What is the CLFP Designation?

The CLFP designation identifies you as a knowledgeable professional to employers, clients, customers, and peers in the equipment finance and leasing industry. There are over 700 Certified Lease & Finance Professionals and Associates throughout the world and the number continues to grow. For more information on the CLFP designation, visit the CLFP Foundation website.

How do you become a CLFP?

Detailed instructions may be found on the CLFP Foundation website. The process is summarized by these four steps:

  1. Verify eligibility and confirm your agreement with the CLFP Standards of Conduct. In most cases, this requires three years of verifiable leasing and financing experience. However, you may check with the CLFP Foundation for exceptions.
  2. Apply: Complete the application and send it to the CLFP Foundation along with the application fee. The foundation will process the application (which includes background checking) and notify you of eligibility.
  3. Study the CLFP BOK which is comprehensively covered in the Certified Lease & Finance Professionals’’ Handbook.
  4. Sit for and pass the exam. You can take the exam by proxy or, as I did, sit for the exam after attending the two-day Academy for Lease and Finance Professionals.

The Certified Lease & Finance Professionals’ Handbook

In late 2017, the Certified Lease and Finance Professional (CLFP) Foundation commissioned me to rewrite and illustrate The Certified Lease & Finance Professionals’ Handbook. As I reimagined the content to tie together disparate topics into a logical flow, I invented a visual framework for learning the body of knowledge (BOK). The structure of the book centers on this framework. You can use this framework as a study guide to help you go through the material. Download a printable version of the framework here to help you study.

Like the equipment finance and leasing industry, the CLFP Body of Knowledge evolves and changes. As a result, the CLFP Handbook requires updates to reflect these changes. Currently, there are two editions available; choose the edition to study, based on when you plan to sit for the CLFP Exam.

Study up and good luck!