Fiancial Planning Association
The Financial Planning Association (FPA) is a non-profit, national organization that supports Certified Financial Planners and the financial planning industry across the country. There are 93 state and local chapters of the FPA and I have been elected President of the Board of Directors for the New Haven Chapter for 2016. Paul also has a seat on the board representing the NextGen population. There is an annual cost to join the FPA but to serve on the Board or any committee of the Board, in any capacity, is a volunteer position. So why would we volunteer? Why do we devote so much time to the FPA? Why do we attend all these meetings? The simple answer is we are passionate about the profession and if our time volunteering makes the profession just a little better or if our efforts helps a young professional make smarter career choices in the industry, it is all worth it.
I recently went to Denver for an FPA Chapter Leaders Conference. Representatives and board members from the National organization and from chapters around the country were in attendance. There were existing Board members and those taking office for 2016. What amazed me most was the passion that I have for the profession was a common denominator by all that were in attendance. The willingness of all that I talked with to share ideas and lend support from fellow FPA members was overwhelming and extremely gratifying. To know I am not alone and have access to a national network of seasoned, passionate, like-minded professionals gives me a degree of confidence to lead the New Haven chapter of FPA. The depth of the resources was equally impressive. The core values of the FPA are based on respectful relationships, good stewardship and adherence to a Code of Ethics that encompass integrity, objectivity, competence, fairness, confidentiality, professionalism and diligence. All financial services will be delivered in accordance with the following standards of care:
* Put the client’s best interest first
* Act with due care and in utmost good faith
* Do not mislead clients
* Provide full and fair disclosure of all material facts
* Disclose and fairly manage all material conflicts of interest
As I mentioned, my passion for the profession was the motivation to get involved and volunteer my time with this organization. If you or someone you know cares about the financial profession and may be interested to find out more about the FPA, please give me a call. Someone in Denver said to me "you should not get involved until you know what you are getting involved in and you should not walk away until you know what you are walking away from". Those words of advice were very relevant for me.
Until the Next Tom's Take...
