Certificate in Financial Planning Course Descriptions

FP 101: Fundamentals of Personal Financial Planning
This online course introduces you to the concepts and profession of personal financial planning. Topics in the course include the financial planning process, regulation and licensing as an investment advisor, the economic environment, the time value of money, and planning for special situations such as a college education, the formation and operation of a closely held business, and disability. The course also previews wealth accumulation, tax, retirement, and estate planning techniques.
FP 102: Insurance and Employee Benefits
This course considers risk management principles and the various types of insurance coverage in the marketplace today. The second part of the course covers benefits made available to employees by employers—commonly referred to as employee or fringe benefits. Insurance topics include life, medical expense, and property/casualty policies, as well as long-term care and disability. Employee benefit topics include group policies, deferred compensation, equity-based compensation, and business applications of life insurance.
FP 103: Investment Planning
In this course, investment vehicles and strategies are discussed, as are the types and measures of investment risk and return. Asset allocation principles are reviewed, modern portfolio management theory is described, and the importance of tax-efficient investing is considered.
FP 104: Income Tax Planning
This course considers the federal income taxation of individuals and other legal entities to the extent that they relate to individuals. Topics covered include individual income tax calculations, deductions, the tax characteristics of various business entities, trust and estate taxation, basis of property and cost recovery, property dispositions, passive activity losses, at-risk rules, miscellaneous taxes, interest on deficiencies and refunds, penalties, accounting methods, accounting periods, and tax management techniques.
FP 105: Planning for Retirement
This course deals with the single most important issue millions of people will be facing in the years to come: affording to retire. It covers determination of the retirement savings need and subsequently considers both government- and employer-sponsored methods of providing for one’s retirement. Distribution options from corporate retirement plans are reviewed. The suitability of an investment portfolio in ensuring a comfortable and profitable retirement is discussed.
FP 106: Estate Planning
This course presents the challenges of effective estate planning raised by tax code changes. It begins with a consideration of the estate planning process and the documents of transfer. The course then addresses the unified transfer tax system and the calculation of an individual’s estate tax liability. Estate planning techniques such as trusts, marital and charitable deduction vehicles, and intrafamily business and property transfers are then discussed. The course ends with a consideration of postmortem tax planning.
FP 107: Financial Planning Online Review Course
This course serves as a comprehensive review for the CFP^® Certification Examination.* Kaplan University is part of the same innovative educational network as Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, a nationally recognized company that has prepared students for standardized tests and professional licensing exams for over 60 years.† Kaplan University serves this history well by adding the Online Review Course to its online Certificate in Financial Planning program. Through detailed topic outlines, interactive review questions, and a simulation of the CFP^® Certification Examination, the Online Review Course prepares students for the rigors of the exam. The course proceeds sequentially through the topics listed by the CFP Board, beginning with a detailed outline of each topic to highlight key aspects of the material and concluding with review questions that will help you assess your mastery of each topic.

The Online Review Course is designed for:

Students who have completed Kaplan University’s online Certificate in Financial Planning program (available at no additional tuition charge for graduates of the entire program).
Graduates of CFP Board-Registered Programs other than Kaplan University’s.
Individuals who intend to challenge the CFP® Certification Examination. In order to challenge, one or more of the following designations must be earned: CPA, CFA®, CLU, ChFC, licensed attorney, DBA, or PhD in business or economics.

*Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., owns the CFP^®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM, and certification marks, which are awarded to individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing certification requirements. Kaplan University does not certify individuals to use CFP^®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM, and marks. CFP^® certification is granted solely by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., to individuals who, in addition to completing an educational requirement such as this CFP^® Board-Registered Program, have met its ethics, experience, and examination requirements.

†Kaplan University is a part of Kaplan Higher Education Corp., which is a division of Kaplan, Inc., a subsidiary of The Washington Post Co.