No matter what stage of life you’re in, we can help you pursue independence, freedom and the things that matter most to you.
Financial planning is the foundation of long-term success, providing clarity and direction at every stage of your financial journey. Whether addressing basic budgeting and cash flow management or developing a comprehensive, multi-generational wealth strategy, a well-structured plan connects the big picture with the finer details. At Allred Harris, we seamlessly integrate financial planning with portfolio management, ensuring that every investment decision aligns with your established goals.
(CFP®) adds another layer of expertise and fiduciary commitment, providing a disciplined, objective approach to balancing risk, opportunity, and long-term financial well-being. A strong financial plan not only helps you navigate life’s complexities but also serves as a dynamic roadmap-adjusting as needed to keep you on track toward your aspirations.
At Allred Harris, we believe that a well-structured financial plan is the cornerstone of long-term success. Working with a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) ensures that your financial strategy is built on a foundation of expertise, fiduciary responsibility, and comprehensive planning. The CFP® designation represents the highest standard in financial planning, requiring rigorous education, extensive experience, and a commitment to ethical responsibility. Our tailored approach combines this disciplined framework with years of hands-on experience, allowing us to create customized strategies that address every aspect of your financial life-from investment management to tax efficiency, estate planning, and beyond. By integrating the CFP® standard with a personalized, client-first approach, we provide a financial planning process that is both sophisticated and deeply attuned to your individual goals.
Individuals certified by CFP Board have taken the extra step to demonstrate their professionalism by voluntarily submitting to the rigorous CFP® certification process that includes demanding education, examination, experience and ethical requirements. These standards are called “the four E’s,” and they are four important reasons why the financial planning practitioner you select should display the CFP® certification marks.
Education: CFP® professionals must develop their theoretical and practical financial planning knowledge by completing a comprehensive course of study at a college or university offering a financial planning curriculum approved by CFP Board. Other options for satisfying the education component include submitting a transcript review or previous financial planning-related coursework to CFP Board for review and credit, or showing the attainment of certain professional designations or academic degrees.
Examination: CFP® practitioners must pass a comprehensive two-day, six-hour CFP® Certification Examination that tests their ability to apply financial planning knowledge in an integrated format. Based on regular research of what planners do, the exam covers the financial planning process, tax planning, employee benefits and retirement planning, estate planning, investment management and insurance.
Experience: CFP® professionals must have three years’ minimum experience in the financial planning process prior to earning the right to use the CFP® certification marks. As a result, CFP® practitioners possess financial counseling skills in addition to financial planning knowledge.
Ethics: As a final step to certification, CFP® practitioners agree to abide by a strict code of professional conduct, known as CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, which sets forth their ethical responsibilities to the public, clients and employers. CFP Board also performs a background check during this process, and each individual must disclose any investigations or legal proceedings related to their professional or business conduct.
Through the Code of Ethics, CFP® practitioners agree to act fairly and diligently when providing you with financial planning advice and services, putting your interests first. The Code of Ethics states that CFP® practitioners are to act with integrity, offering you professional services that are objective and based on your needs. They are required to provide you with information about their sources of compensation and conflicts of interest in writing.
Once certified, CFP® practitioners are required to maintain technical competence and fulfill ethical obligations. Every two years, they must complete a minimum 30 hours of continuing education to stay current with developments in the financial planning profession and better serve clients. Two of these hours are spent studying or discussing CFP Board’s Code of Ethics or Practice Standards. In addition to the biennial continuing education requirement, all CFP® practitioners voluntarily disclose any public, civil, criminal or disciplinary actions that may have been taken against them during the previous two years as part of the renewal process.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, Certified Financial Planner®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization’s initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
If you’re unsure how we might be able to help, we welcome you to reach out and start a conversation. We’re here to listen, answer your questions, and explore the possibilities together.
