Estate Planning Certificate

About the Personal Financial Planning Certificate Program

The Personal Financial Planning Certificate Program is a series of certificates covering the core areas of personal financial planning (PFP), including retirement, estate, risk management and insurance, and investment planning, and how tax planning relates to each area. This certificate program is a combination of education and a certificate exam that gives you the opportunity to enhance your knowledge and demonstrate competence in that specific discipline.

Bundle exam + education and save!

This PFP certificate program offers three different options:

• Certificate: You can display your competence and understanding in one or more core areas with a digital badge awarded upon completion of each certificate exam, an online proctored exam taken from the convenience of your home or office. This certificate offers optional online education to provide a thorough comprehension of the material in preparation for the exam.

• Education: If CPE is your goal, you can purchase the education, without the certificate exam, and simply earn CPE credit for your CPA license, PFS credential, and/or CFP credential. If you hold the PFS credential, there is no need to take the certificate exam because your PFS credential exam tests this material.

• Credential: If you are an active CPA who wants to obtain the PFS credential, the certificate program provides an alternative pathway for meeting the exam and education requirements. See aicpa.org/pfs for details.

The Estate Planning Certificate Program

Part of the Personal Financial Planning Certificate Program, the Estate Planning Certificate Program is an informative and engaging learning experience that will enhance your knowledge of estate planning. Updated for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017, this program includes eight courses covering steps in the estate planning life cycle, including gifting strategies, charitable planning, and integrating your clients' estate plans with their tax and financial plans. And, if you are seeking a thorough understanding of estate planning as outlined in the AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP) Body of Knowledge, this program is for you!

This series of courses includes the following:

• The Estate Planning Process
• Trusts and Estate Planning Documents
• Basic Estate and Gifting Strategies
• Advanced Estate Planning Strategies
• Closely Held Business Estate Planning
• Incapacity and Postmortem Estate Planning
• Integrating Estate Planning With the Tax and Financial Plan
• Charitable Planning

Enhanced On-Demand Format

This enhanced on-demand format offers meaningful and relevant content in the form of tables, charts, and discussion points on slides. An instructor who is an expert on the topical area breaks down complex topics, offers best practices, provides clarity, and shares insights that help the learner achieve the learning objectives for the course.

Exam Scheduling

Five to eight business days after receiving your purchase confirmation email, we will send out the Notice to Schedule (NTS) email enabling you to schedule the specific day and either online proctor time or testing center location to take the exam any time over the next 12 months.

It is extremely important that the AICPA has the most recent contact information and email address for each registrant as your email and mailing address will be utilized for all communications regarding this exam. Log in to view or update your information.

Comprehensive estate planning knowledge

Enhancing your knowledge of estate planning will allow you to help your clients plan for their futures, including unforeseen events. You’ll gain a thorough understanding of estate planning as outlined in the AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP) Body of Knowledge.

Steps in the estate planning life cycle

You’ll explore topics that address the various steps in the estate planning life cycle. Topics covered include:

• Gifting strategies
• Charitable planning
• Integrating estate plans with tax and financial plan

Estate planning decoded

You’ll understand the intricacies of estate planning by taking the following courses included in the Estate Planning Certificate Program:

• The Estate Planning Process
• Trusts and Estate Planning Documents
• Basic Estate and Gifting Strategies
• Advanced Estate Planning Strategies
• Closely Held Business Estate Planning
• Incapacity and Postmortem Estate Planning
• Integrating Estate Planning With the Tax and Financial Plan
• Charitable Planning

Personal Financial Planning Certificate Program

The Personal Financial Planning Certificate Program is a series of certificates covering the core areas of personal financial planning (PFP), including retirement, estate, risk management and insurance, and investment planning, and how tax planning relates to each area.

This certificate program is a combination of education and a certificate exam that allows you to enhance your knowledge and demonstrate competence in that specific discipline.

Which option is right for you?

The PFP certificate program offers three different options so you can decide which helps you achieve your goals.

Certificate to display your competence

You can display your competence and understanding in one or more core areas of personal financial planning with a digital badge awarded upon completion of each certificate exam.

Each exam is proctored online and can be taken from the convenience of your home or office.

Optional online education is available so you can thoroughly comprehend the material and prepare for the exam.

Education to earn CPE

If CPE is your goal, you can purchase the education without the certificate exam, and simply earn CPE credit for your CPA license, PFS credential, and/or CFP® credential.

If you hold the PFS credential, there is no need to take the certificate exam because your PFS credential exam tests this material.

Credential as a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS)

If you are an active CPA who wants to obtain the PFS credential, the certificate program provides an alternative pathway for meeting the exam and education requirements.

See https://www.aicpa-cima.com/membership/landing/credentials for additional information.

Who Will Benefit

• Financial Planners
• CPAs

Key Topics

• Estate planning process
• Trusts and estate planning documents
• Basic estate and gifting strategies
• Advanced estate planning strategies
• Closely held business estate planning
• Incapacity and postmortem estate planning
• Integrating estate planning with the tax and financial plan
• Charitable planning

Learning Outcomes

• Determine key elements of transfer rules including the annual exclusion amount and basis step up.
• Identify the common benefits of trusts.
• Determine how trusts assist with business decisions and facilitate charitable intentions.
• Identify key considerations regarding asset transfers to family members
• Determine the potential role of insurance in addressing incapacity risk.
• Identify the ways in which life insurance can be used in estate planning, as well as the impact this will have on tax planning.
• Determine how to integrate estate planning with other areas of personal financial planning.
• Identify rules for limitations on contributions for corporations, trusts, and estates.