Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Exam 2026 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The requirement for a CFP® professional when suggesting investment strategies is to act in the client's best interests. This is a fundamental principle of the fiduciary standard that CFP® professionals are obligated to uphold. Being a fiduciary means that the advisor must prioritize the client's needs and welfare above their own or any third party’s interests.

This principle ensures that the advice given is not influenced by potential personal gain and aligns with the goal of providing honest and ethical financial planning. In practice, this means that when recommending investment strategies, the CFP® professional must thoroughly evaluate the client's financial situation, risk tolerance, and investment goals to recommend options that will genuinely benefit the client.

Other options, while they touch on aspects of financial advising, do not encapsulate the core responsibility of the fiduciary standard as effectively. Thus, the primary obligation to act in the client's best interest drives the decision-making process in investment strategy recommendations.