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The CTFA advisory board has determined that a competent trust advisor professional's expertise includes the following domains:
Please review the CTFA Examination Outline for additional details, as well as the FAQ Document and Webinar on Exam Changes.
While ABA recommends these resources as appropriate examination preparation, ABA does not guarantee that you will pass the exam by completing these educational programs or studying these materials alone. The CTFA exam assesses not only your knowledge of the topics on the exam outline, but also your application of that knowledge. You should refer frequently to the CTFA Exam Outline when preparing for the exam.
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Certificates
Schools
Younger generations of clients are looking for expert help in planning their financial futures. Are you ready to address their unique needs? Invest in training from ABA Wealth and Trust Schools to build expertise and sharpen your competitive edge.
Levels 1 and 2 have been redesigned to include all content covered for the Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) designation. The advanced school has been reengineered to include lectures and applicable case studies to strengthen your expertise and provide continuing educations credits.
Exam Prep
An interactive, user-friendly online course that allows students to study at their own pace, with access to resources and practice tests modeled after an actual exam.
Reference Guide
The 4-series reference guides, updated annually, are comprehensive resources for today's wealth advisor, including expanded topics to meet diverse client expectations, with two entire volumes focused on integrated planning and advice.
The Reference Guides to Wealth Management and Trust are updated annually and released in the spring. If you are taking the exam during the February exam window, the Reference Guide released the prior year will suffice. If you are taking the exam at any other time in the year, the Reference Guide released in the spring is recommended. The Reference Guides are available for pre-order beginning in January.
Other Options
*This is not an endorsement of the program or its sponsor.
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Any person found to have violated any of the rules governing ABA Professional Certifications exams, or to have conducted themselves in a dishonest or unethical manner with respect to the taking of an ABA Professional Certifications exam is subject to sanctions determined to be appropriate by ABA Professional Certifications, in its sole discretion, including, but not limited to: denial of certification; denial of the right to take any or all ABA Professional Certifications examinations. We reserve the right to pursue any and all remedies available to it, including legal remedies, with respect to any violation of its examination rules against anyone who violated ABA Professional Certifications examination rules or aided another in violating these rules.
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