Rogers, Arkansas – March 6th, 2026
Mach 1 Financial Group, LLC of Rogers, Arkansas, celebrates its third financial advisor to obtain the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification.
The CFP® certification is awarded to financial planners who meet the rigorous criteria established by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board), a nonprofit organization founded in 1985. The CFP Board operates through two nonprofit entities: the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning, a 501(c)(3) organization, and the CFP Board of Standards, a 501(c)(6) organization. The CFP Board of Standards grants certification to financial planners who satisfy the “Four E’s”: Education, Exam, Experience, and Ethics (CFP Board, n.d.).
Isaac Johnson, CFP®, Financial Advisor and Vice President of Insurance at Mach 1 Financial Group, is a graduate of the University of Tulsa. Johnson graduated with his bachelor’s degree in finance and began at Mach 1 Financial Group in the spring of 2024. Johnson’s accomplishment makes Mach 1 Financial Group the proud home of three CFP® designation recipients.
The first step in the certification process involved completing certain educational requirements. Along with obtaining a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or institution, planners who wish to obtain the CFP® certification must have completed coursework through a CFP Board Registered Program. According to the CFP Board (n.d.), on average, it takes 12–18 months to complete the coursework requirements.
Johnson first began pursuing his CFP® certification back in 2018. “After leaving the firm I started with out of college,” Johnson recounts, “I withdrew from my CFP coursework. I went on to pursue other career paths before rejoining the financial services industry with Mach 1 Financial Group.” Shortly after starting at Mach 1, Johnson set out to finish what he started, and this time, in a new phase of life.
“I became a father three months after starting the classes,” Johnson recalls. “There were many times I was studying with a baby napping next to me.”
Johnson continues to recount the all-encompassing nature of the coursework during that busy time. “The studying boiled over into many areas of life. I remember bringing my textbooks on airplanes when we went on vacation. My wife would take our young son outside the house to play so that I could focus. That year, I even refused to let my family throw me a birthday celebration. I was just six days out from my exam, and I wanted to spend that time studying."
Looking back on his time completing the education requirements of the CFP® designation, Johnson was sure to note the support he had surrounding him.
“During my time studying for the CFP® designation, there were many long nights. My wife was very understanding and supportive of my goals, and even got on to me if she thought there was more I could be doing,” he adds jokingly. “I could not have done it without her."
Johnson also notes the support he received from his colleagues at Mach 1 Financial Group during the studying process.
“I don’t think I have ever experienced more support through prayer in my lifetime,” Johnson said. “The team continuously checked in on me, made sure I had what I needed to succeed, and the other CFP®s on staff helped me prepare for my final exam."
After navigating the required coursework, it was time to sit for the exams. Becoming a CFP® requires in-depth testing over various areas of the profession. The coursework covered a wide range of topics, including Investment Planning, Tax Planning, Estate Planning, Risk Management and Insurance Planning, Retirement Savings and Income Planning, and General Principles of Financial Planning.
When asked to describe his experience taking CFP® exams, Johnson spoke candidly, declaring it “very stressful."
“I’d spend anywhere from one to three months on a single class,” Johnson recalls. “If I didn’t pass, I would have to retake it, so the pressure was on every time."
Along with meeting the educational requirements of coursework and examinations necessary to achieve the CFP® certification, planners must have fulfilled the experience requirements by logging either 6,000 hours of professional experience related to the financial planning process or 4,000 hours of apprenticeship experience that meets additional requirements (Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, n.d.).
The fourth requirement of the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification is a commitment to the CFP® Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct.
“The CFP® designation doesn’t just communicate a commitment to expertise,” Johnson said. “It communicates a commitment to ethical practices as well."
While he acknowledges that his philosophy around planning and ethical practices did not change from before obtaining the CFP® certification, Johnson does believe it has given him experience in more areas of financial planning than he had been previously exposed to. He states, “The financial planning basics didn’t change for me per se, but I do feel like I have more tools in my tool belt than I did before."
While the long hours of studying and stressful examinations for the CFP® designation may be a thing of the past, Johnson is sure to note the importance of always improving as a financial advisor. “It is important in this industry to never stop trying to improve,” he says. “You can be in any job for fifty years, but it is when you quit trying to learn that you get left behind."
When asked what his vision for Mach 1 Financial Group is as it pertains to continuing education, Johnson proudly concludes, “The more we pursue these rigorous designations that require continued education and commitments to ethics, the more we can show the world what we already know – Mach 1 Financial Group is committed to doing the right thing on behalf of its clients."
References
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. (n.d.). About CFP Board. Retrieved from https://www.cfp.net/about-cfp-board
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. (n.d.). Get Certified: Certification Process. Retrieved from https://www.cfp.net/get-certified/certification-process
Mach-1 Financial Group, LLC ("Mach-1") is a registered investment adviser located in Rogers, AR. Mach-1 may only transact business in those states in which the firm maintains a notice filing or has qualified for an exemption or exclusion from registration. A copy of Mach-1’s current written disclosure brochure, which discusses among other things, Mach-1’s business practices, services, and fees, is available through the SEC website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov and is also available at www.mach-1financial.com/disclosures