Bob Adams, CFP®,MBA,MSFP
certified financial plannerTM practitioner
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Bob's Bio |
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Bob is a CFP®, certified financial plannerTM practitioner.
His educational background includes a Master’s degree in Financial Planning, an MBA and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. In a prior life, Bob held various Divisional and Corporate management roles at Hewlett-Packard for 23 years in software, support and global project management.
Bob is a native of the Bay Area and he lives in Cupertino with his wife of 27 years and their teenage son.
Bob is currently serving as President of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Financial Planning Association. He is also very involved as a civic volunteer and also within the local business and professional communities. In 2008, he served as the President of the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce. He has served in various leadership roles on the Cupertino Library Foundation Board for the last seven years, and he is an active member of the Rotary Club of Cupertino.
He is very passionate about furthering the Financial Planning profession and he has helped mentor financial planning students as well as provide educational lectures and pro-bono assistance to the public and various civic organizations.
What is a CFP®, certified financial plannerTM, and why is Certification Important?
Most people think that all financial planners are "certified," but this isn’t true. Anyone can call himself or herself a "financial planner." Only those who have fulfilled the certification and renewal requirements of CFP Board can display the CFP certification marks. When selecting a financial planner, you need to feel confident that the person you choose to help you plan for your future is competent and ethical. The CFP® certification provides that sense of security by allowing only those who meet the following requirements the right to use the CFP certification marks.
CFP® Certification Requirements
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.
Examination: CFP® practitioners must pass a comprehensive two-day, 10-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, that 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.
How does CFP Board’s Code of Ethics Benefit me?
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.
Ongoing Certification Requirements
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.
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