Boston Institute of Finance

What Boston Institute of Finance does

Boston Institute of Finance (BIF) is a private professional education company founded in 2001 and headquartered at 181 Wells Avenue, Suite 103, Newton, Massachusetts. BIF develops and distributes multimedia, interactive online education for the financial services industry, with a primary focus on CFP Board-registered coursework and CFP® exam preparation. The company was the first to offer a CFP Board-approved education program in a 100% online format and has graduated more than 32,000 CFP candidates over 25 years, with approximately 2,500 active students currently enrolled.

The product portfolio centers on a 100% online learning management system at learn.bostonifi.com delivering the seven-course CFP® Education package (self-paced at $2,995 or instructor-led at $3,995, both with 21 months of access), The BIF Review exam prep course (Core starting at $995, Premium instructor-led tier), an Accelerated Path for candidates holding CFA, ChFC, CLU, CPA, attorney, or PhD credentials ($695-$2,195), and the CRC® retirement designation distributed via an InFRE referral partnership. Free content resources include the BIF Bites Podcast and an extensive blog. All instructors are practicing CFP® professionals, and every enrolled student is paired with a Student Success Advisor from Day One.

BIF operates a primarily direct-to-consumer model with self-serve e-commerce enrollment on bostonifi.com, augmented by inside-sales Student Advisor consultations via HubSpot and direct B2B contracts with financial services firms and broker-dealers for employer-sponsored enrollments. Revenue streams mix one-time program fees with monthly payment-plan subscriptions. The company was acquired by Colibri Group on January 2, 2025 and now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary within Colibri's professional education portfolio, continuing to operate under the BIF brand.

Name

Boston Institute of Finance

Legal name

Boston Institute of Finance

Website

https://bostonifi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Boston Institute of Finance, founded in 2001 and now a subsidiary of Colibri Group, is a 100% online provider of CFP Board-registered education coursework and exam preparation, serving aspiring and practicing financial planners as well as employer-sponsored groups with a 32,000+ graduate alumni base.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. CFP® Education Coursework Enrollment: BIF enrolls students in CFP Board-registered education programs. Pricing ranges from $2,995 (self-paced) to $3,995 (instructor-led) for the full seven-course CFP® Education package. Students receive 21 months of access. Additional courses and extensions are available for additional fees. Payment plans are offered where BIF auto-charges credit cards monthly until tuition is paid in full.
2. The BIF Review CFP® Exam Prep: BIF sells its BIF Review exam prep course as a standalone product or bundled with education coursework. Exam prep starts at $995. Bundles combine education with exam prep at various price points including discounted combined pricing.
3. Accelerated Path / Capstone-Only Enrollment: Students with qualifying advanced credentials (CFA, ChFC, CLU, CPA, attorney, PhD, etc.) can purchase Capstone-only or Capstone bundled with BIF Review at reduced prices ($695–$2,195).
4. CRC® Designation Program: BIF offers the Certified Retirement Counselor (CRC®) designation through referral to partner InFRE. Revenue is generated through referral of students to purchase CRC® study guides ($540), exam registration ($575), or bundled packages ($1,015) on InFRE's platform. BIF earns revenue on each referral.
5. Corporate / Employer Partnerships: BIF enters direct agreements with employers and financial services firms to provide CFP® education to their staff. Terms are governed by written agreements between BIF and the employer entity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Boston Institute of Finance delivers 100% online, CFP Board-registered education and exam preparation to aspiring and practicing financial planners. Its primary product is the CFP Education Program (seven required courses plus Capstone, self-paced or instructor-led), paired with The BIF Review exam prep course that uses an 8-week progressive training method with question banks and 660+ flashcards. It also offers the CRC retirement counselor designation through partner InFRE and an Accelerated Path for credentialed professionals.

Product overview

Boston Institute of Finance operates a multi-product education platform centered on CFP® certification preparation. The core offering is the CFP® Education Program (self-paced at $2,995 or instructor-led at $3,995), which satisfies CFP Board's education requirement through seven courses plus a Capstone, with 21 months of access. Students then progress to The BIF Review exam prep course (Core or Premium, starting at $995), an 8-week intensive using a progressive training method with 660+ flashcards and question banks. For experienced professionals, the Accelerated Path offers Capstone-only enrollment ($695) with potential coursework waivers. BIF also acquired the CRC® Designation program (NCCA-accredited retirement credential, $1,015 bundle), providing an additional credential pathway. Free content resources include the BIF Bites Podcast and a blog with practice questions and exam guides. All programs are delivered 100% online through the student portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The BIF Review: Industry-leading 8-week CFP Exam prep course using a progressive training method designed to maximize knowledge retention and exam success.
• BIF Bites Podcast

Products and services

• CFP® Education Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% CFP® Exam pass rate for students who pass BIF's mock exam (vs. 60–65% national average)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Securities Training Corporation (STC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIF entered a strategic partnership with Securities Training Corporation (STC) to provide CFP® CE (continuing education) and additional financial services licensing opportunities. This partnership supports the career lifecycle of CFP® professionals beyond initial certification, offering CE credits and licensing prep courses. STC is a market leader in securities training with over 55 years of history (founded 1969 on Wall Street).
• InFRE (International Foundation of Retirement Education)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerBIF offers the Certified Retirement Counselor (CRC®) designation through a partnership with InFRE. Students complete their CRC® purchase on InFRE's platform and are redirected at checkout. BIF promotes InFRE's CRC® study guides ($540), exam registration ($575), and bundled packages ($1,015) as part of BIF's retirement planning credential offerings. The CRC® designation is NCCA-accredited.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Securities Training Corporation (STC): Market-leading securities licensing training provider (founded 1969) and BIF's strategic partner for CFP® CE and licensing CE — overlapping target customer of licensed financial professionals.
• Wiley Efficient Learning: Offers CFP® exam prep alongside CPA and CMA review under the Wiley/Becker brand; competes with BIF on study materials, question banks, and pass-rate claims.
• Dalton Education: Specialized online provider of CFP® Board-registered education and exam prep, with a similar product structure and target audience to BIF, frequently cited as a direct alternative.
• Kaplan Financial Education: A long-standing provider of CFP® exam preparation and financial services licensing courses, directly competing with BIF for aspiring financial planner students through online and live formats.
• College for Financial Planning: A Kaplan-owned institution providing CFP® Board-registered education and an MS in Personal Financial Planning, directly overlapping BIF's accelerated-path and core education offerings.
• InFRE (International Foundation of Retirement Education): Owns and operates the NCCA-accredited CRC® retirement credential program that BIF resells via referral; directly comparable as a credentialing body serving financial planners.

Others

• Brightwood Real Estate Education: A Colibri Group sibling brand focused on real estate pre-licensing; thematically related as a Colibri professional education brand but not directly competitive with BIF's CFP® offerings.

Emerging players

• Ed Slott and Company: Specialist in retirement and tax planning education for financial advisors; an emerging niche player intersecting with BIF's CRC® retirement planning pathway.
• Zahn Financial Group: Niche provider focused on continuing education for financial professionals; comparable to BIF's CE and CFP® maintenance offerings on a smaller scale.

Broad incumbents

• Colibri Group: BIF's parent organization, a large professional education platform with multiple licensed-career brands. While not a CFP competitor, Colibri sets the strategic context, shared services, and cross-brand distribution in which BIF operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boston-institute-of-finance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boston Institute of Finance