December 2010

Reminder: Winter quarter begins on the main Dallas campus the week of January 10. The Plano intensive program begins January 18 and the next Dallas cohort begins April 4.

Program Pathways

Click here to view all available CPFP program pathways in an easy-to-understand format.

Note from the Program Director

Another semester and another year are almost behind us. The autumn leaf show has been spectacular, giving testimony of the approach of winter. Things in the Certificate Program in Financial Planning, however, continue to bloom.

On December 13 we will graduate 31 students from the program! It has been my pleasure these last three months to have this group of future CFP® certificants as students. They have greatly impressed me with the amount of insight they have into financial planning. I have seen them all blossom in their understanding of investments, insurance, retirement planning, estate tax, income tax and the basics of financial planning. From our various in-depth case studies, I believe they all have come to understand that financial planning is more about peoples’ lives than their money.

As I visit our various classes and get to know our students, I increasingly appreciate the diversity of our student population. We have both the young and those who have a little more life experience. As I watch them work together on cases, I see a blend of enthusiasm and wisdom come out in the observations made and the solutions offered. I hear positive comments about how instructors have brought current client situations into the classroom and discussed the opportunities and challenges faced in real life financial planning. I love both the energy and synergy that I see displayed.

Our prospective students often ask “Why the SMU Certificate Program in Financial Planning?” The answer is threefold: live, in-class instruction by practicing professionals, course material focused on teaching financial planning, and flexibility in both scheduling and payment options.

Our program is dedicated to producing competent, caring professionals who are well equipped to help themselves and their clients chart a course in these uncertain times. Autumn is fading, winter is approaching…. spring will come and the short days will begin to grow longer. Come, join our community and blossom!

—Tom Ricks, CFP®

SMU Discount for Kaplan Schweser Live and Online Review
• Lowest rate guaranteed for SMU students.
• Use existing Kaplan texts.
• Free exchange of outdated texts.
• Choose from online- or classroom-based review.
• Learn more.

Corporate Partnership
SMU has developed a corporate partnership program that provides significant tuition discounts for employers who are committed to excellence. For more information, and to learn about corporate partner benefits, click here.

Save Your Seat (and $) with an Early Registration Discount
Be sure to enroll at least two weeks in advance and get an early registration discount – a savings of $100! Enroll as soon as registration opens (approximately 8-10 weeks before each term begins) and at least two weeks in advance to save your seat and to save on course fees.

Pacesetter Path: Less Time, Less Tuition
Complete the seven-course SMU program on the main campus in Dallas in fewer than 12 months and save over $395 each quarter! For more information, click here.

Textbook Reminder
The SMU Certificate Program in Financial Planning utilizes two publishers for course texts: National Underwriters (NU) and Kaplan Financial (formerly Bisys/Dalton). Each SMU course requires two books – a textbook from NU and a corresponding supplement from the multivolume Kaplan Financial review series.* All SMU CPFP course texts are available directly from the publisher. To guarantee delivery before classes start, order your textbooks at least a week in advance. Read for more information on CPFP textbooks.

*The final course in the SMU Program, Financial Planning Strategies & Case Studies (Capstone), also requires two books, but both are from Kaplan Financial.

Only 3% of Financial Planners are Certified
"Now, hands down, the Certified Financial Planner™ certification is the preferred designation. Only 3 percent of financial planners are Certified Financial Planner™ professionals. It's no guarantee, but they've crossed a threshold 97 percent haven't."
—John Austin, Boston Herald, October 21, 2008

Cross the Threshold. Start the SMU Program Now.

Winter and spring cohorts forming now. For more information, click here.

Calendar

Winter Quarter Begins
January 10 on the main campus

Intensive Plano cohort begins January 18

Entering Cohort Information Session
March 1 and March 15

Registration Deadline for the March CFP® Certification Examination
February 11

Kaplan Schweser Review
Dallas Live Review begins February 10. Special discounts for SMU students!

What Our Students Are Saying …
“…I passed!! I felt prepared going into the exam… I feel extremely fortunate to have had you as an instructor.”
—D. O’Connell

Contact Us
cpfp@smu.edu or 214-SMU-CPFP (214-768-2737)

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