The College for Financial Planning—a Kaplan Company, which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, has launched an ETFs & Portfolio Construction Certificate Program for financial advisors, in collaboration with iShares® by BlackRock, one of the world’s largest asset managers. ETFs (or exchange traded funds) provide access to a wide range of markets, allowing investors to diversify their portfolios more efficiently than ever before. Like a stock, they trade on exchange, but offer the ability to track broad market performance, pinpoint precise exposures, or generate alpha. ETFs can be utilized to implement both longer-term, strategic allocations as well as more short-term, tactical exposures within investment portfolios.
In 2024, the U.S. ETF industry experienced unprecedented growth, with more than 650 new ETFs launched as of December 2024, surpassing the previous year’s record by more than 150. Additionally, in 2024, net inflows reached approximately $1.1 trillion, breaking the previous record of $901 billion set in 2021.
The new certificate program is designed to equip financial advisors with comprehensive resources and tools to have more informed conversations around the opportunity that ETFs might bring to their clients’ portfolios. It covers an understanding of ETF fundamentals, highlights the global trends transforming the industry, and how ETFs can be used to develop a broad range of diversified investment portfolios that pursue client needs. The on-demand course is available through the College’s state-of-the art learning platform that students have up to 120 days to complete.
“ETFs have revolutionized how investors build portfolios and have increasingly become the preferred vehicle for many,” said Daniel Prince, U.S. head of iShares product consulting at BlackRock. “Product innovation and investor education is at the core of how we empower investors with choice and easy access to help them achieve financial well-being. We are excited to partner with Kaplan to help financial advisors deepen their knowledge of different investment strategies and how they can be implemented in portfolios.”
“Kaplan and BlackRock worked together to make this program available because of a shared commitment to education and investor advocacy,” said Dirk Pantone, president of the College. “The program aims to provide financial advisors with the right tools, education, and resources to have better conversations about ETFs with their clients. Financial advisors who complete this course will be better positioned to unlock opportunities for investors by guiding them through what exchange traded product best fits their risk/return preferences.”
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