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Certified personal finance counselor vs finance planner

The differences between certified personal finance counselors and finance planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a certified personal finance counselor, becoming a finance planner takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a finance planner has an average salary of $71,607, which is higher than the $48,474 average annual salary of a certified personal finance counselor.

The top three skills for a certified personal finance counselor include money management, credit management and interest rates. The most important skills for a finance planner are financial aid, financial services, and client facing.

Certified personal finance counselor vs finance planner overview

Certified Personal Finance CounselorFinance Planner
Yearly salary$48,474$71,607
Hourly rate$23.30$34.43
Growth rate15%15%
Number of jobs139,81991,557
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age4545
Years of experience24

Certified personal finance counselor vs finance planner salary

Certified personal finance counselors and finance planners have different pay scales, as shown below.

Certified Personal Finance CounselorFinance Planner
Average salary$48,474$71,607
Salary rangeBetween $32,000 And $71,000Between $42,000 And $120,000
Highest paying City-Springfield, MA
Highest paying state-Massachusetts
Best paying company-Northern Trust
Best paying industry-Insurance

Differences between certified personal finance counselor and finance planner education

There are a few differences between a certified personal finance counselor and a finance planner in terms of educational background:

Certified Personal Finance CounselorFinance Planner
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Certified personal finance counselor vs finance planner demographics

Here are the differences between certified personal finance counselors' and finance planners' demographics:

Certified Personal Finance CounselorFinance Planner
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 40.8% Female, 59.2%Male, 62.0% Female, 38.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 4.8% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.4% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage8%5%

Differences between certified personal finance counselor and finance planner duties and responsibilities

Certified personal finance counselor example responsibilities.

  • Lead cleanup of company database and files with pending patient and insurance payments through Meditech software program.
  • Provide assistance to uninsure patients and families in completing and filing Medicaid or assistance program applications with the appropriate agency.
  • Represent MMI professionally and effectively to all constituents through participation in professional development programs and through the certification process.

Finance planner example responsibilities.

  • Manage financial planning, educate clients on fix indexed annuities, and consistently analyze financial markers and ever-changing client needs.
  • Manage and strengthen customer relationships through cross-selling and up-selling to maximize retention and income generation by contacting existing and prospective customers.
  • Represent a large brokerage firm for products and services through direct sales.
  • Educate clients in tax implications for products that include mutual funds, securities, and retirement plans.
  • Redesign the existing report from a value-base manual effort to a Hyperion driven report, vastly improving both efficiency and accuracy.
  • Gain additional responsibility as a season FSR.
  • Show more

Certified personal finance counselor vs finance planner skills

Common certified personal finance counselor skills
  • Money Management, 55%
  • Credit Management, 22%
  • Interest Rates, 22%
  • Customer Service, 0%
  • Inbound Calls, 0%
  • Debt Management, 0%
Common finance planner skills
  • Financial Aid, 21%
  • Financial Services, 9%
  • Client Facing, 8%
  • Retirement Planning, 7%
  • Estate Planning, 6%
  • Life Insurance, 6%

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