The Externship, an 8-week virtual training initiative for aspiring financial planners, is set to offer a significant benefit.
Starting in summer 2024, participants in the program will receive 500 standard pathway experience hours from the CFP Board, an increase from the previous 180 hours.
"This increase in experience hours is phenomenal," Hannah Moore, the creator of The Externship, said in a statement.
"The CFP Board's decision to increase the hours to 500 is a testament to the program's workload and its profound impact on participants," Moore said.
The Externship was launched in 2020 as a response to the disruptions caused by the pandemic to traditional internships. Now in its fifth year, the program has trained over 3,200 aspiring financial planners.
The curriculum, delivered by more than 50 industry professionals and experts, delves into essential aspects of financial planning such as retirement planning, investment management, and tax and estate planning.
"It takes 6,000 standard pathway experience hours for a financial planner to earn their Certified Financial Planner designation," Moore said. "For non-traditional students, veterans, career changers, and many other aspiring planners, the barriers to entry can be daunting."
The Externship is recognized by various companies and organizations within the financial planning profession, with partners including the CFP Board, Charles Schwab, XY Planning Network, and the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education.
"My mission is to make training both affordable and accessible, helping to alleviate the talent shortage in the profession," Moore stated.
Enrollment for the program, which costs $350, closes on May 29.
The new regional leader brings nearly 25 years of experience as the firm seeks to tap a complex and evolving market.
The latest updates to its recordkeeping platform, including a solution originally developed for one large 20,000-advisor client, take aim at the small to medium-sized business space.
Crypto investor argues the federal agency's probe, upheld by a federal appeals court, would "strip millions of Americans of meaningful privacy protections."
Meanwhile in Chicago, the wirehouse also lost another $454 million team as a group of defectors moved to Wells Fargo.
The broker-dealer giant's latest acquisition agreement extends its push towards offering enhanced financial planning and investment management.
Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.
Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.
