Your Goals Achieved Through Their Expertise
The American College of Financial Services helps financial and philanthropic professionals build applied knowledge — so they can help you achieve your goals. Learn what each designation means for your professional, and your plan.
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Understand College Designations
The College confers rigorous and relevant designations tied to the knowledge professionals need to serve you best. Below, you’ll find what each one means and what it requires.
You can see specific experience and education requirements on our financial professional website. Please note: We can’t verify licenses, registrations, or designations from other institutions or organizations.
CAP®
Applies deep, specialized knowledge and tools to help you articulate and advance your legacy for yourself, your family, and society
- Apply appropriate tax strategies, tools, and techniques for your various philanthropic goals
- Advise families on important financial matters, including business exit planning, estate planning, and legacy planning
- Handle gift planning for you or your nonprofit or foundation
ChFC®
Applies foundational knowledge about insurance, taxation, retirement, estate planning, and small business planning to help create your financial plan
- Develop financial plans to achieve goals and manage risks
- Support the unique financial needs of nontraditional family structures
- Design income tax strategies for individuals, businesses, and other entities
- Create foundational retirement, investment, and estate planning strategies
- Address broad special needs planning, gift planning, and inheritance
CASL®
Applies specialized knowledge to lead you from middle age through retirement and help you manage, preserve, and transfer your wealth
- Help you structure distributions (withdraw income) from pensions, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, IRAs, and Social Security
- Offer solutions to help you mitigate longevity risk (that is, the risk of outliving your savings)
- Put a plan in place to help you prepare for health- and long-term care needs
- Develop effective estate planning strategies
ChSNC®
Applies deep, specialized skills and expertise in financial planning for special needs individuals, their families, and caregivers
- Navigate tax planning, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), special needs trusts, and other federal benefits
- Ensure a comfortable future for your loved ones with life insurance options and estate planning
- Prepare for costs of long-term care through management of healthcare planning and Medicaid complexities
CLU®
Applies in-depth, specialized knowledge of life insurance to help you with goal-based planning, business continuity, employee benefits, and/or estate planning
- Protect your future and that of your family through life insurance
- Help you protect yourself and your business with key person insurance and related employee benefits
- Address your estate planning needs
FSCP®
Applies fundamental financial services knowledge and skills to help meet your financial needs with appropriate tools and products
- Listen to your goals and identify related short- and long-term needs
- Create your financial plan based on your personal circumstances
- Guide you in the evaluation and selection of appropriate investment products
- Build your investment portfolio and adjust it as circumstances change
RICP®
Applies deep, specialized knowledge to build a sustainable and holistic retirement income strategy, tailored to your situation and income sources
- Help you select investments, annuities, and other products to achieve your goals
- Evaluate strategies for Social Security claiming, containing healthcare and long-term care costs, and managing taxation
- Incorporate tools for estate and legacy planning
- Convert your assets into income that will support your lifestyle and longevity
TPCPTM
Applies deep, specialized knowledge to create a financial strategy that minimizes your tax burden
- Use tax-informed strategies for estate planning, retirement planning and withdrawals, and investment management
- Optimize tax advantages in situations such as divorce, special needs planning, and philanthropic giving
- Consider tax implications of investment vehicles, such as Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and 529 college savings plans
WMCP®
Applies foundational knowledge to build a broadly diversified, tax-efficient portfolio aligned with your goals
- Use a goal-based process for planning, growing, and managing your wealth
- Create an efficient investment portfolio
- Evaluate financial instruments
- Provide solutions for any complex financial needs that may arise
