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Oakland University's twelve-month Executive CFP® Program is designed for professionals who have at least 2-3 years of financial planning experience in the financial services industry. Any exceptions to the experience requirement requires approval by the Advisory Board and/or Program Director.
The cohort-based, one-year Executive Program requires the completion of six courses, each spanning eight weeks. All courses are required to sit for the CFP® Examination. The goal of the program is to assist participants through successful completion of the materials using techniques applicable to adult learning styles and a schedule that will integrate into busy work and personal lives.
Oakland University's Certificate Program in Personal Financial Planning is registered with the CFP® Board of Standards in Washington, D.C. OU's program was one of the first in the country to be registered by the CFP® Board, and the program abides by all Board standards.
July 2025 Program Schedule
Wednesdays from 6-9:30pm
Financial Plan Development: July 9 - August 6, 2025
Estate Plan and Advanced Case Study: September 10 - October 29, 2025
Risk Management: November 12, 2025 - January 14, 2026
Investments Financial Plan and Financial Calculator: January 21 - March 11, 2026
Income Tax: March 18 - May 6, 2026
Retirement and Employee Benefits: May 13 - July 1, 2026
Financial Plan Capstone: As needed July - September, 2026
Course Descriptions
Risk Management:
Survey of risk management, primarily in the areas of life, health, casualty, and liability insurance. Includes analysis of risk exposure, evaluation techniques for various insurance plans, and contract selection criteria from a cost-benefit standpoint. Income and estate taxation laws as related to insurance premiums and benefits; alternative methods of funding insurance premiums; and the role of insurance in retirement and estate planning will also be discussed
Investments Financial Plan & Financial Calculator
A newly re-designed introduction to the Principles of Personal Financial Planning and Investments. Participants receive an extensive introduction to the financial planning process, time value of money, ethical considerations, economic environment and essential investment planning concepts. The course includes study of securities markets, investment asset classes, portfolio construction, and investment techniques, tools and strategies. This course is a prerequisite to all the other courses in the program. An HP10BII calculator is required for the program.
Income Tax
Designed to enable the professional providing personal financial planning services to recognize many of the income tax planning opportunities and dilemmas that may arise. The course covers the fundamentals of individual income taxation and tax law overview, terminology and computations. Discussion and analysis will focus on practical problems involving tax planning implications of home ownership; property transactions; tax advantage investments; divorce and remarriage; forms of business ownership; accounting methods and periods; life insurance, annuities, and securities; intra-family and charitable transfers; and forms and methods of employment compensation.
Retirement & Employee Benefit
Provides working knowledge of retirement planning tools, terminology, and techniques, including the rules, regulations, and taxation of qualified and non-qualified plans: Pension, profit sharing, 401(k), SEP, IRA, and deferred compensation. Includes study of the basic characteristics of specific employee benefits such as group life insurance and group health coverage. The financial planning process will be emphasized in class discussion with illustrations from practical experience and actual case histories.
Estate Plan & Advanced Case Study
Also, newly re-designed, this course combines the estate planning essentials with practical application using the case study method. The course covers the estate planning process, property ownership and implications, lifetime and death-related transfers, legal documents, federal gift and estate tax law, business transfers, estate valuation, and income tax ramifications in estate planning The case studies integrate all aspects of the financial planning process with an emphasis on the estate planning. Students are expected to participate actively in the case presentations.
Financial Plan Development
The Financial Plan Development course features solid, practical application of all the material covered in the prior classes. Students are required to prepare a comprehensive written financial plan and to present it orally, according to rules established by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. The course provides both relevant, practical experience in comprehensive planning and superlative preparation for the case studies in the national certification examination.