Press Release

October 12, 2021

With Rise in Financial Planning Needs for Unmarried Couples, College for Financial Planning^® Relaunches ADPA^® Designation Program

Gregory Ten Eyck

Kaplan

CENTENNIAL, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To address the evolving definition of the American household, the College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company, has relaunched its innovative Accredited Domestic Partnership Advisor® (ADPA®) professional designation program to enable financial professionals to gain specialized knowledge of alternative planning techniques for unmarried couples.

The College created the ADPA®designation in 2010 prior to the ability of all couples to marry and sunsetted the program in 2015 following the Supreme Court’s approval of the marriage equality act.

“Following the availability of marriage to all couples, it was initially thought that the need for the ADPA®designation would diminish. However, this change in the law did not entirely eliminate the demand for a program focused on the needs of unmarried couples because relationships outside of marriage—regardless of sexual orientation or domestic arrangement—are becoming more common across all age groups,“ said Dr. Christopher Woehrle, Chair of Tax and Estate Planning and Professor at the College.

According to the National Marriage and Divorce Rate Trends, marriage rates recently hit an all-time low, falling from 7.0 to 6.1 marriages per 1,000 people between 2016 to 2019, continuing a trend. As recently as 2001, the national rate was 8.2 marriages per 1,000 people.

Meanwhile, according to the U.S. Census Bureau statistics, cohabitation rates more than doubled over the most recent 20 years measured (1996-2017) as these relationships become more common and couples choose to remain unmarried.

The ADPA® program is the only designation of its kind and features up-to-date content regarding the distinct planning differences for domestic partners compared to legally married couples.

The ADPA® curriculum is offered as a choice of live online classes or self-paced, asynchronous on-demand classes. Candidates learn about the unique financial planning needs for domestic partners, including wealth transfers, federal taxation issues, retirement and relationship concerns, medical and end-of-life needs, and qualitative planning considerations. As with all of the College’s designation programs, students have 120 days from the date they are provided online access to complete the program, including testing and passing the final exam

There are no prerequisites for candidates to enroll in the ADPA® program but certificate designation holders are usually already working in financial services as financial advisors, accountants, attorneys, wealth planners, bank trust officers, or retirement advisors.

About the College for Financial Planning

Founded in 1972, the College for Financial Planning®—A Kaplan Company provides accessible and flexible degree, non-degree, and continuing professional education programs to students nationwide. Shortly after its founding, the College introduced the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM certification, which is now the world's most recognized and respected financial planning credential with more than 88,000 certified professionals.

In addition to its CFP® Certification Professional Education Program, the College also offers a master’s degree in personal financial planning and financial analysis, and professional designation programs that provide more in-depth knowledge of the finance industry, with specializations ranging from asset management and retirement planning to sustainable, responsible, and impact (SRI) investments. The College for Financial Planning is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association. More than 174,000 students have graduated from the College’s programs. For more information, visit www.cffp.edu

Contacts

Gregory Ten Eyck
Director, Communications
+1 954-515-3026
gregory.teneyck@kaplan.edu

Press Release Archive

ChatGPT Image Apr 7, 2025, 12_50_27 PM.png

Press Release

Kaplan Survey: Law School Admissions Officers Increasingly Say the Rankings Have Lost Prestige

by Kaplan

With Rise in Financial Planning Needs for Unmarried Couples, College for Financial Planning® Relaunches ADPA® Designation Program

Contacts

Press Release Archive

Kaplan Survey: Law School Admissions Officers Increasingly Say the Rankings Have Lost Prestige

Kaplan Survey: Pre-Law Students Want Clarity from Law Schools on Using GenAI in Admissions Essays…Clarity That’s Currently Lacking

Kaplan Earns 2025 Great Place To Work Certification™

Illinois Student Assistance Commission and Kaplan Announce Free Test Prep Courses

The College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company to Provide Scholarships to Volunteers with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program in Puerto Rico

The College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company and iShares® by BlackRock Launch ETFs and Portfolio Construction Certificate Program for Financial Advisors

Kaplan’s 2024 $20K Tuition Sweepstakes Winner is University of California, Berkeley Pre-Med Student Ella Mayor

Kaplan Named as a Double Winner in the American Consortium for Equity in Education’s 2024 Excellence in Equity – Industry Impact Awards

The College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company Joins the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program

Kaplan Schweser Releases 2024 CFA® Program Survey: Charterholders and Candidates Say Artificial Intelligence is Having Big Impact on Careers and Express Overall Job Satisfaction

Kaplan Releases Findings from Annual Medical School Admissions Officers Survey, Revealing Key Insights on Application Trends

Kaplan Named to Inc.’s 2024 Best in Business List for Groundbreaking Career Pathing Initiative

Association for Program Administrators of CSTEP and STEP, Inc., Now Providing All Students at its Member Institutions with Free Kaplan Test Prep Courses for Graduate School Admissions Exams

Kaplan Named to Newsweek’s America's Top Online Learning Schools 2025 List

Albion College Becomes First School to Offer All Students, Faculty, Staff, and Alumni Free Skills Development Courses and Test Prep for Graduate-Level Admissions Exams Through Partnership with Kaplan

Kaplan Earns 2025 Military Friendly® Employer Designation

Syracuse University College of Law Partners with Kaplan to Provide All Students with Free Prep Courses for the Bar Exam

Inc. Names Kaplan as a 2024 Power Partner Award Winner in Recognition of Being a Leading B2B Company

Kaplan Survey: Law Schools Lag on Official Policies on How Applicants Can Use AI in Admissions Essays, Potentially Leaving Them in Limbo

Kaplan Named to Newsweek’s Most Loved Workplaces® in America 2024 List

Kaplan Survey: 75 Percent of Admissions Officers Believe College Rankings Have Lost Their Luster

The College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company Launches Accredited Investment Fiduciary® Training for Financial Professionals Pursuing the AIF® Designation

Kaplan Survey: Most Buyer’s Agents Don’t Think New Commission Rules are a Good Thing, But are Ready to Face the Challenge

Manhattan Prep/Kaplan Survey: Most MBA Applicants Consider Their Social Media Posts “Fair Game” in the Admissions Process

Kaplan Comments on Major Changes to the ACT® Exam, Set to Launch in 2025

Kaplan’s All Access License Wins “Test Prep Innovation Of The Year” For Second Consecutive Year in the 6th Annual EdTech Breakthrough Awards Program

The City University of New York School of Law Expands Partnership with Kaplan to Provide All Students with Free Prep Courses for the Bar Exam

Sun Sentinel Names Kaplan a Winner of the South Florida Top Workplaces 2024 Award, Marking its Fourth Consecutive Annual Recognition

Kaplan Certified as a Most Loved Workplace® for Fourth Consecutive Year, a Recognition of Employees’ On-The-Job Happiness and Career Satisfaction

Fast Company Names Kaplan’s All Access License as a Winner in its 2024 World Changing Ideas Awards

Manhattan Prep/Kaplan Survey: Most Future Business School Applicants Wary about Unrestricted Use of AI in Admissions Essays

University of Detroit Mercy Partners with Kaplan to Offer Students Free Comprehensive Test Prep for Graduate-Level Admissions and Licensing Exams

The College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company Launches Financial Paraplanner Qualified ProfessionalSM Designation Program in Spanish to Better Serve Hispanic Investors

Manhattan Prep/Kaplan Survey: Aspiring Business School Students Say the Rankings Have Lost Some Prestige, But Still Depend on Them

Kaplan Surveys: Law Schools Believe the Rankings Have Lost Their Luster, but Pre-Law Students Still Find Them Useful

Barron’s Partners with Brainfuse to Offer Students Premium Content to Succeed Academically and Prepare for College Admissions Exams

Kaplan Launches Buyer Agency Professional Designation to Help Real Estate Agents Navigate Looming Major Changes to the Industry’s Business Model

Poznan University of Medical Sciences Expands Partnership with Kaplan to Offer Students Additional Prep for Medical and Dental Licensing Exams

Available for Media Interviews: The New Digital SAT® Launches March 9. Kaplan Experts Can Provide Answers to Top Questions.

Yale University Joins Dartmouth, MIT, and Georgetown in Requiring Applicants to Submit Standardized Test Scores; Kaplan Survey Suggests Other Schools Will Join Them

Kaplan Earns 2024 Great Place To Work Certification™

Kaplan’s All Access License Named to Tech & Learning’s Best for 2023 List, Citing Its Ability to Expand Opportunities

The College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company Releases 2024 Survey of Financial Planning Professionals

Kaplan’s $20K Tuition Sweepstakes Winner is Georgia Tech Student Emily Conn, a Future Doctor of America

Kaplan Survey: College Admissions Officers Think It’s OK to Visit Applicants’ Social Media, But Most Don’t

Kaplan Survey: Law Schools Concerned about Class Diversity, Amid Affirmative Action Ban Fallout

Kaplan Survey: Most Colleges and Universities Take Laissez Faire Approach Towards Use of GenAI in Admissions

Kaplan Survey: A Majority of Pre-Law Students Say It’s Important to Attend Law School With Students Having the Same Political Views

Kaplan’s AccelPro Platform Expands Peer-to-Peer Coaching and Career Development to New Audiences

Alabama A&M University Partners with Kaplan to Offer Students Free Comprehensive Test Prep for Graduate-Level Admissions Exams and Professional Certifications

Kaplan Named to Fast Company’s 2023 “Brands That Matter” List

Kaplan Survey: Most Pre-Law Students Don’t Think Law School Applicants Should Be Allowed to Use GenAI in Admissions Essays

Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College Announces Partnership with Kaplan to Enhance Clinical Readiness and Education Outcomes for Aspiring Doctors

Rutgers Law School Partners with Kaplan to Provide All Students with Free Prep Courses for the Bar Exam

Kaplan’s Graduate School Tuition Sweepstakes to Give One Lucky Student $20K

Kaplan Named to Newsweek’s List of the Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplace for 2023

Kaplan’s All Access License for Colleges and Universities Wins “Test Prep Innovation Of The Year” in the 5th Annual EdTech Breakthrough Awards Program

Spelman College Partners with Kaplan to Offer Students Free Comprehensive Prep for Graduate-Level Admissions Exams

Hampton University Partners with Kaplan to Offer Students Free Comprehensive Prep for Graduate-Level Admissions and Licensing Exams

Sun Sentinel Names Kaplan a Winner of the South Florida Top Workplaces 2023 Award, Marking its Third Consecutive Annual Recognition

Kaplan Survey: Medical Schools Keep COVID-Era Admissions Policies to Keep Application Process More Flexible

Fisk University Partners with Kaplan to Offer Students Free Comprehensive Prep for Graduate-Level Admissions Exams and Professional Certifications

Kaplan Certified as a Most Loved Workplace® for Three Consecutive Years, a Recognition of Consistent Employee Happiness and Job Satisfaction

Stillman College Partners with Kaplan to Offer Students Free Comprehensive Prep for Graduate-Level Admissions Exams and Professional Certifications

Junior Achievement Announces Kaplan Partnership to Help High School Students Secure Their Post-Graduation Goals

HelloFresh Partners with Kaplan to Provide Free GED® Prep for Hourly Workers to Earn High School Equivalency Diploma

The Creating Pathways and Access for Student Success™ Foundation Partners with Kaplan to Boost the Number of Underrepresented Illinois Students in STEM Fields

Kaplan Wins the Association for Talent Development’s Prestigious BEST Award for Exceptional Employee Learning and Development Success

Talladega College Partners with Kaplan to Offer Students Free Comprehensive Prep for Graduate-Level Admissions Exams and Professional Certifications

Delaware State University to Offer its Students Free Prep Courses for Graduate-Level Admissions Exams Through New Partnership with Kaplan

College for Financial Planning®–a Kaplan Company Introduces Freedom Scholarships for Military Service Members and Veterans

Manhattan Prep/Kaplan Survey: Many Business Schools Say the MBA Rankings Have Lost Prestige and Would Welcome its Demise

Denison University Offers Students Free Comprehensive Prep for Graduate-Level Admissions Exams Through Partnership with Kaplan

Designed to Jump Start Careers, Financial Advising Accelerator Program Launched by College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company

Howard University to Offer its Undergraduate and Graduate Students Free Comprehensive Prep for Admissions and Licensure Exams Through New Partnership with Kaplan

Vela Wood Law Firm Partners with Kaplan to Provide Free LSAT® Courses to Boost Number of Black Attorneys

Kaplan Partners with Amazon to Provide Amazon Employees with Comprehensive Career and Student Support Services

With Rise in Financial Planning Needs for Unmarried Couples, College for Financial Planning^® Relaunches ADPA^® Designation Program