Contact: Sammy McDavid
In January, Mississippi State begins offering the state's only certificate program in financial planning.
Available via the Internet by the university's College of Business and Industry, the program will fulfill educational requirements necessary for individuals to carry the trademarked professional title of Certified Financial Planner.
Edwin H. Duett, a professor in the department of finance and economics, said CFP is the most widely recognized financial planning certification in the United States.
"Our certificate program will be the only one in Mississippi registered with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc.," he added.
Based in Denver, Colo., and Arlington, Va., the board of standards is an independent national regulatory organization that licenses individuals meeting its strict criteria for education, experience and ethics. As a basic requirement, CFP candidates must have a bachelor's degree or more than five years of financial planning-related experience. Also required are specific college or university courses in financial planning.
Duett, who holds the business college's Peter K. Lutken Chair of Insurance, said MSU's online courses will include risk management and insurance, investment and portfolio management, income tax planning, employee benefits and retirement planning, and estate planning.
For additional information on the program, visit the program Web site at http://www.cbi.msstate.edu/cfp. Duett may be reached at (662) 325-2341 or eduett@cobilan.msstate.edu.