October 20, 2011

Dear Certificants and Agencies:

Thank you for your patience as the Center for Financial Certifications continues its transition to new policies and procedures related to the establishment of a new regulator, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection ("Bureau"). In addition, we are also investing in our infrastructure in order to better serve and support our Certificants and the organizations that employ them.

Coming Soon: New Online Platform and Computer Based Testing

We are pleased to announce that we have entered into an agreement with Schroeder Measurement Technologies ("SMT") to utilize their online certification management platform. This new platform will contain many helpful features and allow Certificants to manage their entire certification process online, from application through examination scheduling, CEU reporting, renewal and recertification. Candidates will continue to receive study manuals via UPS.

We are also excited to announce that we have entered into an agreement with ISO Quality Testing ("IQT") to utilize their test center network. Once we are "live" with IQT, all certification examinations will be administered at an IQT Computer Based Testing center. Ninety five percent (95%) of Americans live within one hour of an IQT testing center. Among other features, the testing centers will inform applicants whether they passed or failed immediately upon completion of their examination.

It is our goal to deploy both of these changes by December 31, 2011. Details will be announced as we get closer to launching the online platform and computer based testing.

Compliance Manager Registration

One exciting feature of the new online platform will be a compliance manager portal, which will give compliance managers access to the files of Certificants that are linked to their organization. This access will allow compliance managers to review the certification and continuing education status of their Certificants, report CEUs on behalf of the Certificant (if desired), and have online access to their Certificants' official certification document. For organizations that choose to pay the certification costs of their employees, the compliance manager portal will also be used to purchase vouchers that employees can use in lieu of electronic payment of applicable fees. More details and webinar training will be provided at a later date.

In order to grant this access to compliance managers, it is necessary to create a registration process. This process will ensure that compliance managers are granted access only to those Certificants for whom they are responsible. To register for access to the compliance manager portal, please complete the Organization Registration and Compliance Manager Registration forms.

If an organization does not wish to have access to the compliance manager portal, registration is not required. There is no cost for an organization or compliance manager to obtain access to the compliance manager portal.

In order to begin the data correlation process and ensure a seamless transition to the new online platform for compliance managers, we are requesting that these forms be submitted by Friday, November 11, 2011. If the form is not submitted by November 11, 2011, we will make our best efforts but cannot guarantee that your organization will have access to the compliance manager portal when the new online platform "goes live" on January 1, 2012.

We believe these changes enhance the value of our certifications and represent positive improvements to the certification and renewal process that will benefit the Center, our Certificants and their employers.

Thank you for you continued support. We truly appreciate the opportunity to meet your certification requirements.