July 2011

Reminder: Fall courses and the next Dallas cohort begin on the main campus the week of September 26. The next Plano cohort begins on January 10, 2012.

Program Pathways

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

Note from the Program Director

Help! Help! Help! A plea I’ve heard from prospective clients over and over the last weeks and months. People are confused, worried and some almost in a panic state. Could you help them? Do you have the knowledge to help them? Do you have the knowledge to help yourself?

The SMU Certificate Program in Financial Planning can provide you with the knowledge both to help others and to answer your own questions. Our seven course program will provide you with the knowledge to answer insurance, retirement, tax, investment and estate tax questions. We begin with an overview of the financial planning process and then teach you in detail the disciplines of financial planning. The program concludes with the Capstone class, which teaches you how to prepare and present a comprehensive financial plan.

Our classroom based program is taught by seasoned financial services professionals. Our instructors teach from the highest quality text available and bring real life examples into the classroom to enhance your understanding. You will learn how to do financial planning and know the current issues in the profession.

Our programs have the most flexible schedules in the metroplex, designed to meet your individual needs. Our Dallas campus traditional path takes you subject by subject with completion in seven quarters or approximately 18 months. We also offer on our Dallas campus an accelerated program, the Pacesetter Path, which allows you to earn your SMU Certificate in Financial Planning in four quarters. Pacesetter students take two classes for three quarters and one quarter dedicated to just one course, personal income taxation. An even more accelerated program designed for participants who are in the profession is offered at our Plano campus. Classes are held on Tuesday evenings and every other Saturday. The various disciplines are taught in focused sections, which allow you to complete the program in nine months.

Upon completion of our program, you will know how to do comprehensive financial planning and have met the education requirements necessary to sit for the CFP Certification Examination. I invite you to visit our website for more information.

Come join us!

—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.

Fall cohort forming now. For more information, click here.

Calendar

Fall Quarter Begins
September 26 on the main campus

Entering Cohort Information Session
August 23 and September 13, Dallas

Registration Deadline for the November CFP® Certification Examination
October 4

Kaplan Schweser Review
Dallas Live Review begins October 20. 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)

SMU will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability or veteran status. SMU’s commitment to equal opportunity includes nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. 11052.711

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