The FPA Virtual Externship is back — and better than ever.
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Internships and continuing education: Reimagined.
Whether you are a college student looking for the perfect career or a financial planner looking to level up your career, the FPA Virtual Externship is your chance to dig in deep and see financial planning in action — in a whole new way.
Our 100% online program takes the best parts of an internship, like learning from experts and “getting your hands dirty,” and multiplies the effect.
Instead of working with just one firm, you get to peek behind the curtain and see over 25 firms and experts at work, and do the work yourself. You’ll also get access to over 20 deliverables and processes from these experts, so you can learn a new way to work that works for you.
With the FPA Virtual Externship, anyone can learn more about the profession and its practice from their own home. No scanning paperwork or learning how to use a fax machine required.
We created the FPA Virtual Externship for YOU.
No experience necessary. All are welcome.
You’ll get the opportunity to see how financial planning is applied in diverse financial planning firms, and with diverse clientele, so you can finally see yourself in the profession.
Unlike most financial planning curriculum, information will be presented in dynamic live discussions, that allow you to see how a real Certified Financial Planner™ professional would implement it.
What you’ll really learn in the externship…
Over the course of 8 weeks, externs will receive in-depth and expert trainings on:
- Investment Planning
- Insurance and Risk Management Planning
- Cash Flow Planning
- Student Loan Planning and College Planning
- Retirement Planning
- Tax Planning
- Estate Planning
- Navigating Your Career
- Real-world Applications for Planning Software
Externs get access to a library of recorded lessons that dive deep into unique approaches to financial planning, plus get real-world assignments, in-depth tutorials and walkthroughs.
You can also get eMoney-certified! (One extern said “The externship is worth joining simply for the eMoney access!”)
To add to all of that, the externship also offers live office-hour access to top financial planners — PLUS a unique look inside client meetings and a real-life planner/client relationship.
Plus, for those working toward their CFP® designation, the FPA Virtual Externship now offers 180 CFP Board Standard Pathway experience hours upon proof of completion. (That’s 20 more hours than last year, and is now enough to fulfill most schools’ internship requirements!)
So the real question is: Why NOT join the externship?
Extern alumni have said this experience helped them:
- Identify personal financial planning philosophies
- Gain access and training to some of the top financial planning software
- Learn from some of the top thought leaders in financial planning
- Get an inside look at how financial planning is actually done by the people who actually do financial planning
- Access a wealth of knowledge to help them navigate their career
- Take an in-depth look at different financial planning areas and how different planners approach different sets of clients (example: investment planning, insurance & risk management planning, etc)
- Discover a passion for financial planning
- Get real-world experience
- Become part of the financial planning community
- Serve and engage with diverse people and potential clients
- Identify personal financial planning philosophies
- Gain access and training to some of the top financial planning software
- Learn from some of the top thought leaders in financial planning
- Get an inside look at how financial planning is actually done by the people who actually do financial planning
- Access a wealth of knowledge to help them navigate their career
- Take an in-depth look at different financial planning areas and how different planners approach different sets of clients (example: investment planning, insurance & risk management planning, etc)
- Discover a passion for financial planning
- Get real-world experience
- Become part of the financial planning community
- Serve and engage with diverse people and potential clients
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
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How many hours per week will I need to commit to the Externship?
The FPA 2022 Summer Externship will be between 15-25 hours every week if taken within eight weeks. This includes time in the course, time spent working on the homework and time learning the software. To earn 180 hours of CFP Board Standard Pathway experience, you will need to complete all of the Test Your Knowledge quizzes and Homework assignments before the end of the program. Participants will have an additional four weeks after the program conclusion to complete course work. The last day to complete any course work to complete the program and/or obtain the 180 Standard Pathway experience hours is Friday, August 26th, 2022.
My FPA membership is set to expire in May. If I sign up for the Externship at $199, will I get a FPA membership or are they separate?
Your FPA membership dues and the registration fee are treated separately. Please note that being an active member of FPA for the entirety of the program is a requirement to particpate in the Externship. If you are due to renew in May (or June or July) we would be happy to help you with your renewal. Please contact us at (800) 322-4237 or email us at [email protected]
Can I still work a full time job and do the Externship?
Yes! In previous years, we had externs who worked a full-time job and were still able to participate and complete the externship. The program has been designed with scheduling flexibility in mind and can be completed on your time. There are live elements each week, but they are recorded and available for you to watch the next day.
Are there specific times I will need to be on a computer watching or participating? What happens if I have a conflict?
The Externship is meant to be flexible and fit your schedule. Each week there is a mix of pre-recorded and live content. The live sessions are opportunities for you to meet and connect with expert FPA members – but participation is not required. These sessions are recorded and made available so you can watch them later!
What does a sample week look like?
Each week, Hannah Moore, CFP® will guide you through:
- Monday: ▶️ Meet our experts as they showcase how they do financial planning
- Tuesday: ▶️ Technology dives & Homework assignments given
- Wednesday – 🔴 Live office hours with experts
- Thursday – ▶️ Sit in on real financial planning meetings with Hannah
- Friday – ▶️/🔴 Level Up Your Career topics, ▶️Homework walkthroughs
I don’t have financial planning experience. Will I be able to do the work in the Externship?
Yes! Even if you don’t have experience within financial planning, we will walk you through everything you need to know.
I’m an experienced financial planner. Will I still benefit from the Externship?
Yes! While you may not need the CFP Board’s experience hours, there is a lot of valuable information and valuable looks inside other planner’s practices.
I am a career changer and planning on starting my CFP® certification education courses in the fall. Is this program something that would help me find out if this profession is right for me?
Yes! There are so many great reasons to become a financial planner or receive the CFP® designation. Even if you decide that a CFP® mark isn’t what you want to pursue, you may still find what many other people find: that financial planning can serve you well in other disciplines, and can make you a more well-rounded and desirable candidate when you enter the workforce.
How can the FPA Externship help me define my next move as a career changer?
Whether you love numbers, want to help people live their best lives, or find fulfillment in working on teams, financial planning may be your ideal career path. The FPA Externship showcases just what a planner’s work looks like, and how you can make an impact with this career! You’ll get the opportunity to see how financial planning is applied in diverse financial planning firms, and with diverse clientele, so you can really decide if this career is for you.
Will I be able to attend the 2022 FPA Externship if I already attended in 2021 or 2020?
Yes! We love seeing familiar faces!
Am I eligible to earn experience hours this year if I already received CFP experience hours for the 2021 or 2020 FPA Externship?
Yes! You’ll be eligible to receive the experience hours again this year. The great news is that it provides 180 hours this year! Experience hours will only apply to the standard pathway requirement.
Do these hours count toward the Apprentice pathway for CFP® certification?
Unfortunately, the experience hours provided in this program do not qualify for the CFP Board Apprenticeship Pathway requirement. The Apprenticeship Pathway requires that your experience be delivered by personally engaging with individual clients.
I can’t afford the program registration. What should I do?
We have a number of scholarships available to FPA members for whom the fee is limiting. Please fill out this form.