Allied Associations

Supporting Partners
Who’s Who in Financial Planning

Supporting Partners
The Financial Planning Association of North East Ohio members are supported by a number of exceptional sponsors who help offset the cost of delivering benefits. These sponsors are helping to lead FPA's message of building the community of the financial planning profession, with their commitment to the association, its mission and its members. FPA of North East Ohio is excited to announce a new sponsorship program which will afford you the opportunity to now partner with our association over the course of an entire year rather than by each single event.

Who’s Who in Financial Planning
If you’re like most CFP^® professionals, or a student studying for the CFP^® mark, you probably don’t have a clear picture of which organization does what in the financial services field. All three major organizations that serve CFP^® students and professionals — the College for Financial Planning, the CFP Board and the FPA — are all located in Denver. We know this may add to the confusion, but each organization does have its own distinct mission.

In your career as a financial advisor, these three organizations are comparable to those with which you have been involved as a licensed driver. First, you go to drivers education (College for Financial Planning), then you get your drivers license (CFP Board), and then once you have earned your credentials, you can join an automobile association like the American Automobile Association (The FPA Association).

College for Financial Planning
4695 South Monaco Street
Denver, Colorado 80237-3403
Phone 303/220-1200 • Fax 303/220-5146

The College for Financial Planning is an independent, nonprofit educational institution dedicated to advancing the knowledge of financial services professionals. It is a division of the University of Phoenix, the largest provider of distance learning in the United States. The College of Financial Planning was the first institution to register with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board of Standards)
1700 Broadway
Suite 2100
Denver, CO 80290-2101
Phone (303) 405-7383 • Fax (303) 830-7500

An independent, nonprofit, professional regulatory organization founded in 1985, the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., owns the CFP^® certification mark and the marks CFP^®; and Certified Financial Planner^TM;. The CFP Board licenses individuals who have met its requirements for education, examination, experience, and ethics and continue to meet ongoing continuing education and ethics disclosure requirements to use the mark. The CFP Board preserves the integrity of the CFP^® marks by educating those who infringe upon or otherwise incorrectly use them and taking legal action if necessary.
• Licenses individuals to use the CFP^® marks
• Develops the CFP^® Certification Examination
• Sets standards for CFP^® certificants
• Protects the CFP^® marks
• Sets the continuing education requirement for CFP^® certificants
• Tracks CE credits for each CFP^® certificants to ensure all requirements are met
• Approves programs for CFP^® continuing education credit
• Enforces compliance with the Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility
• Administers the disciplinary process for CFP^® certificants
• Promotes public awareness of CFP^® marks
• Current annual license fee (as of 12/12/2004) is $150.00 paid bi-annually; i.e. $300.00 every two years.

The Financial Planning Association (FPA)
3801 East Florida Avenue – Suite 708
Denver, CO 80210-2571
Phone 303/759-4900 • 800/322-4237 • Fax 303/759-0749

The Financial Planning Association is the only professional organization that serves exclusively the CFP^® professional and students in the process of earning their CFP^® mark. The Institute promotes the CFP^® professional as the financial planner of choice on a national level and advances the profession of financial planning in the minds of the public, media, and other centers of influence. It also helps to develop the individual planner’s practice by providing opportunities and/or products for continuing education, networking, marketing, and public relations.
• Known as the "Institute"
• Publishes The Journal of Financial Planning
• Features 76 local societies for networking and continuing education
• Produces an annual Retreat, a high-level educational opportunity
• Promotes the CFP^® professional as the financial planner of choice on a national level
• Lobbies both state and federal legislatures and agencies in order to promulgate laws and regulations that are favorable to the CFP^® professional
• Provides continuing education in a variety of modes
• Offers discounts on selected products and services
• Offers an annual Practice Management Conference for CFP^® professionals
• Professional membership fees are $285.00 annually (subject to change)
• Student membership is $95.00 (subject to change)

Other Financial Services Organizations
• AALU — Association for Advanced Life Underwriting
• AICPA — American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• ASCLU/ChFC — American Society of Chartered Life Underwriters/Chartered Financial Consultants
• NAPFA — National Association of Personal Financial Advisors

Colleges and Universities Nationwide
An ever-growing number of educational institutions throughout the United States have registered with the CFP Board of Standards. They provide education in both classroom and distance learning settings that meets the CFP Board’s education requirement toward certification. Contact the CFP Board for this growing list of providers at (303) 830-7543.