Budget Counselors - Licensing / Certification

Financial counselors who buy or sell stocks, bonds, or insurance, or who provide investment advice, need a combination of licenses that varies with the products they sell. In addition, counselors in smaller firms that manage clients’ investments must be registered with state regulators and those in larger firms must be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

For more information, visit:

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Financial counselors who sell insurance need to be licensed. Requirements vary by state.

Certification is optional for consumer credit counselors. It is rarely required for employment or advancement. However, the Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC) designation indicates a financial counselor has strong skills. Applicants for the AFC certification must:

pass an exam;
demonstrate two years of financial counseling experience; and
submit three letters of reference.

For more information about certification as a Financial Counselor, contact:

Institute for Personal Finance
2121 Arlington Avenue, Suite 5, Upper Arlington, OH 43221-4339
Phone: 614.485.9650, Fax: 614.485.9621