Friday, Oct 21, 2016

Global Financial Planning Community Gathered in Amsterdam to Discuss Evolving Stakeholder Needs, Shape Future of Profession

DENVER, CO – 21 OCTOBER 2016 – At its annual meeting in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, last week, Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB), owner of the international CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER certification program outside the United States, engaged in long-term strategic planning for the global financial planning profession and identified priorities for the FPSB network over the next several years.

The FPSB Board of Directors and more than 40 leaders of FPSB member organizations, representing more than 160,000 CFP professionals in 26 territories, affirmed the organization’s vision to establish financial planning as a global profession, with the CFP certification marks its symbol of excellence. Building on FPSB’s accomplishments over the past decade, and considering the disruptive potential of fintech and automated advice, meeting attendees laid out how FPSB would shape and lead the global financial planning profession, both in the near-term and the long-term.

“FPSB is committed to benefiting the global community by establishing, upholding and promoting standards and certification requirements for the global financial planning profession,” said FPSB CEO Noel Maye. “FPSB partners with member organizations, CFP professionals and other key stakeholders to promote worldwide the value of financial planning and the benefit of working with a competent and ethical financial planner who puts clients’ interests first.”

In Amsterdam, FPSB laid out its strategy for the next several years in the LASER framework – Leadership, Awareness, Standards, Engagement and Recognition.

LeadershipFPSB is the preeminent international financial planning standards authority for competent and ethical financial planners. The FPSB network is adequately resourced to succeed.

  • FPSB has set a growth goal of 250,000 CFP professionals in 40 territories by 2025. As part of this initiative, FPSB identified 15 priority territories, and invited representatives from six European territories to participate in FPSB’s global meeting.
  • To foster a global conversation about Fintech and the Future of Financial Planning, FPSB kicked off its strategic planning session with a discussion of fintech and automated advice, and launched a global report drawing on input from the FPSB network and almost 1,700 CFP professionals.

Awareness – The public is aware of the value of the financial planning process and of CFP certification.

  • FPSB launched its global social media campaign, #LifesBetter, to promote how life is better for members of the public who have a financial plan and who work with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional. For more on the research supporting the campaign, click here.

Standards – FPSB establishes and enforces standards of excellence and certification requirements for financial planning. Members and stakeholders are in full compliance with CFP certification program standards.

  • The FPSB Professional Standards Committee presented a framework for professional standards that can be embraced by legislators, regulators and other stakeholders looking to recognize the professional practice of financial planning.
  • FPSB presented a Qualifications Framework which will guide FPSB’s development of content and credentials for pathway programs leading to CFP certification.

Engagement – Members and other stakeholders are engaged in FPSB’s mission.

  • FPSB committed to increasing the level and depth of engagement of key stakeholders to support FPSB’s mission and vision for a global financial planning profession. Through its online community portal, Financial Planet, FPSB created the Global Academic and Research Community to develop the global body of knowledge for financial planning, and will add additional communities of interest to its online portal in the next year or two.

Recognition – Financial planning is recognized as a profession.

  • FPSB reaffirmed the importance of working with legislators and regulators at local, regional and global levels to ensure that financial planning and CFP certification are appropriately recognized.

To support increased access to competent and ethical financial planners by the public, and grow the number of CFP professionals worldwide, FPSB has committed to communicating the value of hiring CFP professionals to global financial services firms.

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 – which it owns outside the United States. FPSB has a nonprofit member organization in the following 26 territories: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. At the end of 2015, there were 161,821 CFP professionals worldwide. For more, visit fpsb.org.

# # #

CFP Certification Global excellence in financial planningTM