Certificate In Financial Planning, CFP(R) - Course Descriptions and 2010-11 Schedule
FP 101 Introduction to Financial Planning
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of personal financial planning, which involve risk management and insurance, investment planning, income tax planning, retirement planning and employee benefits, and estate planning. Students will learn how to gather client data to prepare financial statements, to identify client goals and objectives, to analyze financial situations and consider alternatives, and to develop and implement financial plans. This course includes information on budgeting and debt management, educational funding, economic concepts, business law and the regulatory environment, and the time value of money. See Syllabus.
Course Requires an HP12C Financial Calculator
Course schedule - Intro to Financial Planning:
Thursday Nights
Sept 23 - December 2, 2010
January 13 - March 17, 2011
April 7 - June 9, 2011
FP 102 Insurance Planning and Risk Management
This course covers the principles of insurance and provides students with the background and skills necessary to analyze and evaluate all aspects of risk and exposure. The course will prepare students to work effectively with clients, to identify a client’s exposure to risk, and to select appropriate options to protect the client against loss. Risk exposures addressed in this course include life, health, disability, property and casualty, and business and personal liability.
Course schedule - Risk Mgt/Insurance:
Tuesdays, Sept 21 - Nov 30, 2010
Wednesdays, January 12 - March 16, 2011
Tuesdays, April 5 - June 7, 2011
FP 103 Investment Planning
This course explores the sources of financial information and investigates the economic cycle and principles of fundamental technical analysis. The course surveys various investment vehicles, securities markets, tax considerations, and analysis of financial risk and return. Students learn portfolio management techniques, asset allocation, and investment strategies to construct client portfolios according to investment objectives and risk. This course also covers the calculation and application of standard deviation, valuation models, Beta, Jensen, Treynor and Sharpe indices, bond yields, present values, compounded rate of return, internal rate of return, realized return, duration and more.
Course schedule - Investments:
Thursday Nights
January 13 - March 17, 2011
June 30 - September 1, 2011
FP 104 Income Tax Planning
This course examines the federal income tax system, and the laws, rulings and regulations applicable to individuals, trusts, estates and entities. Students will learn the tax aspects of investments, insurance, and annuities, tax accounting methods, tax consequences of sales and exchanges, and tax management techniques. Emphasis is placed on personal income tax calculations including the AMT, and the tax implications of marriage, divorce and charitable contributions.
Course schedule - Tax Planning:
Wednesday Nights
Sept 22 - December 1, 2010
April 6 - June 8, 2011
FP 105 Retirement and Employee Benefits Planning
This course explains the essential elements of retirement planning and employee benefits, and explores the options available to create customized retirement plans. Personal retirement planning including Social Security and Medicare are covered. Additionally, the characteristics of IRAs, 401 (k), 403 (b), 457, SEP, SIMPLEs, and Keogh plans are thoroughly examined. The course also introduces methods of selecting appropriate retirement options for employers from qualified defined benefit, and defined contribution plans. Nonqualified deferred compensation plans including the use of stock options are also discussed.
Course schedule - Retirement Planning:
Tuesday Nights
January 18 - March 22, 2011
June 28 - August 30, 2011
FP 106 Estate Planning
This course provides students with a comprehensive overview of estate planning and the various techniques and strategies used in developing effective estate plans. The aspects of estate planning covered in this course include wills, probate, powers of appointment, property ownership, trusts, charitable gifting, planning for incapacity, estate planning for business owners, and techniques to minimize the impact of gift and estate taxation.
Course schedule - Estate Planning:
Thursday Nights
Sept 23 - Dec 2, 2010
April 7 - June 9, 2011
FP 107 Case Studies & Analysis
This required course is designed to help students integrate their knowledge of the six financial planning subject areas into case formats tested by CFP Board. This class differs from the traditional lecture class structure since students take an active role in analyzing cases and working them under time pressure. The cases are real-life and simulate those included in the CFP® Certification Examination, and students will learn how to approach these cases and select the best possible answer given the facts and circumstances of each case.
Course schedule - Case Studies & Analysis:
Monday Nights
December 6, 2010 - February 14, 2011
March 21 - May 23, 2011
July 18 - Sept 26, 2011
FP 108 The Comprehensive Review Course
This Review Course is designed to review the 89 topics that comprise the body of knowledge required for the CFP® Certification Examination. This intensive review focuses on mastering key concepts and topics, solving problems and questions, learning study tips and exam taking tips, and reviewing CFP® Certification Examination questions, to give students the final training, preparation and confidence they need to pass this rigorous 2 day national exam. Self study of review materials for 150-200 hours is recommended prior to taking this course.
Text: Kaplan Review for the CFP® Certification Examination, Volumes I - VI and online tools.
Course schedule - Comprehensive Review
One four day weekend of Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday sessions from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. with a one hour lunch break.
Thurs-Fri-Sat-Sun
October 7, 8, 9, 10, 2010
February 24, 25, 26, 27, 2011
June 9, 10, 11, 12, 2011
Tuition Policy
Tuition and materials for required courses are $795 per course (subject to change). Additional fee for textbooks. See CFP Book List link. Tuition for the FP108 Review Course is $850, plus textbooks.
All students pay a one-time Student Matriculation fee of $50. Payment for courses and books must be received in full prior to the first class meeting.
Tuition Refund Policy
Merrimack College reserves the right to limit enrollment or cancel courses because of insufficient enrollment. To officially withdraw from any course, students must submit a letter of withdrawal to the Director of Financial Planning Programs at the Center for Professional Education, O’Reilly Hall Room 209.
Refunds will be granted according to the date the notice is received, and the following schedule:
Prior to the first class meeting 100% tuition and book refund. Prior to the second class meeting 75% tuition refund only. After second class meeting, no refund available.
Norm Langlois, CFP(R)
Director, Financial Planning Programs
Normand.Langlois@merrimack.edu