Financial advisors used to look at continuing education as a chore. Now they are talking about the importance of lifelong learning as the industry grows more complex.
Today’s financial advisor can’t afford to stop learning.
Barely a decade ago, most wealth managers considered continuing education an afterthought or a nuisance. Maybe they attended a conference if the venue was near the beach, took some classes if the commitment was relatively short, or pursued a designation if it was not too much trouble or money.
That’s changing, however, now that client needs have become more complex, spanning retirement income decisions, taxes, estate and family dynamics, and portfolio construction built for a less predictable market. Many advisors are responding by building a year-round learning plan that blends formats based on what they need to improve. They are also coming up with ways to maximize their conference and class time while keeping costs down.
Sean Walters, CEO of Investments & Wealth Institute which offers the CIMA (Certified Investment Management Analyst), CPWA (Certified Private Wealth Advisor), and RMA (Retirement Management Advisor) certifications, says lifelong learning today is much broader than simply checking a continuing education box. At its core, it is about maintaining competency over time so that advisors remain current, credible, and capable of serving clients well as the profession evolves.
“It is not enough to demonstrate knowledge once. Advisors need to show that they are staying sharp as markets, regulations, products, and client expectations change. There is also a practical business reality here. In manufacturing, companies invest in new machinery and software to improve what they produce. In a knowledge business, the investment has to be in people,” Walters said.
Walters warns that advisors should be cautious when content is presented as free, but is really designed to sell a product or push a narrow point of view. In his view, the best educational experiences tend to be the ones built around substance, applicability, and peer exchange.
“The strongest events are the ones that send you back to the office with useful ideas, a sharper perspective, and conversations that improve how you work,” Walters said.
Elsewhere, David Nanigian, founder and CEO of Mount Ararat Financial Services, believes lifelong learning for financial advisors is about continuing education that will maximize the advisor’s ability to provide his or her clients with an outstanding service experience. According to Nanigian, lifelong learning has become more important for financial advisors in recent years due to innovations in financial products, along with some major changes in federal legislation controlling taxation, estate planning, and retirement planning.
“My main continuing education and professional development goals for this year are to get better at marketing my firm’s holistic private wealth advisory services and to more effectively communicate with high-net-worth individuals and families,” Nanigian said.
Nanigian decides which continuing education opportunities are worth pursuing based on the written description of the program and the quality of his past experiences with the provider.
“A specific signal that something will be practical and usable is a program or course description that clearly conveys learning objectives that will enhance my ability to provide my clients with an outstanding service experience,” Nanigian said.
Finally, Genevieve George, senior wealth advisor and principal at Pelican Financial Planning and Wealth, says lifelong learning means staying curious and continuously deepening both technical knowledge and practical judgment. Moreover, she believes that with the number of learning opportunities available today, being selective is essential.
“Like many advisors, I have CE requirements tied to my designations, so efficiency matters. But I’m also intentional about choosing education that aligns with the types of planning conversations my clients are having. One signal that something will be valuable is when it focuses on practical application rather than theory alone,” said George.
To make sure she is not wasting her time or money, she looks for programs that walk through real client scenarios, case studies, or planning strategies that can be implemented immediately. Another signal is the quality of the professionals involved. If a program includes experienced practitioners, attorneys, tax professionals, or advisors who are actively doing the work, it tends to be much more actionable in her opinion.
“One area I’m continually prioritizing is estate and legacy planning. Many clients today are thinking not just about accumulating wealth, but about how assets will transfer, how to protect family members, and how to make thoughtful decisions across generations. I believe a solid estate plan can provide clarity for the remaining family members when a loved one has passed,” George said.
