GLOBAL FINANCIAL PLANNING STANDARDS-SETTING BODY NAMES KAREN SCHAEFFER 2010 BOARD CHAIRPERSON-ELECT

DENVER – 3 February 2010 – At its semi-annual meeting in Dublin, Ireland, Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB), owner of the CFP, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER and CFP Logo marks outside the United States, named board member Karen Schaeffer, CFP, its Board chairperson-elect in 2010. Schaeffer will serve as 2010 chairperson of the FPSB Council, an advisory body of the FPSB Board of Directors, before assuming her duties as FPSB Board chairperson in 2011.

“Karen is a recognized thought leader in the international financial planning community. Just as she’s been instrumental in shaping the U.S. financial planning sector over the years, Karen is an influential member of FPSB’s governing body,” said Stephen O’Connor, CFP, 2009 FPSB Board chair.  “Her extensive experience leading a variety of national associations coupled with her innate understanding of the macro and micro issues associated with regulation, public policy and ethics will serve FPSB well.”

Schaeffer is the managing member and co-founder of Schaeffer Financial LLC, a financial consulting firm in suburban Washington, D.C., where she has developed a diverse client base including professional women, Foreign Service officers, foreign nationals and federal government employees. Schaeffer was the 2007 chairperson of U.S.-based Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc., and chair of the organization’s Public Policy Council in 2009.  In addition to serving on CFP Board’s governing body, Schaeffer was instrumental in facilitating the merger of two associations to form the US-based Financial Planning Association.  Schaeffer also is a popular lecturer and seminar leader, with publishing credits including articles in Business Review, Best’s Review, and the Financial Planning Encyclopedia. She also co-authored a book, entitled: Education Savings Planning Guide.  

“Having been involved with the emergence of financial planning as a profession in the U.S. has left me committed to developing financial planning in emerging markets around the world and solidifying financial planning as a global profession based on FPSB’s stringent ethical, competency and practice standards,” Schaeffer said.

Additionally, FPSB approved language in its bylaws to allow future Boards to increase the number of voting directors from nine to a maximum of 12, as needed.  In 2010, 10 voting directors representing eight countries will govern FPSB.  The FPSB Council, an advisory group representing 23 organizations that manage, or are preparing to manage, CFP certification programs in their respective territories, support FPSB’s Board of Directors.

About FPSB
FPSB manages, develops and operates certification, education and related programs for financial planning organizations to benefit the global community by establishing, upholding and promoting worldwide professional standards in financial planning. FPSB demonstrates its commitment to excellence with the marks of professional distinction – CFP, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER and CFP Logo Mark. Territories where FPSB has a nonprofit member organization include: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chinese Taipei, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. For more, visit fpsb.org or follow the organization at twitter.com/fpsb or facebook/fpsb1.

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