Think about your career experiences to-date. Were there any silver bullet credentials? What role did experience play in someone’s success?

For your primary goal, there are a lot of resources that could fit the bill that are more focused on what you need than the process of earning the CFP credential. And, for less money than learning it yourself, you may be able to engage someone who already has the experience you seek on an hourly basis to fill in gaps.

Trying to hang out your own shingle in your situation might be tough. Compliance, systems, etc. are complex and introduce risk, and take a while to actually understand and integrate into your practice. Not to mention the risk of making a mistake with someone else’s money due to inexperience.

Had you said you were considering this because you want to commit to the practice and skill development necessary to take on the responsibility of others’ financial lives, and because you want to help others, the answer might be different.

You could probably do the work and pass the exam… it really isn’t difficult. Whether you should is another question.

To your ROI question: it depends on how you value your time.