Kiplinger articles appeared as paid placements

f you’ve been on the hunt for a financial professional who can give you good advice, you may have been impressed — or perhaps just confused — by all those letters you see attached to different people’s names. Do those impressive-sounding credentials really carry any weight, or are they as worthless as the paper they are written on?

Just a few of the designations you might encounter include CFP®, RICP®, BCM, CAC, CHFC, CLU, WMS, CFS and, well, the list goes on and on.

When you see all those certifications, you can’t help but think, “Those are some pretty impressive credentials. These people must know what they’re talking about.”