IfFP - Institute for Financial Planning

What IfFP - Institute for Financial Planning does

IfFP Institut für Finanzplanung AG is a privately held Swiss business school founded in 1995 and headquartered in Zurich-Altstetten (Bernerstrasse Süd 169, 8048 Zürich). It specializes in professional education and certification for the Swiss financial services sector, operating as one of the market leaders in financial planning training and serving financial advisors, insurance intermediaries, wealth managers, SME finance experts, and compliance professionals. Its curriculum spans three tiers — Einstieg (entry), Profi (professional), and Experte (expert) — covering certifications such as Zert. Vermögensberater/in IAF, Versicherungsvermittler/in VBV, Dipl. Finanzberater/in IAF, Finanzplaner/in with federal diploma, CFP Certified Financial Planner (conducted on behalf of SFPO), Dipl. Finanzplanungsexpert/in NDS HF, Eidg. dipl. KMU-Finanzexpert/in, and CAS Management der Unternehmensnachfolge, plus compliance training (GwG, FIDLEG).

The institute delivers courses through a hybrid model combining online learning on the OpenOlat LMS (third-party e-learning platform) with in-person sessions in Zurich and live webinars. It operates three distinct brand surfaces: the main iffp.ch site for full diploma programs, finanzakademie.ch for shorter seminars in Finanzen, Vorsorge, Steuern, Immobilien, and Unternehmensnachfolge, and YoungFinance for youth-oriented financial education. Revenue is generated through tuition for certification and diploma programs, per-participant seminar fees (CHF 330 standard, CHF 250 discounted for partner-association members), mandatory VBV recertification programs, and customized corporate training for Swiss banks, insurance companies, and wealth management advisory firms. The institute maintains strategic partnerships with FPVS, SFPO (Swiss national CFP affiliate), and IAF (whose quality seal — Gütesiegel — is carried on seminars), giving it privileged distribution into the Swiss certified-financial-planner community. IfFP is privately held, with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or M&A activity.

Name

IfFP - Institute for Financial Planning

Legal name

IfFP Institut für Finanzplanung AG

Website

https://iffp.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IfFP Institut für Finanzplanung AG is a Zurich-based, privately held Swiss business school (founded 1995) that delivers professional certification, diploma, and compliance training programs for financial advisors, insurance intermediaries, wealth managers, and SME finance experts in the Swiss financial services sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Financial Education

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Services & Insurance (FINRA, CFP, IAR, Insurance CE) (EDAAALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real Estate, Appraisal & Mortgage (Agent/Broker CE, Appraiser CE) (EDAAALAI), Financial Accounting & Reporting (GAAP/IFRS) (EDABAJAB)

Keywords

• Financial planning certification
• Professional financial education
• Wealth management training
• Compliance training
• Insurance intermediary certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Certification Programs: Revenue from tuition fees for certified professional education programs including Vermögensberater/in IAF, Finanzberater/in IAF, Finanzplaner/in with federal diploma, CFP, and advanced expert diplomas. Programs have multiple levels: Einstieg (entry), Profi (professional), and Experte (expert).
2. Seminars and Short Courses: Revenue from half-day seminars (CHF 330 standard, CHF 250 for eligible organizations) and multi-session webinars covering topics such as tax law, real estate, business succession, and compliance (FIDLEG, GwG).
3. Corporate Training: Customized training programs for Swiss banks, insurance companies, and wealth management advisory companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IfFP provides professional certification and continuing education programs for Swiss financial professionals. Offerings span entry-level to expert-level credentials including the Certified Wealth Advisor IAF, Federal Diploma in Financial Planning, the global CFP certification, the Insurance Intermediary VBV credential, and specialized diplomas in real estate advisory, occupational pensions, and SME finance. Programs are delivered in hybrid format (in-person in Zurich and online via the OpenOlat LMS) and address Swiss regulatory compliance needs under FIDLEG, VAG, and GwG.

Product overview

IfFP Institute for Financial Planning is a Swiss business school for professional education in the financial sector, established in 1995. The institution operates as a multi-program education provider offering certification and diploma programs ranging from entry-level certifications to advanced postgraduate qualifications. Core offerings include: (1) Financial advisory certifications (Vermögensberater/in IAF, Finanzberater/in IAF, Finanzplaner/in with federal diploma, CFP Certified Financial Planner); (2) Insurance and pension certifications (Versicherungsvermittler/in VBV, Berater/in berufliche Vorsorge IAF); (3) Specialized diplomas (Immobilienberater/in IAF, KMU-Finanzexpert/in, Finanzplanungsexpert/in NDS HF); (4) Compliance training (GwG and FIDLEG); (5) Seminar platform finanzakademie.ch covering finance, retirement, taxes, real estate, and business succession; (6) E-learning via OpenOlat LMS; and (7) Youth program YoungFinance. Programs are recognized by Swiss federal government and/or Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). The institute maintains partnerships with FPVS and SFPO (national CFP affiliate).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• finanzakademie.ch: A seminar platform operated by IfFP offering courses in Finanzen | Vorsorge | Steuern (Finance | Retirement | Taxes).
• YoungFinance

Products and services

• Zert. Vermögensberater/in IAF Certified Wealth Advisor IAF program providing confirmation of knowledge for advising private clients on capital investments, meeting FIDLEG knowledge requirements. Entry-level certification in IfFP's Einstieg tier.
• Versicherungsvermittler/in VBV Certified Insurance Intermediary VBV program covering new qualification profiles under the revised Insurance Supervision Act (VAG) including 'Allbranch', 'Life', 'Non-life', and 'Supplementary Health Insurance' specializations.
• Dipl. Finanzberater/in IAF Diploma in Financial Consulting IAF providing comprehensive advisory services to private clients covering retirement planning, insurance, wealth management, real estate, legal, and tax matters.
• Finanzplaner/in mit eidg. Fachausweis Financial Planner with Federal Diploma of Higher Education (eidg. Fachausweis) program, advising private clients competently throughout their life cycle up to retirement. Professional-level qualification in IfFP's Profi tier.
• Dipl. Immobilienberater/in IAF Diploma in Real Estate Consulting IAF providing advisory services to individuals regarding real estate and financing.
• Dipl. Berater/in berufliche Vorsorge IAF Diploma in Corporate Pension Consulting IAF advising companies and insured persons on occupational pension (BVG) matters.
• CFP Certified Financial Planner CFP® Certified Financial Planner™ program providing the worldwide license for financial planning, conducted on behalf of SFPO (Swiss Financial Planners Association).
• Dipl. Finanzplanungsexpert(e)/in NDS HF Diploma in Financial Planning Expert NDS HF (Postgraduate Diploma of Higher Education) providing advisory services to private clients in complex situations - the high end of financial planning. Expert-level qualification.
• Eidg. dipl. KMU-Finanzexpert(e)/in Swiss Federal Diploma for SME Financial Expert providing advisory and support services to small and medium enterprises.
• CAS Management der Unternehmensnachfolge Certificate of Advanced Studies in Management of Business Succession, designed for fiduciaries, tax experts, auditors, lawyers, business consultants and entrepreneur coaches managing business succession cases.
• GwG-Compliance Anti-Money Laundering (GwG - Geldwäschereigesetz) compliance training for combatting money laundering.
• FIDLEG-Compliance Financial Services Act (FIDLEG) compliance training including basic and refresher courses for the FIDLEG advisor register.
• finanzakademie.ch Seminars platform offering courses in finance, retirement planning, and taxes, as well as real estate consulting and business succession topics, providing practical directly applicable knowledge for advisors with private or business clients.
• YoungFinance Specialized financial education program targeting young professionals and students entering the financial advisory field.
• Versicherungsvermittler/in VBV Rezertifizierung Recertification program for insurance intermediaries holding the VBV credential, supporting renewal of Zulassung under the revised Insurance Supervision Act (VAG). Course bundles and refresher options available.
• Passerelle zum Doppelabschluss Bridge program enabling students to obtain both the Dipl. Finanzberater/in IAF and Versicherungsvermittler/in VBV certifications with minimal additional effort.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple certification pathways from entry to expert level with recognized Swiss federal and IAF diplomas
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• FPVS Swiss Association of Financial PlannerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished relationship with FPVS Swiss Association of Financial Planners; FPVS members receive discount on seminars (CHF 250 vs CHF 330); SFPO members receive 4 CEC credits per seminar/webinar attendance
• SFPO Swiss Financial Planners AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIfFP conducts CFP Certified Financial Planner education and examination on behalf of SFPO, the national affiliate of the worldwide CFP movement. SFPO members receive CEC credits and discount pricing on seminars.
• IAF Interessengemeinschaft Ausbildung im FinanzbereichcoreTechnology or IntegrationIfFP programs are recognized by IAF; seminars carry IAF quality seal (Gütesiegel); IAF manages certification standards including Nullserien (practice examinations) and official IAF examinations administered through shared login system
• Swiss Banks and Insurance CompaniesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate education and training partnerships with Swiss banks, insurance companies, and wealth management advisory companies. Programs tailored to institutional needs for staff professional development.
• YoungFinanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth education initiative (youngfinance-iffp.ch) targeting young people interested in financial careers; all YoungFinance courses accessible via IfFP Extranet

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SAQ – Swiss Association for Quality: Swiss training body delivering certified continuing education and examinations for the financial-services quality sector (ISO, risk, compliance). Shares the same regulated-CE delivery model, professional-association accreditation, and Swiss-bank client base as IfFP.
• KV Business School Zürich: Zurich-based commercial school explicitly referenced in the IfFP data as a discount partner for its seminars, indicating direct student overlap. Offers business-school certifications and financial-services vocational qualifications targeting the same Swiss working-professional pool.
• Kalaidos Fachhochschule: Swiss private Fachhochschule issuing federal diplomas and HF degrees in business and financial services to a part-time, working-professional audience. Overlaps directly with IfFP's HF/NDS HF financial planning expert pathway.
• HWZ Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich: Zurich-based private business school offering HF degrees, CAS/DAS programs, and executive courses in banking, finance, and financial services management. Competes for the same working-professional cohort in the Zurich market seeking federal and HF-recognized credentials.
• AKAD Business and Language Schools: Largest Swiss distance-learning provider for professional certifications (HF, NDS HF, federal diplomas) targeting working professionals, with overlapping diplomas in finance, insurance, and management. Closest functionally comparable peer to IfFP's model of certification programs alongside job commitments.

Broad incumbents

• ZHAW School of Management and Law: Large Zurich University of Applied Sciences offering bachelor/master degrees, CAS/DAS, and certified financial-services continuing education. Public-school status gives pricing advantage on credentialed programs overlapping with IfFP's certification catalog.
• University of St.Gallen (HSG) – Executive School: Top-ranked Swiss business university with executive education, MAS programs, and banking/wealth management specializations. Competes at the higher end of the financial-advisor education market for senior Swiss banking and wealth-management clientele.
• Hochschule Luzern – IFA/IFF继续教育: Public University of Applied Sciences in central Switzerland providing NDS HF, CAS, and certified finance continuing education to a similar mid-career financial-services professional cohort as IfFP.

Others

• WEKA Business Media AG: Swiss B2B publisher and training provider running professional seminars, certifications, and compliance courses for HR, finance, and management audiences. An adjacent competitor in the Swiss professional-CE and seminar market with overlapping course topics.
• FPSB Ltd (Financial Planning Standards Board): Global owner of the CFP marks and certification framework; IfFP is the education/exam delivery partner to FPSB's Swiss affiliate SFPO. Relevant as the upstream standards body whose curriculum changes directly affect IfFP's program content and adoption.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IfFP1
• Facebookfacebook.com/IffpInstitutFurFinanzplanungZurich
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3184197

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 IfFP - Institute for Financial Planning