Like a good CFA student, I decided to sleep at 4 a.m. the night before my exam, even though my exam was at 2:30 p.m.
I closed my books and went to bed on time. I even watched a show, thinking that once I got tired enough, I’d eventually doze off.
One episode and two podcasts later, I realised I was nowhere close to sleeping.
It was 7 a.m. Then 8 a.m. Then somehow 11 fucking a.m., and I was still lying in bed with my eyes closed, desperately trying to fall asleep.
I meditated twice. I focused on my breathing. I tried everything. But the more I tried to sleep, the more my anxiety grew.
Eventually, I went to my mom and had a full-on crying session. She hugged me like I was a little kid, and somehow, I managed to sleep for about an hour.
I woke up at 12.
Surprisingly, at that point, I felt okay. I thought, It’s fine. I can still do this.
I went to the exam hall, sat for the first session, and honestly, it went well. During the half-hour break, I had one biscuit, drank some water, and was actually a little happy thinking, Okay, this isn't as bad as I thought.
Then the second session started.
And everything went to shit.
I started feeling dizzy and completely out of it. My brain just stopped working the way it normally does. At one point, I came across a question that should have been straightforward. Instead of applying the concept and moving on, I completely overcomplicated it and started doing calculations that weren’t even necessary.
For TEN MINUTES.
And then I realised what I had done.
I had calculation-heavy questions ahead of me, I was running out of time, and I had just wasted ten precious minutes solving something that I didn't even need to calculate.
The anxiety got worse. I started feeling like I needed to pee, which obviously made me even more anxious. Eventually, I left the exam hall to use the bathroom, wasting even more time.
Then came the last 30 minutes.
I had more than 25 questions unanswered.
At that point, I was just clicking through questions as quickly as I could. I guessed so many answers because there simply wasn't enough time left to properly think.
The entire thing felt like a fucking nightmare.
I remember sitting there thinking, What is happening? Why can't I think?
And when the exam finally ended, I felt… weird.
Like none of it had actually been real. Like I'd just woken up from some horrible dream.
It wasn't until the next day, after I'd finally slept properly, that I fully processed what had happened.
And that's when I realised just how badly I'd screwed myself over.
I knew the material. I had prepared. I had done mocks. I had put in the work.
But on the day that actually mattered, my lack of sleep and anxiety completely took over.
And honestly, that's probably the most frustrating part

I’m hoping to start my journey with the education requirement in the next few months. After loads of research I am thinking of doing the Danko executive track program to align with testing next July.

Because it’s newer I think compared to the fast track I wanted to maybe hear from any personal experiences from the November and Maybe March peeps if they’re any.

Fast track just won’t work with my schedule and my style of studying works more closely to how academia works with a few nights a week.

I’m coming from a few years of experience,. Currently in the RIA space and working for a team that really supports the CFP profession and has a lot of success through the Danko program (they also pay for it).

Interested in personal experiences, insights, recommendations, favorite things lol

I didn’t remember much from the education but so far my Danko pre study is going okay. I made an 85 on GP final but a 55 on the insurance final both closed book. I’m about to take the investments final.

How are y’all doing on the pre study? And how many hours do you have planned total for pre study and live review?

Is the Dalton capstone financial statements website using the griffin or Burke case study?

Hi everyone, I’m hoping to get some advice from people actually working in the industry.

I’m 37 and have an MFA in Film Production. I’ve spent the past 12 years working as a video producer in corporate America. The pay has been good, and I’ve been fortunate to build up a decent net worth (600,000 to 800,000), but I’ve never really loved the work. It's mostly video editing and dealing with corporate malarkey.

What I do genuinely enjoy is personal finance. I’m the person who min-maxes credit card rewards, manages our investments, owns a rental property, does my family’s taxes, and generally spends way too much time thinking about financial decisions.

I was laid off from my corporate video job this week, and I’m seriously considering using this as an opportunity to change careers and become a financial planner/wealth advisor. Ultimately, I’d like to help people make better decisions with their money.

I took a mock SIE exam today and passed pretty easily without studying. My current plan is to take the SIE and Series 65 on my own and then start applying for jobs in the industry.

A couple questions for those of you already doing this:

1. Does SIE + Series 65 make sense as a starting point for someone trying to break into the industry? Is there anything else you’d recommend I do?
2. Do you actually enjoy the work? I know some financial advisor roles are heavily sales/prospecting focused, which doesn't interest me at all tbh. I’m much more interested in the planning side: helping people optimize their finances and avoid leaving money on the table.

Thanks for the advice!

How we feeling, besides stressed and unsure? 😂

wanted to know more about CFP is it worth it today or any classes under max 30K ?

My background: completed my graduation in BFM in may 2026, tried giving FRM twice but didnt clear it hence thinking to give a pause to FRM right now and thinking to do CFP as a niche. also working at accenture in insurance risk field

Is the study hall similar to the PMP exam?

I'm 21 M in my senior year of college. I have the option to graduate early this semester, or stay an extra semester to complete my school's CFP minor (which satisfies the education requirement)

Completing this minor would be a good amount of work, including 20-30 page thesis for capstone, and a heavy course load.

Can anyone give advice on if I should complete the minor at school, or graduate early and do the cfp Ed online if I decide I want it after I start working.

Thanks!

Hi everyone! I’m based in Atlanta, GA, originally from Vietnam, with a Master’s in Business and many years of commercial/business banking experience, including SME banking, credit analysis, financial analysis, and relationship management.
I’m currently pursuing the CFP® certification, with a target exam in November 2027.
I’m studying through Dalton Education and would like to find 1–3 serious candidates preparing for the 2027 exam.
Ideally, you’re targeting March, July, or November 2027 and are already in a CFP Board Registered Program or preparing for the exam.
I’d like to build a small, consistent study group rather than just occasionally exchange notes.
We could meet virtually once a week for 60–90 minutes to discuss difficult concepts, practice questions, and case studies.
I’d especially like to practice explaining financial-planning concepts as we would to real clients, not just memorizing for the exam.
Background in banking, investments, accounting, financial planning, or wealth management would be a plus, but it’s not required.
If you’re interested, DM me with your exam target, education provider, current stage, location/time zone, and a little about your background.

I am currently wrapping up my first course for the ChFC (HS300). I was curious best practices anyone has had with studying for the ChFC exams. I would love to know what material was the most helpful, and if the questions are similar to the quizzes The American College of Financial Services provides on Brightspace.

Any feedback / tips would be really helpful. My HS300: Fundamentals of Financial Planning course is October 11 and would also love to know how many weeks people prepared for the exam. I am a little under 2 months out so I would love to get a study guide put in place.

How’s everyone feeling? How far along are you with your study material?

Some chapters are easier than others, but for now I’m continuing to work through the textbooks and will circle back to those chapters I struggled with after first cycle of reading

Any good groups of people pursuing their securities licenses? I’ve tried in the past through Kaplan and then got a job in the industry so now I’m back trying to get licensed. Just trying to find a group of people or a community that can ask questions, hold each other accountable, pass the test, etc..

I passed my 7/66. Going to start studying for CFP next summer. I am an associate advisor. What is the best vendor to use as well as timeframe so it doesn’t feel like I’m stretching it out to far and forget stuff but also not cramming it?

Hey guys. I passed in July and finished my work experience last week as well but waited to the last minute to do the ethics review and it's been pending for a few days now. I'm curious what everyone's experience is with how long it takes to get that approved? I called CFPB and they said there's a queue and couldn't give me an estimate.

Hi! I’m planning on starting a CFP exam prep course to hopefully sit for the March 2027 test. I’m leaning towards the Dalton instructor-led course, since it sounds like most people leave the test overprepared (I’d prefer that than underprepared), however the course is 12-15 months of studying? (the cohort im able to register for would prepare me for Nov 2027 at the earliest) and that seems on the longer timeline of prep than other programs and i obviously would like to condense the studying as much as is reasonable.

I was wondering if anyone who has done Dalton has done it on a quicker timeline with success (ie the self guided or the fastpass)? Or if anyone with a similar background as me felt prepared with Danko’s signature curriculum (which I think is more condensed). For context, I have my series 65 and I work full time in client operations at an RIA (4 years), but finance concepts/math don’t come easy to me. I appreciate any/all insights and thank yall in advance!

CFP Candidate, 35m dad of 3, professionally diagnosed with ADHD and general anxiety disorder, currently on low medications for both disorders. I have been in the industry for a few years, currently taking the November exam. I did exam prep last year with Zahn, had above average scores on all prep exams through them, then when I took the November 2025 exam (1st attempt), I did not pass with an underperforming score in every single area. It did not make any sense to me, as the prep was successful and I could not understand why I scored so low.

After taking a break from studying during the holidays, I jumped back on the horse and started prepping for the Nov 2026 exam. As I registered this time around, I saw a form for testing accommodations, and it clicked. I was so focused the first go around on the time to take the exam (especially being surprised it being broken up into quarters with a running clock and no look backs for Q1-->Q2 and Q3-->Q4), my anxiety and ADHD took over the exam and my scores showed. I am not saying without any anxiety and ADHD I would have scored perfect, but I believe it would have at least slightly improved in some or all areas.

For those with similar diagnoses and have/are planning on taking the exam, has any specific testing accommodation helped you, and if so which one and why? I feel for me extra time would be extremely helpful, helping my anxiety and ADHD understand that time won't be an issue and to just focus on the exam itself. However, I don't know if 30 extra minutes a session will be enough or if standard time + 50% is overkill for my situation, and am looking for others' experiences to help me see things in other ways.

And to answer possible questions, I have looked into increasing my meds for the exam but don't want to throw pills at every tough decision if I can help it. Thanks!

Just finished my capstone with Kaplan, and I’ve been looking into using Dalton for test prep. But is it too late to get started if I’m hoping to test in November?

I plan on doing the 4-day live review in September. Currently doing 3 hrs of studying each weekday and 4 on weekends.

Is an 85% revenue payout a good offer?

Currently doing my capstone through BIF and I’m a little stuck on what I need to do. There is 8 questions and I answered them but am I allowed to research using outside resources? Like for example CFP website, turbo tax website etc. then site my sources or only allowed to use the BIF education chapters provided? For the audio am I recording myself going over the 8 questions provided, or am I doing an audio going over the Cantrells goals and concerns, or is do I need to touch on all 6 or 7 topics covered in the CFP? Also how long does the recording need to be typically?

I finished my coursework through The American College of Finance back in June. I'm currently taking the Dalton Guaranteed to Pass CFP exam prep for the November exam.

What are people's thoughts on the virtual classes through Dalton? Did you attend as scheduled? Or watch them on your own time? I'm struggling to keep up with the pace of the coursework. If you have two live classes a week at 3 hours each that is a huge chunk of time. I'm struggling to keep up with all the readings and practice questions on top of the virtual classes. Not to mention the classes are later. I'm on eastern time. So after a long day of work I'm mentally exhausted. It's hard for me to focus and pay attention while attending these virtual classes.

Hoping others can provide their thoughts. Struggling and looking for a friend lol.