Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

A felony conviction for embezzlement is considered a serious breach of trust and ethics, particularly in the financial services industry. The CFP Board emphasizes integrity, honesty, and ethical behavior as fundamental values for obtaining CFP® Certification. Embezzlement involves the misappropriation of funds entrusted to an individual, which directly undermines the trust that clients and the public place in financial advisors. As such, this type of crime is viewed extremely negatively, leading to an inevitable bar from certification.

While other felonies listed, such as perjury or aggravated assault, are serious offenses that could also influence the board's decision regarding eligibility, they do not inherently carry the same implications of financial impropriety and betrayal of client trust as embezzlement does. Personal bankruptcies, while significant, do not equate to a felony conviction and may not carry the same automatic disqualification from certification. Thus, embezzlement is distinctly weighted as a crime that fundamentally violates the ethical standards necessary for holding the CFP® designation.