Ethics in Financial Counseling for IAR Continuing Education
Applying ethical principles to financial counseling challenges.
This class is approved CPA CPE. It was submitted for review by CFP Board and IWI for 2026 credit, but not for 2025 credit. It was submitted for NASAA IAR CE approval on December 5, 2025. NASAA review can take up to a month, but is usually three weeks.
It is prudent not to rely on this class for 2025 IAR CE credit. Instead, make a calendar appointment with yourself to take this class after January 5, 2026. By then, it is likely to have received NASAA approval, allowing IARs to start the year strong by earning one of the three credits required in 2026 focused on exclusively on ethics topics, and not professional responsibility. If the class is approved much sooner than expected, it will become available for 2025 IAR CE credit. Just don't plan on it. NASAA classes should prominently display their Course ID numbers. NASAA's $3 per class filing fee is included with membership ($60 quarterly).
Designed for CFP CE, CPA CPE, and CIMA CE as well as IAR CE, this course equip your with practical ethics and financial counseling skills to improve client decision-making under stress.
Drawing on psychology-informed methods, the program explains how to maintain professional boundaries, apply Rogerian principles, and assess emotional distress within the scope of financial planning. Participants learn tools such as the Financial Stress Management Plan and the 3-3-3 grounding technique to address anxiety and empower clients during periods of financial uncertainty.
Through case studies involving individuals and couples, the class highlights real-world ethical dilemmas and demonstrates how fiduciary duties intersect with emotional dynamics in advisory relationships.
Designed for IAR CE, CFP CE, CPA CPE, and CIMA CE audiences, the class provides actionable guidance that strengthens ethical practice, protects client outcomes, and supports compliant, client-centered financial counseling.
At this class, you’ll learn to:
Distinguish psychology from financial ethics and explain how ethical domains shape advisory practice. |
Apply a clear ethics code to real client interactions, demonstrating correct professional conduct. |
Maintain strict professional boundaries and use structured approaches to avoid boundary conflicts. |
Apply Rogerian counseling principles — genuineness, empathy, and positive regard — to improve advisor-client communication. |
Assess client emotional distress and identify how stress influences financial decision-making. |
Identify signs of potential clinical mental decline and recognize when emotional issues exceed normal financial stress. |
Address emotional issues ethically using tools such as CURE to stabilize distressed clients. |
Use structured tools to empower distressed clients, including crisis plans and grounding techniques. |
Navigate ethical dilemmas in individual client cases, including emotional dependence and boundary pressure. |
Resolve ethical conflicts within couples, addressing transparency, conflict, and fiduciary responsibilities. |
This CE class is ideal for:
- Investment Adviser Representatives (IARs) looking to satisfy CE requirements with real-world value
- CFP® professionals seeking practical tools to strengthen client relationships
- CPAs and CIMAs interested in incorporating behavioral insights into portfolio planning
- Financial therapists and counselors looking for science-based tools to improve advisor-client fit
Whether you're a solo practitioner or work within a larger advisory firm, this course delivers ideas you can immediately use to improve your work.
If this class qualifies for educational credit across CFP, CIMA, and CPA financial planning professionals as well as IAR CE, it's a way to earn credit for two licenses in half the usual time and at no additional cost to members.
Advisors4Advisors ensures the course is regulator-compliant and suitable for on-demand or live delivery formats. Upon completion, you'll receive credit tracking and a downloadable certificate for your records.
The class is delivered as an on-demand webinar recording, available to stream anytime. It's approximately 52 minutes in length and comes with downloadable presentation slides. You can watch the session at your own pace and revisit it as often as needed. When the live version, you'll have the opportunity to engage with the material in a live format and ask questions.
Many CE providers offer surface-level engagement with behavioral finance concepts. This class goes deeper—using one of the most rigorously tested personality models in modern psychology. By aligning your client approach with investor personality insights, you create deeper trust, fewer miscommunications, and more consistent client outcomes. If you're looking for a CE course that makes you better at both the technical and emotional aspects of advising, this is it.
To take the class, simply visit the Advisors4Advisors course catalog and enroll in the on-demand version. You'll get instant access to the class recording, materials, and your CE/CPE credit. You’ll also have the option to take a brief quiz to validate your learning. Start earning your CE credit while gaining tools that improve your advisory relationships for years to come.
Free to Advisors4Advisors members ($60/Qtr.)
Ethics field of study
Class has been submitted to NASAA for approval as Products & Practices IAR CE.
Approved by CFP Board for CFP CE, IWI for CIMA CE, and by NASBA for CPA CPE.
For information on administrative policies, such as refunds, cancellations and complaints, email [email protected].
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