Details
Tax-Exempt and Governmental Plan Consultant TGPC View Details
Wealth Management Certified Professional WMCP View Details
Wealth Management Specialist WMS View Details