CFP India Framework

The planning principles behind every FinPlann recommendation, and where we think you still need a human adviser.

What is the CFP framework?

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP) is a professional certification for financial planners, set by the Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB). In India, FPSB Ltd. has run the certification directly since April 2019.

To qualify, candidates study investment planning; retirement and tax planning; and risk and estate planning, then an integrated course on building a complete plan for a client. The core idea is an order of work: get cash flow right, build a safety net, protect the family, then invest for goals and retirement.

FinPlann's planner and AI action plan follow that same order, applied to the numbers you enter, so recommendations come from established planning principles rather than generic tips.

Please note: FinPlann is not a CFP professional and is not certified or endorsed by FPSB. We use the publicly known CFP approach as a guide for our tools. Everything FinPlann shows is for information only and isn't personal financial advice. For big decisions, speak to a qualified adviser.

How FinPlann applies it

  1. You enter your numbersIncome, expenses, investments, goals and insurance. You type them in yourself, so we never connect to your bank.
  2. The planning rules runSavings rate, emergency-fund months, the SIP each goal needs, and the gap between your cover and the cover you need.
  3. You get a plan, most urgent firstSpecific steps with amounts and timelines, grouped into what to do first, what to improve and what can wait.

The six areas we cover

Each area below is a part of CFP-style planning, with what FinPlann actually does for it.

Area 1

Cash flow

Every plan starts with where your money comes from and where it goes, so you know your real monthly surplus.

In FinPlann: your monthly surplus and savings rate. A savings rate of 30% or more earns full marks in your Financial Health Score.

Area 2

Emergency fund

A cash buffer for job loss, medical bills or urgent repairs, so you never have to sell long-term investments in a hurry.

In FinPlann: a target of 6 months of outflows, including EMIs, held in savings, FDs or liquid funds, and how far you are from it.

Area 3

Goal-based investing

Instead of chasing returns, each investment is tied to a goal, such as a child's education, a home or retirement, with a target that allows for inflation.

In FinPlann: an inflation-adjusted target for each goal, the monthly SIP it needs, how much your current SIPs already cover, and fund categories suited to how far away the goal is.

Area 4

Insurance

Protection comes before investing. Without enough life and health cover, one event can undo years of saving.

In FinPlann: life cover sized at 10 to 20 times your annual income, depending on your age and dependants, plus your outstanding loans. For NRIs it is sized on what your family would need in India. Health cover starts at ₹15 lakh plus ₹5 lakh per dependant, and rises after 60. Critical illness cover is checked too.

Area 5

Retirement

The longest-range goal: the corpus you need to keep your lifestyle once you stop working, after inflation.

In FinPlann: your financial-freedom number at 25 times annual expenses (a 4% withdrawal rate), and a year-by-year view of whether your money lasts to age 90.

Area 6

Tax planning

Tax-efficient investing is part of the CFP curriculum. Deductions depend on your tax regime and details a plan can't see, such as your employer's salary structure, so the AI action plan leaves tax tips out on purpose.

In FinPlann: work it out with the Income Tax Calculator (old vs new regime under the Income-tax Act, 2025), the HRA Calculator and the ELSS vs PPF vs NPS comparison.

A CFP professional or FinPlann?

A CFP professional

  • Deep expertise and judgement for your situation.
  • A personal, ongoing relationship.
  • Handles estate planning, complex tax and large portfolios.
  • Paid per plan, by the hour or as a yearly fee, with meetings booked ahead.

FinPlann

  • The same planning order, applied to your own numbers.
  • Available any time, and updates as your numbers change.
  • The planner is free; the AI action plan and FinChat are on Pro.
  • Information, not personal advice.
We recommend both. Use FinPlann to keep your plan current and spot gaps early. See a qualified adviser for big decisions such as estate planning, complex tax or a large portfolio.

About FPSB

The Financial Planning Standards Board is the global standards body that owns the CFP certification outside the US and licenses it to member organisations around the world. In India it runs the certification itself.

2,36,300CFP professionals worldwide
29territories

Figures at the end of 2025, from FPSB's press release of 23 March 2026. More about CFP certification in India at india.fpsb.org.

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