CFP Board Announces Second-Generation CFP® Professional Simone Lee as 100,000th CFP® Certificant

CFP Board today announced Simone Lee of Merrill Wealth Management as the 100,000th CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM professional in the U.S. — a historic milestone that marks the highest number of CFP® professionals ever serving the public’s need for competent and ethical financial planning. CFP® professionals represent about one-third of retail financial advisors.

“We are honored to welcome Simone Lee as the 100,000th CFP® professional,” said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. “Her path to CFP® certification reflects the evolving financial planning profession, as younger people pursue financial planning careers and diversity within the CFP® professional community grows. We look forward to celebrating Simone’s achievement and highlighting the importance of financial planning.”

Simone, a 31-year-old financial advisor based in Bedminster, New Jersey, is a first-generation American and a University of Maryland graduate who transitioned from a career in IT to pursue financial planning. She was fortunate to have a CFP® professional in her family, who inspired her to change careers and join the profession. Her mother, Judith Lee, CFP®, who immigrated from Jamaica, is an award-winning advisor who leads a Merrill financial planning practice focused on comprehensive wealth management. In 2019, Simone joined her mother’s practice as a financial advisor.

“I am thrilled to be the 100,000th CFP® professional in the United States. I can’t wait to share my story and show others that there are many paths to starting a rewarding career as a financial advisor and earning CFP® certification,” said Simone Lee, CFP®. “I’ve seen the financial challenges faced by important people in my life, and I chose this career because of my desire to help others succeed.”

Simone’s journey to becoming the 100,000th CFP® professional underscores the rigorous training and unwavering commitment required to achieve CFP® certification. The working mother of a two-year-old, Simone prepared for and passed the March 2024 CFP® exam in her second attempt while pregnant with her second child. She credits the support of her colleagues and family in achieving certification.

“Simone Lee’s inspirational story demonstrates the power of perseverance,” said Keller. “Her achievement helps underscore the growing value and recognition of CFP® certification as the standard in financial planning. And it brings us closer to CFP Board’s vision of a future when all Americans have access to competent and ethical financial advice.”

Since 2007, when Keller became CFP Board CEO, the number of CFP® professionals in the U.S. has nearly doubled, from just over 50,000 to today’s 100,538 CFP® professionals.

Attracting and Developing the Next Generation of Financial Planners

As demand for CFP® professionals grows, CFP Board is actively cultivating a sustainable financial planning talent pipeline, connecting employers with skilled professionals through its Career Center and fostering a diverse workforce that reflects American communities. CFP Board’s research highlights the benefits of financial planning careers for professionals and firms and documents financial planning’s impact on clients.

As CFP Board celebrates its 100,000th CFP® professional, it continues to advance the financial planning profession for the public’s benefit and uphold the certification’s integrity through ongoing education, advocacy and support for certificants.

To learn more about CFP Board or becoming a CFP® professional, visit CFP.net/GetCertified.

Watch the inspirational video of Simone Lee’s journey to becoming a CFP® certificant.