The designation is awarded annually by the National Association of Board Certified Advisory Practices (NABCAP), a nationally-registered 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, established to serve the needs of the investing public by helping identify top wealth managers.  The selection process is based on a proprietary system whose ultimate goal
is to provide investors and advisors a trusted standard of excellence to help guide them within the financial services industry.  NABCAP’s Premier Advisor evaluation and ranking program is an independent third-party assessment based on 20 categories of practice management; including experience, education, cost and investment planning.  Participants are objectively compared and evaluated numerically.  A minimum score must be attained for a
practice to be considered for the final list, winners are listed in alphabetical order.  There is no cost for advisors to participate.  The rating is not representative of any one client’s experience and is not indicative of past or future investment performance. 

Minimum Qualifications for the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) Designation

The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® and federally registered CFP® (with flame design) marks (collectively, the “CFP® marks”) are professional certification marks granted in the United States by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (“CFP® Board”). The CFP® certification is a voluntary certification; no federal or state
law or regulation requires financial planners to hold CFP® certification. It is recognized in the United States and a number of other countries for its (1) high standard of professional education; (2) stringent code of conduct and standards of practice; and (3) ethical requirements that govern professional engagements with clients.
Currently, more than 71,000 individuals have obtained CFP® certification in the United States.
To attain the right to use the CFP® marks, an individual must satisfactorily fulfill the following requirements: Education – Complete an advanced college-level course of study addressing the financial planning subject areas that CFP® Board’s studies have determined as necessary for the competent and professional delivery of financial planning services, and attain a Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited United States college or university (or its equivalent from a foreign university). CFP® Board’s financial planning subject areas include insurance planning and risk management, employee benefits planning, investment planning, income tax planning, retirement planning, and estate planning;  Examination – Pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Examination. The examination includes case studies and client scenarios designed to test one’s ability to correctly diagnose financial planning issues and apply one’s knowledge of financial planning to real world circumstances; Experience – Complete at least three years of full-time financial planning-related experience (or the equivalent, measured as 2,000 hours per year); and  Ethics – Agree to be bound by CFP® Board’s Standards of Professional Conduct, a set of documents outlining the ethical and practice standards for CFP® professionals. Individuals who become certified must complete the following ongoing education and ethics requirements in order to maintain the right to continue to use the CFP® marks: Continuing Education – Complete 30 hours of continuing education hours every two years, including two hours on the Code of Ethics and other parts of the Standards of Professional Conduct, to maintain competence and keep up with developments in the financial planning field; and  Ethics – Renew an agreement to be bound by the Standards of Professional Conduct. The Standards prominently require that CFP® professionals provide financial planning services at a fiduciary standard of care. This means CFP® professionals must provide financial planning services in the best interests of their clients. CFP® professionals who fail to comply with the above standards and requirements may be subject to CFP® Board’s enforcement process, which could result in suspension or permanent revocation of their CFP® certification. 

Qualifications for the Certified in Blockchain and Digital Assets (CBDA) Designation The Certificate suggests a financial professional has the depth of knowledge of digital assets and is adverse in the curriculum which is devoted to the asset management aspect of owning coins and tokens.  Individuals earning this certification can assist investors wanting to diversify away from traditional investments like stocks and bonds  might have already purchased Bitcoin, Ether, or other digital assets. A financial professional who has passed the program can help ensure the investor is positioned appropriately by analyzing correlation, risk management, pricing, and return potential from a holistic portfolio perspective. An advisor with the CBDA can help reduce tax risk and ensure proper record-keeping and reporting. To complete the course and earn the Certificate, a candidate must:  Complete all ten modules as well as a bonus module (which explains the blockchain and digital assets to new and current clients)Pass all module quizzes with a 70% score or above. Agree to the DACFP Code of Ethics.  Complete both the pre-and post-course surveys. There is no experience or continuing education requirement. A candidate must enroll, pass the exam, agree to a Code of Ethics, and  complete surveys.

40 under 40 Rising Stars- Source: Colorado Springs Business Journal, “40 under 40 Rising Stars”, January 2012. The award is based upon a recipient’s application and not upon any qualitative and quantitative criteria relating specifically to one’s position as a Financial Advisor.  As such the award is not representative of any client’s experience nor is it indicative of the Financial Advisor’s future performance. Neither Bonfire Financial, LLC
nor any of their Advisors pay a fee to the Colorado Springs Business Journal in exchange for the rating.