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The APFC® Program: Course 3

APFC® Certification

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Take the final step toward earning your Accredited Personal Finance Coach® certification. 

Through a combination of one-on-one and group mentorship sessions, plus independent experiences with real clients, reinforce your coaching skills to the highest level in preparation for your final performance evaluation.

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This course is for you if:

  • You have completed 67.5 hours of formal training through the APFC® program or another ICF-accredited coaching program

  • You have the capacity to complete an approved financial content credential

  • You are ready to complete your APFC® certification training

Live Session Times

We’ll meet virtually every Saturday between 12 PM - 2 PM PST for mentoring sessions. Your exact mentorship times will be scheduled once the cohort is full. 

1:1 Mentorship: 3 one-hour sessions

Group Mentorship: 7 total hours spread across multiple sessions

Session One: July 19

Session Two: July 26

Session Three: August 2

Session Four: August 9

Session Five: August 16

Outside of the mentorship sessions, you will have up to two years to complete your experience hours and final evaluation to earn your APFC® certification.

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The Course Schedule

Start Date: July 19, 2025

End Date: August 16, 2025

Enrollment deadline: July 9, 2025

Course Fee: $1,400

What to expect in this course

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1:1 Mentoring Sessions

You’ll complete three 1:1 mentor hours, scheduled directly with your Mentor Coach.

You’ll receive feedback based on the ACC Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales framework, helping you identify your strengths and areas for growth.

Group Mentoring Sessions

Attend a total of 7 hours of group mentor hours to engage in peer-to-peer coaching practice. In each 30-minute demo, you’ll alternate as coach and coachee.

Your Mentor Coach will observe and provide verbal and written feedback to help you adjust your approach.

Self-Paced Requirements

100 Experience Hours

We’ll help you figure out how to find clients so you can apply your coaching skills during real paid or pro bono sessions. These independent experience hours are an opportunity to practice everything you’ve learned throughout your training.

Evaluation Submission

For your final performance evaluation, you’ll submit one audio and one video recording with transcripts of a full coaching session with a real client for an assessment of your coaching skills based on ICF Core Competencies.

Co-requisite Completion

To complete your certification, you must also demonstrate financial competency. Before you submit your final APFC® evaluation for review, you’ll provide a certificate or certification of an approved co-requisite, which can be completed simultaneously with the APFC® program:

  • Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC®)

  • Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®)

  • Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)

  • Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

  • Certified Financial Therapist (CFT)

  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

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Do you have a question about a certification you hold that’s not listed? Email us at certification@sagefinancialsolutions.org to see if it meets the criteria.

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Meet Your Trainer

Saundra Davis is an educator, Accredited Personal Finance Coach, and ICF Master Certified Coach with a master’s in financial planning. She blends practical financial knowledge with a deep understanding of human behavior to offer a holistic approach to financial coaching and mentorship. As the founder of Sage Financial Solutions, Saundra is committed to training a diverse group of financial professionals who share a passion and commitment to serving underserved communities with humility and compassion. 

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  • To enroll in this course, you’ll need to have completed 67.5 hours of formal training through our APFC® program or another ICF-accredited coaching program. This includes only structured training hours, not mentor coaching or experience hours. Not sure if you’re eligible? Email your transcript to us for review.

  • This course is designed for small groups of 15 students to ensure personalized attention, a supportive learning experience, and a sense of community. 

  • During course 3, you’ll complete a total of 10 mentorship hours and 100 experience hours. If you enroll in all three APFC® Program courses, you’ll complete a total of 177.5 total training hours. 

  • Yes! APFC® certification meets the Level 1 ICF-accredited training requirement. To apply for ACC, submit your Level 1 ICF application with your APFC® certificate as proof of the training you completed. After your application is reviewed and approved, you’ll take the ICF Credentialing Exam for the ACC credential. 

  • To keep your Accredited Personal Finance Coach® certification active, you must complete 35 hours of continuing education over three years. We offer a 5-hour refresher course and accept certificates from approved programs, including those from the CFP® Board, Financial Planning Association, ICF, and other similar professional organizations. These courses should cover personal finance fundamentals, coaching methodologies, therapeutic approaches to financial behavior, and professional ethics to ensure you stay well-rounded and equipped to coach effectively. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

What our students say

  • "I had a solid foundation of technical knowledge, but I lacked the coaching and communication skills to truly guide people in a meaningful way."

    Through Sage’s program, I gained confidence in reflective listening, asking better coaching questions, and creating an environment where clients feel truly heard and understood. The collaborative learning environment, especially the hands-on role-play scenarios, allowed me to grow and apply these skills in real-world situations. Since completing the program, many clients tell me they’ve never felt so “seen” before. This is a direct result of what I learned through Sage, and I’m so grateful to have become a better communicator, not just professionally, but in my personal life as well.

    Josh St. Laurent, MS, CFP®, CFT

  • "Before Sage’s certification program, I was unknowingly leading my clients in sessions, a habit I developed from my background as a financial advisor."

    Now I have the foresight to slow down, facilitate conversations, and ask more open-ended questions in a way that guides my clients to discover their own answers and find their way. The program taught me to be more intentional in my coaching approach, and it provided me with a fresh perspective on how to support my clients more effectively. Since completing the certification, I’ve noticed a significant improvement in my coaching practice and I feel revitalized in my love for coaching. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have refined my skills and for the positive impact this has had on my client relationships.

    Leah Davis, Wealth & Wellness Coach

  • “I came out of the program with a deep awareness of who I am. It left me feeling confident to hold a safe, non-judgmental space for women to talk about their money.”

    Shilpa Bhaskar Gole, Founder of NerdyBird Financial Wellness

Your Path to Certification

The Accredited Personal Finance Coach® Program is a flexible, three-course training program designed with multiple pathways. The choice is yours: register for an individual course or complete all three to earn certification.

Financial Coaching Foundations

An introductory course that equips you with essential financial coaching techniques, trauma-informed methods, and ethical practices to support your clients through behavioral change. 

Deepen The Learning APFC®

An advanced course that helps you refine your coaching techniques, build trusting client relationships, and navigate complex coaching challenges with confidence and empathy.

APFC® Certification

The final step toward earning your APFC® certification. Gain fieldwork experience, receive expert one-on-one and group mentorship, and complete your performance evaluation to become a certified financial coach who always strives for excellence. 

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Ready to commit to the entire APFC® program?

Save $1,800 by bundling all three courses.

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Have more questions about the APFC® program?

Join a free virtual info session

Learn about upcoming APFC® courses and get your questions answered by our founder, Saundra Davis.