Donald Tapp is President of Tapp & Associates, Inc. Donald is a Certified Public Accountant with the Personal Financial Specialist designation and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM, professional. Donald's expertise is in tax planning, wealth management, and business planning.
Donald received his B.S. in Business Administration, Accounting, from the University of Northern Colorado in 1998. He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Colorado Society of CPAs. Donald is also actively involved with Northwestern Youth for Christ and his church.
Donald enjoys spending time with his wife Shera and his daughters Ally and Addie. He enjoys fly fishing, hockey, swimming, movies, and reading.
PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
Principal
Tapp & Associates, Inc.
1227 Grand Avenue
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
EDUCATION
University of Northern Colorado, August 1998
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration
University of New Mexico May 1993
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology
PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS AND REGISTRATIONS
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM Professional
Candidates must pass a CFP board registered program or hold one of seven advanced degrees, designations or professional licenses and pass the CFP exam. Prerequisites include a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university and three years of full-time personal financial planning experience. Thirty hours of continuing education must be completed every two years. Areas of study include insurance and estate planning, employee benefit and tax planning, as well as investment and retirement planning. CFP®practitioners are also subject to strict adherence to the CFP Board’s Financial Planning Practice Standards and Professional Code of Ethics and Responsibility.
Personal Financial Specialist (PFS)
The PFS credential demonstrates that an individual has met the minimum education, experience and testing required of a CPA in addition to a minimum level of expertise in personal financial planning. To attain the PFS credential, a candidate must hold an unrevoked CPA license, fulfill 3,000 hours of personal financial planning business experience, complete 80 hours of personal financial planning CPE credits, pass a comprehensive financial planning exam and be an active member of the AICPA. A PFS credential holder is required to adhere to AICPA’s Code of Professional Conduct, and is encouraged to follow AICPA’s Statement on Responsibilities in Financial Planning Practice. To maintain their PFS credential, the recipient must complete 60 hours of financial planning CPE credits every three years.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) CPAs are licensed and regulated by their state boards of accountancy. While state laws and regulations vary, the education, experience and testing requirements for licensure as a CPA generally include minimum college education (typically 150 credit hours with at least a baccalaureate degree and a concentration in accounting), minimum experience levels (most states require at least one year of experience providing services that involve the use of accounting, attest, compilation, management advisory, financial advisory, tax or consulting skills, all of which must be achieved under the supervision of or verification by a CPA), and successful passage of the Uniform CPA Examination. In order to maintain a CPA license, states generally require the completion of 40 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) each year (or80 hours over a two year period or 120 hours over a three year period). Additionally, all American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) members are required to follow a rigorous Code of Professional Conduct.
Series 7 (General Securities Representative)
Series 66 (Uniform Combined State Law Exam)
Colorado Life, Accident and Health, and Variable Products Insurance License
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants
Financial Planning Association