CFP
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Certified Financial Planner |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Education & Academia, Sports |
CFP has three meanings. The most common are Certified Financial Planner (professional certification) and College Football Playoff (American football); it can also stand for Call for papers.
Meanings of CFP at a glance
| # | CFP stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Certified Financial Planner | Education & Academia › Professional Certification |
| 2 | College Football Playoff | Sports › American Football |
| 3 | Call for papers | Education & Academia › Academic |
1. Certified Financial Planner
Education & Academia · Professional Certification Abbreviations
Financial planning certification from the CFP Board that requires a bachelor's degree, approved coursework, a 170-question exam, 6,000 hours of experience (or 4,000 in an apprenticeship) and adherence to ethical standards that include a fiduciary duty. More than 100,000 professionals in the US hold it.
Example: Look for a CFP who charges a flat fee rather than earning commissions on products.
The CFP Board, founded in 1985, licenses the marks, and the official form uses a registered trademark symbol. The exam is split into two three-hour sessions. In academia, CFP means call for papers, so context matters.
2. College Football Playoff
Sports · American Football Abbreviations
Postseason tournament that decides the FBS national champion, expanded for the 2024 season from four teams to twelve. First-round games are played on campus, quarterfinals and semifinals rotate among major bowls, and a separate championship game follows.
Example: Ohio State won the first 12-team CFP in January 2025.
Replaced the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) starting with the 2014 season. A selection committee publishes weekly rankings in the second half of the season. "CFP rankings" are often discussed as heavily as the games themselves.
3. Call for papers
Education & Academia · Academic Abbreviations
Announcement inviting researchers to submit abstracts or full papers for a conference, journal special issue or edited volume, with topics, deadlines and submission guidelines. CFPs are circulated through mailing lists, scholarly societies and aggregator websites.
Example: The CFP for the spring conference closes on November 15, and abstracts are limited to 300 words.
Related forms include CFA (call for abstracts) and CFP for proposals in some fields. In personal finance, CFP means Certified Financial Planner, a completely different meaning. Humanities scholars often find CFPs through the University of Pennsylvania's CFP listing site.
Related abbreviations
More professional certification abbreviations
- CEM – Certified Energy Manager
- CEU – Continuing education unit
- CFA – Chartered Financial Analyst
- CFE – Certified Fraud Examiner
- CFRE – Certified Fund Raising Executive
- CGMA – Chartered Global Management Accountant
- CHES – Certified Health Education Specialist
- ChFC – Chartered Financial Consultant
See all 134 professional certification abbreviations →