The College Marks One Year of the TPCP^® Designation

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA – February 11, 2026 – The American College of Financial Services, an accredited institution with the profession’s preeminent end-to-end learning platform, celebrates the first year of its newest specialty designation program, the Tax Planning Certified Professional® (TPCP®). With over 330 new designees and growing, TPCP® has become the fastest-growing specialty designation program in The College’s 100-year history. Another 1,200 students are currently enrolled, with many expected to complete the program in the next several months.

The TPCP® Program gives financial advisors, enrolled agents, and CPAs the knowledge and tools to develop and implement tax-efficient planning strategies for individuals and business owners during accumulation, decumulation, and end of life stages.

Focused on real-world application of tax planning expertise within the context of broader, holistic financial planning, the TPCP® Program covers in-demand topics including tax legislation, retirement tax planning, estate planning, and strategies for individual and business taxation.  

“What sets the TPCP® Program apart are its timeliness and its focus,” said Sophia Duffy, JD, CPA, AEP®, associate professor of business planning and TPCP® program director. “Clients are asking for tax-based services from their advisors, and we can be the tip of the spear to deliver the specialized knowledge advisors need right now. In addition, the TPCP® is about tax planning, not tax advice: it accounts for tax impacts on a client’s entire lifecycle outside of tax season and won’t fall afoul of compliance restrictions on tax advice.”

The inaugural 2025 class of TPCP® professionals included students from across the industry: firms big and small, Fortune 100 partners, independent RIAs, and tax shops. The popularity and acceptance of TPCP® delivers on The College’s promise to give the profession just-in-time learning solutions to today’s client demands; market research shows 70% of consumers with at least $250,000 in investable assets expect their advisor to assist them with tax planning.¹

“The industry has spoken: tax planning knowledge is what advisors need, and once again, The College is at the forefront of industry evolution,” said Jared Trexler, chief marketing and strategy officer at The College. “We’re proud to offer financial professionals expertise for every stage of their career and their clients’ lives. Advisors who get their TPCP® designations will continue to be ahead of the curve, thriving in today’s changing planning landscape and adding real value to their relationships with clients.”

For more information on the TPCP® Program, please visit TheAmericanCollege.edu/TPCP. You can also view the full list of the inaugural TPCP® class of 2025 and meet these tax planning trailblazers.

About The American College of Financial Services

The American College of Financial Services is the nation’s largest nonprofit, accredited educational institution devoted to financial services professionals. Nearly one in five advisors or agents is an alum of The College. The College offers a learning platform that includes professional designation, certification, and degree programs and encompasses early-career foundational knowledge as well as deep, specialized education in tax, retirement income, philanthropy, risk management, and more with the highest-quality combination of rigor and relevance. The College’s faculty represents the foremost thought leaders in the financial services industry. Its educational programs, research, and events offer professionals the opportunity to expand earnings, deepen relationships, and deliver improved client outcomes.

Visit TheAmericanCollege.edu to discover how you can gain expertise for every stage. 

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