CFOS™ — Certified Family Office Specialist
The GAFM® global certification for professionals who structure and lead Family Offices for UHNWI families — governance, investments, wealth structuring, and cross-border taxation, including Law 14,754/2023.
“The Gold Standard for Advising Ultra-Wealthy Families.”
The credential for those who structure and lead the family office
Comprehensive Family Office scope
From family lifecycle diagnosis to the IPS, from holdings to trusts, from CRS to the legacy plan: the eight modules cover the entire decision chain of an institutional Family Office.
Regulatory recognition
Listed in the FINRA Professional Designations Database (USA) and accepted by financial institutions in more than 150 countries. Verifiable credentials online at GAFM.com.
Dual ISO standard
GAFM was the world's first financial certification body to simultaneously obtain ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 29990 (training and education) certifications.
Professionals who structure and lead the family's family office
The eight modules
- Definition, purpose, and historical origins of the family office (Medici, Rockefeller, Morgan)
- Taxonomy: Single Family Office, Multi Family Office, Virtual FO, and embedded FO
- Wealth tiers, minimum viable scale, and operating costs (bps on AUM)
- Family office life cycle: creation, institutionalization, maturity, and transition
- Three-circle model (family, ownership, business) and stakeholder mapping
- Family constitution, family protocol, and shareholder agreements
- Family council, family assembly, and specialized committees
- NextGen education and successor preparation
- Investment Policy Statement (IPS) and multigenerational objectives
- Strategic and tactical allocation, endowment model, and real assets
- Private equity, venture capital, real estate, and managing illiquidity
- Impact investing, ESG, and alignment with family values
- Family holdings, wealth holding entities, and shareholder agreements
- Trusts, foundations, and Private Trust Companies (PTC)
- Jurisdiction selection, economic substance, and cross-border recognition
- Forced heirship, multiple wills, and conflicts of law
- Tax residence, domicile, and change of tax residency of family members
- Law 14,754/2023, offshore entities, trusts, and ITCMD in Brazil
- US estate tax, gift tax, and rules applicable to non-resident aliens
- CRS, FATCA, beneficial ownership registers, and global transparency
- Family risk map: financial, reputational, physical, and digital
- Property insurance programs, D&O, kidnap & ransom, and fine art
- Strategic philanthropy: foundations, endowments, and Donor Advised Funds
- Legacy planning: values, family narrative, and social capital
- Family office organizational design and smart outsourcing
- Technology stack: data consolidation, accounting, and reporting
- Cybersecurity, social engineering, and business continuity
- Operational compliance, AML/KYC, and custodian relationships
- Fiduciary duties: loyalty, prudence, impartiality, and duty to inform
- Conflicts of interest, rebates, and fee transparency
- GAFM Code of Ethics and CFOS™ professional conduct
- Attracting and retaining client families; building a specialist network
Five phases. Merit-based progression.
- Rounds
- 1–10
- Pts/round
- 1
- Phase total
- 10 pts
- Min. to advance
- 5 pts
- Rounds
- 11–20
- Pts/round
- 2
- Phase total
- 20 pts
- Min. to advance
- 10 pts
- Rounds
- 21–30
- Pts/round
- 9
- Phase total
- 90 pts
- Min. to advance
- 45 pts
- Rounds
- 31–40
- Pts/round
- 16
- Phase total
- 160 pts
- Min. to advance
- 80 pts
- Rounds
- 41–50
- Pts/round
- 25
- Phase total
- 250 pts
- Min. to advance
- 125 pts
Four months of preparation
CFOS™ Certification Handbook
Technical compendium featuring the 8 CFOS™ curricular modules — fundamentals, governance, investments, structuring, taxation, risk, operations, and business development. Permanent reference for your professional practice.
CFOS™ Decision Simulator
Unlimited 4-month access to the GAFM simulator: practice the 50 situations across 5 complexity phases as many times as you like, with individualized executive feedback.
CFOS™ Decision Guide
60 case studies organized across the program's eight modules, covering structure selection, IPS, illiquidity, PTCs, CRS, US estate tax, cybersecurity, and attracting families.
30-minute 1:1 meeting
One-on-one online session with the GAFM® Specialist, with simultaneous translation into more than 50 languages — scheduled at the moment you consider most strategic.
From enrollment to the CFOS™ credential
- 01Enrollment
Enrollment in the program and immediate access to the technical handbook and simulator.
- 02Study · 4 months
Study the official handbook, practice unlimitedly across 50 simulator situations, and chat with the Specialist.
- 031:1 Mentorship
30-minute online meeting with the GAFM® Specialist, with simultaneous translation into more than 50 languages.
- 04Certification Exam
1-hour official exam with 10 practical situations in the simulator. Passing score ≥ 70%. Answers evaluated by the GAFM Specialist.
- 05CFOS™ Credential
Issuance of designation and digital badge verifiable at GAFM.com.
Three pathways to certification, adhering to the GAFM Elite standard.
Track A — Experience
Minimum of 3 years in a family office, wealth management, private banking, estate law, international taxation, or investment management, plus a recognized degree from an accredited institution.
Track B — Education
Undergraduate degree and completion of the 40-hour GAFM-Approved CFOS™ course, covering the eight official curricular modules of the program.
Track C — Certifications (waiver)
Holders of CWM, CFP, CTEP, TEP, LLM, CPA, JD, MBA, MS, PhD, DBA, or Bar admission have streamlined access with an exam waiver — the most common route chosen by senior practitioners.
CFOS™ vs. generalist credentials
Unlike the CFP (personal financial planning), CWM (portfolio management), and CPA (accounting and tax scope), the CFOS™ is the credential built upon the operational reality of a Family Office: family governance, perpetual portfolio, wealth structuring, and cross-border taxation in a unified curriculum.
| Criterion | CFOS™ (GAFM) | Generalist credentials (CFP · CWM · CPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Target audience | UHNWI families (USD 50M to USD 5B) and Family Offices | Individual retail and mass-affluent clients |
| Curriculum scope | 8 modules: governance, investments, structuring, taxation, risk, operations, ethics, and business | Focus on an isolated discipline |
| Family governance | Core of the program — constitution, council, and NextGen | Peripheral or absent approach |
| Cross-border taxation | Law 14,754/2023, CRS, FATCA, US estate tax, and UK IHT | Predominantly domestic |
| FO operations & tech | Data stack, consolidated reporting, and cybersecurity | Not covered |
15 hours of CPE per year.
Active maintenance of the CFOS™ designation requires completing 15 hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) annually, as registered in the FINRA Professional Designations Database. Non-compliance leads to suspension of designation usage and possible revocation of the credential.
1 hour. 10 decisions. Your credential.
The final stage is the official GAFM® exam, scheduled by the candidate within the 4-month window. It consists of 10 practical situations in the simulator, evaluated by the GAFM Specialist using the same criteria applied during study. Passing grade requires 70% or higher.
Common questions about CFOS™
Does the CFOS™ require a formal exam?+
Not necessarily. Candidates qualifying under Track C (certifications such as CWM, CFP, CTEP, TEP, LLM, CPA, JD, MBA, PhD, or Bar admission) are eligible for an exam waiver, with certification granted upon resume review. Other candidates proceed with preparation using the simulator and final exam on the platform.
Is the CFOS™ internationally recognized?+
Yes. It is listed in the FINRA Professional Designations Database (USA) and accepted by financial institutions in over 150 countries, including Swiss private banks, Singapore multi-family offices, and Middle Eastern business families.
Do I already need to work at a family office?+
No. The program serves both those currently working in SFOs, MFOs, or VFOs, as well as attorneys, accountants, private bankers, and consultants looking to structure family offices or advise UHNWI families in an integrated manner.
How does certification maintenance work?+
Candidates must complete 15 hours of CPE (Continuing Professional Education) annually, which can be earned through conferences, GAFM Academy webinars, publishing technical articles, or teaching finance, taxation, and family governance.
How do I verify the authenticity of a CFOS™ credential?+
CFOS™ credentials can be publicly verified on GAFM.com by employers, clients, and regulators, eliminating counterfeiting risks.
Your GAFM® Certification in Family Office begins now
Final exam scheduled at the end of four months, with a verifiable digital badge for passing candidates.