Alison J. Hamilton, CFP®, CDFA®, CTFA

Alison J. Hamilton, CFP®, CDFA®, CTFA
SVP, Financial Planner
Stamford, CT

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Alison Hamilton, CFP®, CDFA®, CTFA, is a Senior Vice President and Financial Planner at Carnegie Investment Counsel, committed to helping individuals and families achieve their financial goals through personalized, comprehensive financial planning. She specializes in retirement planning, cash flow analysis, tax optimization, and charitable giving.
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With a focus on clarity and actionable advice, Alison empowers her clients to make confident, informed decisions. She brings over 30 years of experience in wealth management. Before joining Carnegie, she spent 17 years as SVP at Bessemer Trust Company, where she assisted high-net-worth families with all aspects of wealth management.

She began her career at Thorson, Brown & Plunkett, Inc., an RIA in Greenwich, CT, where she held roles ranging from Head of Operations to Director of Marketing for more than a decade.

Alison earned an M.A. in Psychology from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. Passionate about giving back, she organizes an annual team for Swim Across America, participating in open-water swims to raise funds for cancer research.

Originally from Scotland, Alison now lives in Greenwich, CT, with her two college-aged children. She enjoys traveling to the UK to visit family and staying active with CrossFit, pickleball, and ping pong.

Blogs written by Alison Hamilton

About the CFP® Certification

The CFP® certification is a voluntary certification; no federal or state law or regulation requires financial planners to hold CFP® certification. It is recognized in the United States and a number of other countries for its (1) high standard of professional education; (2) stringent code of conduct and standards of practice; and (3) ethical requirements that govern professional engagements with clients. Currently, more than 71,000 individuals have obtained CFP® certification in the United States.

To attain the right to use the CFP® marks, an individual must satisfactorily fulfill the following requirements:

• Education – Complete an advanced college-level course of study addressing the financial planning subject areas that CFP Board’s studies have determined as necessary for the competent and professional delivery of financial planning services, and attain a Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited United States college or university (or its equivalent from a foreign university). CFP Board’s financial planning subject areas include Item 2: Educational Background and Business Experience insurance planning and risk management, employee benefits planning, investment planning, income tax planning, retirement planning, and estate planning;
• Examination – Pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Examination. The examination includes case studies and client scenarios designed to test one’s ability to correctly diagnose financial planning issues and apply one’s knowledge of financial planning to real world circumstances;
• Experience – Complete at least three years of full-time financial planning-related experience (or the equivalent, measured as 2,000 hours per year); and
• Ethics – Agree to be bound by CFP Board’s Standards of Professional Conduct, a set of documents outlining the ethical and practice standards for CFP® professionals.

​Individuals who become certified must complete the following ongoing education and ethics requirements in order to maintain the right to continue to use the CFP® marks:

• Continuing Education – Complete 30 hours of continuing education hours every two years, including two hours on the Code of Ethics and other parts of the Standards of Professional Conduct, to maintain competence and keep up with developments in the financial planning field; and
• Ethics – Renew an agreement to be bound by the Standards of Professional Conduct. The Standards prominently require that CFP® professionals provide financial planning services at a fiduciary standard of care. This means CFP® professionals must provide financial planning services in the best interests of their clients.

CFP® professionals who fail to comply with the above standards and requirements may be subject to CFP Board’s enforcement process, which could result in suspension or permanent revocation of their CFP® certification.
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About the CDFA® designation

The Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®) designation is awarded by the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts and focuses on the financial aspects of divorce. Candidates must have a bachelor's degree with three years of relevant work experience or, without a degree, five years of experience in the field.

Relevant experience includes financial planning, family law practice, or expertise in at least three of the following areas: tax code, investment advisory or management, real estate and mortgage lending, life and disability insurance, and financial therapy or coaching. Candidates must submit their experience for approval before using the CDFA designation. 
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Divorce financial planning involves applying financial planning principles to settlement strategies, requiring a deep understanding of tax, insurance, retirement, and other financial matters as they relate to divorce. This is an advanced certification, not an entry-level designation.

About the CTFA Designation

To earn the Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) designation, candidates must meet one of the following experience and education requirements:

• Three years of experience in wealth management and completion of an approved wealth management training program within the last seven years
• Five years of experience in wealth management within the last seven years and a bachelor's degree
• Ten or more years of experience in wealth management, with at least five occurring within the last seven years

Candidates with less than five years of experience must complete an approved wealth management training program, while those with sufficient experience must pass a proctored exam. CTFA holders must complete 45 continuing education credits every three years to maintain their certification.
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