My term as Chair of CFP Board's Board of Governors expires at the end of this month. During the four years I served with the Board of Governors, I had the honor of working with a group of people I'll miss greatly. I volunteered for the Board because I believe CFP® certification is important within the financial planning community and beyond. With the many meetings and phone conferences we've shared - not to mention the many more e-mail and text messages exchanged - it was an added bonus to see existing friendships strengthened and new friendships established with colleagues I might otherwise not have had the chance to spend time with.

Friends don't always agree. When you put a dozen or so people in a boardroom, there are bound to be opposing opinions and divergent viewpoints, even if the individuals share friendships. That holds true for CFP Board's governing board. But the debates and exchange of ideas that have been a regular part of the Board are something I'll also miss. Throughout my time on the Board, I was always pleased to see no hesitation as Board members brought up difficult issues, and I was more pleased with the respectful manner in which those candid discussions were held.

CFP Board's Board of Governors hasn't shied away from tough questions. We've repeatedly affirmed and taken seriously CFP Board's mission to maintain CFP® certification's status as a standard of excellence in financial planning. And we've taken steps meant to secure a strong future for CFP® certification. In this past year alone, we've taken a close look at the education requirements for CFP® certification, including considering proposals from the experts who graciously spent time on our Education Task Force. We've opened discussions about the future of CFP Board's Code of Ethics and have taken substantive steps to improve CFP Board's enforcement of ethical standards through the implementation of specific fitness standards for those seeking CFP® certification and settlement guidelines that will help ensure consistency in disciplinary decision-making and setting.

The Board has also affirmed the other parts of CFP Board's mission that focus on promoting public awareness of the benefits of financial planning. We've provided grant funding to organizations working to develop sustainable ways to deliver the benefits financial planning to groups not traditionally targeted by financial planners. CFP Board's first attempt at a large meeting included a very well-received and well-attended Financial Planning Clinic that introduced financial planning to the public in a meaningful way. The Board's affirmation of public outreach has empowered CFP Board staff to explore different ways of reaching that mission, and I expect that in coming years you'll feel directly the effect of CFP Board's outreach efforts and partnerships in increasing public awareness of financial planning.

While we've made progress in our efforts to ensure that CFP® certification remains a standard of excellence in financial planning, there's still more to be done. The fact that the financial planning process touches on so many parts of an individual's life is one thing that makes it so rewarding for both the client and the planner. That's also what makes it more challenging.

I'm certain that CFP Board's future holds changes, debates and differences of opinion. I'm also confident CFP Board's Board will continue to hold its debates within an atmosphere of mutual respect and conduct their activities in alignment with CFP Board's mission. CFP Board has a history of recruiting top-notch volunteers to serve on its Board. The 2007 Board of Directors is no exception, and I look forward to seeing its efforts to further CFP Board's mission.

Barton C. Francis, CFP®
2006 Chair, Board of Governors
CFP Board

Hello. I'm Don I. Tharpe. I'd like to introduce myself and explain my role at CFP Board. I come to CFP Board from Transition Management, Inc. (TMI), a firm specifically designed to serve non-profit organizations that are in transition. Whether the transition is due to the resignation of a CEO or other key position, TMI's services allow a board to take its time and complete a thorough executive search. When Sarah Teslik announced her decision to leave her position as CEO, the Board of Governors was concerned about maintaining the momentum of its strategic plan and ensuring the uninterrupted operation of the company's day-to-day operations. The Board of Governors contacted TMI and asked me to manage CFP Board's operations while they complete the search for a new CEO. That is why I am here.

I'm not a CFP® certificant, and anyone who's had a conversation with me lately knows I'm still being challenged by the many abbreviations used around CFP Board. I've had the opportunity to meet some great people at CFP Board and at other financial planning organizations, and it's going to be easier for me to put names with faces than to get the acronyms right. But each organization I've worked at has presented a set of unfamiliar jargon, and CFP Board is no different. My experience in association management helps me learn quickly, and I'm moving rather fast.

I have a deep appreciation for financial planning. As a younger man, I made my way to Murray State University in Kentucky with only $200 in my checking account; I wouldn't have been able to finish my first month, let alone my first semester, if it were not for the assistance of the financial aid director there. I know the value of the services CFP® professionals offer to their clients, and I know the importance of protecting the professional image of financial planning. I understand the broader context in which CFP Board operates and recognize the value of CFP® certification.

My career has focused on the management of non-profit organizations. I served twelve years as executive director of one membership association and have served as executive director, president, COO and CEO of others. My experience has included managing several organizations for relatively short periods of time while those organizations experienced leadership transition.

In doing this work, I'm cognizant of the questions that greet me: Who is this guy? What is he doing here? It's important that my role as interim CEO is clear. My role is to make sure the company's operations continue to flow during the transition and that the transfer of responsibilities to a new CEO is as seamless and organized as possible. Another important aspect of my role is to support the company's staff through the transition process. Our agreement with CFP Board is a firm commitment to help staff through this process. And that's why my agreement with CFP Board specifies that my employment with CFP Board ends with the transition to a new CEO. My time here will not be spent politicking for a longer term. CFP Board has established a capable CEO search committee that can and will complete the search process.

Entering a company involved in a transition can give shaky nerves to even the most established employees. But I've found the staff at CFP Board to be one of the nicest groups of people I've come across. I also found it refreshing to come into an office where no one stopped to stare at the new boss for long - there were plenty of introductions, but everyone was quick to get back to their work. Each department had established or was working on its 2007 business plan by the time I arrived, and the 2007 budget had been finalized. There's plenty of work to do, and it's getting done.

It was also reassuring to find that about a third of staff has been at CFP Board more than five years. Two well-respected employees have even been here longer than ten (not that you'd guess it by their energy or their youthful appearances). It speaks well for a company - especially a non-profit that has undergone several changes in management over a short span of years - to have long-term employees. The institutional knowledge those long-term employees hold is especially valuable to a newcomer like me.

During my time at CFP Board, I will work to keep the organization's operations flowing. I acknowledge the quality work done by the Board of Governors and Sarah Teslik, and I look forward to continuing the good work accomplished under Sarah's tenure. I will be overseeing the completion of some projects that were initiated with Sarah's approval and are currently under development, and I will begin new projects at the direction of the Board.

I will also be preparing a transition plan that will make it easy to pass the baton to the new CEO. This involves some items you're not likely to see from the outside: things such as updating job descriptions and the employee manual, clarifying purchasing procedures, reinforcing human resources policy enforcement and developing a communications strategy for allied organizations. But they're important things that can make a big difference in providing a smooth transition for a new executive.

Rest assured that during my tenure, CFP board will continue its operations in an efficient and effective manner. If I have done my job adequately, the transition to a new CEO will be smooth, and I expect that the effects will yield lasting results that will build upon the future for CFP Board. It is my pleasure to help lead CFP Board during this transition period.

Don I. Tharpe
Interim CEO, CFP Board

A Spanish artist recently gave us one of his prints, a thank-you gift for putting him up in our spare room for a couple of nights. It was a very generous gesture, and one that we gratefully accepted. My wife and I both really liked the vivacity and cheerfulness of the piece, which we hung in the living room in a spot that used to be occupied by a clutch of black-and-white drawings. The print brightened up that whole corner of the room.

But even as our recent acquisition cast the living room in an entirely new light, it occasioned other, somewhat darker thoughts. The black outlines of dust on the wall where the old frames hung were now clearly visible, like the chalk lines around the body at a murder scene. We'd have to paint those, I thought. And that section of wall near the corner where the water damage was, we'd have to do something about that, too. It looked too much like that part of the room had some kind of strange skin disease. And that gash in the ceiling where the plaster fell down years ago; why the hell haven't we fixed that yet? And I'm sick and tired of constantly stumbling over the lip of the stair where the carpet is worn away. Let's get new carpets for the whole stairway while we're at it.

Yes, before my enthusiasm for the print had even cooled, I had succumbed to the dreaded Diderot effect.

The Diderot effect is named after the 18th-century French writer Denis Diderot, who spent 25 years editing the massive Encyclopaedia, one of the founding documents of the Enlightenment. Diderot is also the author of a charming essay called Regrets on Parting with My Old Dressing Gown, in which he describes how the gift of a beautiful scarlet dressing gown plunges him into debt and turns his life upside down.

Initially pleased with the unexpected gift, Diderot describes how he soon came to rue his new garment. Compared to his elegant dressing gown, the rest of his possessions began to seem tawdry. His old straw chair, for example, just wouldn't do. So he replaced it with an armchair covered in Moroccan leather. And the rickety old desk that groaned under his papers; that was out, too, and in came an expensive new writing table. Even the beloved prints that hung on his walls had to make way for newer, more costly prints. "I was absolute master of my old dressing gown," Diderot writes, "but I have become a slave to my new one . Beware of the contamination of sudden wealth. The poor man may take his ease without thinking of appearances, but the rich man is always under a strain."

Consumer researchers call this kind of trading up "the Diderot effect." But it also goes by other names-economist Robert Frank calls it "luxury fever," advocates of simpler living call it "affluenza." And it comes in other guises as well. It's not just seemingly minor home improvements that can spur this spiral of desire, but acquisitions like new cars, snazzy gadgets and slinky dresses, too. You know the Diderot effect has hit you when one small upgrade leads to another and another and another. Trouble starts when, like Diderot, your desire for the latest upgrade outstrips your ability to pay for it.

Some people are taking a stand against the Diderot effect. Grass-roots organizations offering tips for downshifters sprout up regularly. One such resource comes from the makers of the PBS documentary that first coined the term 'affluenza.' Their Affluenza Web site sports a Quiz to help you determine if you have the condition. And if you do, it offers 100 ways to escape the affliction.

Judith Levine has taken affluenza inoculations to a whole new level. In her book Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping, she describes how she and her partner, Paul, decided to buy nothing in 2004 except the bare necessities-food, medicine, utilities and whatever the couple needed to keep their businesses going, mainly Internet access and computer supplies. As part of her discretionary spending diet, Levine stopped doing things like dining out, renting DVDs, going to the movies and buying processed foods (except for bread). She tried to stick rigorously to the essentials, a somewhat elastic concept that for her included fresh ground roast coffee. The experiment had dramatic economic results. In December 2004, a year after she first had the idea to stop shopping, Levine took a look at her debits and credits. On an income of roughly $45,000, she managed to spend $8,000 less in 2004 than in 2003-and she paid off her credit card balance of $7,956.21.

There was a side-effect on old Diderot, too. Almost two years after the project finished, Levine says she still feels more anxious about making major purchases. She recently bought an expensive Afghan rug for her newly renovated home, but had to deliberate long and hard before going ahead with it. "Not buying anything is a way of calming down," she says. "It made me feel much more in control of my financial life. I realized I could live on less than I thought I could."

Toward the end of Regrets on Parting with My Old Dressing Gown - which has a subtitle: Or, A Warning to Those with More Taste than Money - Diderot writes: "In time I shall have paid off my creditors, and my sense of guilt will be less lively. Then I shall be able to take undiluted pleasure in all my new possessions." As for me, I'm still staring at the same pimply wall and tripping over the same worn carpet. We're still enjoying our new artwork, though. And maybe we'll get the other stuff fixed-once we can afford it.

- James Geary

A mother recently called the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling helpline. She was distraught and didn't know where else to turn for advice. Her son was a senior in college, just about to graduate, but his university said he would not receive his degree unless he paid his outstanding tuition bill. His mother was shocked. She had no idea that the tuition was still unpaid-or that her son had been secretly using the money to gamble.

According to Marlene Warner, program director for the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling, these kinds of calls are becoming more and more frequent as gambling gains in popularity among young people. Studies suggest that about 6% of Massachusetts' adult population have experienced a gambling problem at some point in their lives. Students, however, have a problem gambling rate of between 10% and 17%, and almost 80% of all Massachusetts youth have placed a bet by the time they reach the age of 18. "Young people today are growing up with gambling on the Internet," says Warner. "Some have been gambling for years by the time they reach college. Kids have more disposable income than before, and for many becoming a professional online poker player seems like a realistic career choice." With a grant from CFP Board, Warner and colleagues have launched a program to alert people in their 20s about the dangers of gambling and to raise their awareness of the importance of financial planning.

"We're focusing on students preparing to graduate from college because they're currently thinking about jobs, preparing themselves to start paying student loans," Warner says. "They tend to struggle with how to pay down credit card debt built up during college. Some resort to what seem like quick fixes, like gambling." The Council has produced brochures for graduating college students that cover topics like debt, investment, savings and other basics of financial planning. The brochures are distributed to the state's colleges and universities. The Council has also created a special area on its Web site for the parents of graduating students. Parents concerned about their adult child's gambling can find information on how to support their son or daughter without freeing them to gamble more. "The family members of problem gamblers often get stuck," Warner explains. "They compromise their own finances for the well-being of their loved ones. We want to connect them to financial and legal help."

That's why the Council is also using the CFP Board grant to set up a Financial Planner Assistance For A Day program (FPAFAD). Family members or loved ones of problem gamblers account for nearly 50% of the Council's helpline callers, but there are few resources available to assist them. The FPAFAD initiative gives family members the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a financial planner trained by the Council to handle the fallout from problem gambling. "Families often feel overwhelmed in the face of problem gambling," Warner says. "People find themselves pulled into a debt situation they knew nothing about. Credit card debt has piled up, their house may be at risk, so many people are owed money-a financial planner can help them sort through it by advising on how to protect assets from the gambler, deal with debt, and rebuild credit."

It's a win-win proposition: community-based workers gain essential financial planning knowledge while also putting financial planners in touch with underserved, hard-to-reach low- and middle-income populations. "We will know we've been successful," Davis says, "when social workers can quickly identify their client's needs for financial planning and then link that client with a local planner who can meet those needs."

"It's amazing how many people aren't aware that a loved one has a gambling problem until they get a call from the bank," Warner says. "When they have to take over the finances, they're petrified. Things are such a mess; they don't know where to start. A planner can help them find the financial value in their lives-and help them protect it."

Online Resources:
The Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling Web site is a valuable resource for information and advice about problem gambling. Here are a few of the features that might be useful for financial planners:

Help for Professionals:
This area of the site lists five questions that people in the financial services industry can use to judge whether their clients might have a gambling problem. A 'yes' answer to one or more of these questions suggests that there could be a problem that's worth further assessment. There is also a booklet about young people and gambling - Students: Know the Limit - that can be downloaded from the site.

Signs Someone You Love has a Gambling Problem:
This section of the site contains 20 questions that can help friends, family members and loved ones recognize the signs of problem gambling. A 'yes' answer to at least six of these questions could suggest the presence of a gambling problem.

Related Links:
The site has comprehensive listings for anyone interested in learning more about problem gambling.

Read more about projects receiving funding through CFP Board's 2006 Financial Planning Grants program.

CFP Board Thanks Its Volunteers

CFP Board has been blessed over the years with the assistance of many talented individuals who have volunteered to assist in various capacities. CFP Board's operations would not reach the scale they do without the generosity of CFP® certificants and other CFP Board stakeholders willing share their time and expertise. That was especially true in 2006.

One volunteer who deserves special commendation is Barton C. Francis, CFP®, 2006 Chair of the Board of Governors. While the typical term of a Board of Governors chairperson is one year, Bart graciously stepped up to those duties soon after he was named chair-elect, taking over those duties when his predecessor was required to attend to other duties. CFP Board would be indebted to Bart for length of his service alone, but the depth of that service calls for special gratitude. Not only did he serve as Chair of the Board of Governors during a time that involved many new initiatives, including several controversial ones. He was also instrumental in the transformation of CFP Board's international certification activities to a stand-alone entity, the Financial Planning Standards Board, Ltd. The amount of time Bart contributed to CFP Board has been immense, and CFP Board will miss his contributions and leadership.

From the Board of Governors members who set policy and direction for CFP Board's activities, to the Board of Professional Review members who keep CFP Board's disciplinary review process functioning, to the Board of Examiners members who work to sustain the integrity of the CFP® Certification Examination and the other volunteers who support exam development activities, to the Model Curriculum Update Committee that worked to revise the Model Curriculum for the updated 89 topic list, to the educators who shared their experience and research at CFP Board's Program Directors Conference and the Education Task Force members who reviewed CFP Board's education requirements and proposed substantive ways to improve them, to the speakers who presented breakout sessions at the Annual Meeting and the many CFP® certificants who staffed the first Financial Planning Clinic, to the hundreds who provided input on the Exposure Draft of proposed changes to CFP Board's ethical standards, CFP Board benefited in 2006 from the effort of more volunteers than ever before, and we would like to extend our appreciation to each of them.

Report on November 2006 Board of Professional Review Meeting

The Board of Professional Review (Board) held its last meeting of the year on November 17 and 18, 2006. As part of the meeting, the Board considered 31 disciplinary cases. One case was dismissed without merit, three cases were dismissed with a letter of caution, and five individuals were issued private censure letters. Public letters of admonition were issued to eight individuals. Seven cases resulted in decisions to suspend an individual's right to use the CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and certification marks (the CFP® marks), and three cases resulted in decisions to permanently revoke or relinquish an individual's right to use the CFP® marks. One applicant for CFP® certification received decisions that would delay his application. The cases included 15 settlement offers: five were accepted and ten resulted in the Board proposing a counter settlement offer. Because the appeal periods in these cases have not expired, the disciplinary actions are not yet final.

At its business meeting, the Board discussed the effect of the specific guidelines recently created to assist respondents in proposing settlement offers. The Board also discussed proposed revisions to the Disciplinary Rules and Procedures, including a proposal to require respondents to identify witnesses who will testify at a hearing at least 45 days before the scheduled hearing and a proposal to provide an exception to the confidentiality provisions to permit disclosure of the outcome of a case to an individual who has filed a complaint directly with CFP Board. The Board also discussed the final implementation of the character and fitness requirements for those seeking CFP® certification, which go into effect on January 1, 2007. Finally, the Board elected Harv M.J. Ames, CFP® and Diana Simpson, CFP® as Co-Chair Elects for 2007.

The Board's meetings would not be possible without the help of the many CFP® certificants willing to volunteer their time and expertise. In addition to the ongoing support of the Board of Professional Review members, the November 2006 meeting included the assistance of Michael S. Nichols, Ph.D., W. Glenn Parker, CIMA, CFP®, Alan B. Ungar, MBA, CFP®, and James F. Williams, CFP®, CPA. CFP Board is grateful to these volunteers who serve to protect the public by helping to enforce CFP Board's standards of ethics and competency. Effective January 1, 2007, the name of the Board of Professional Review will change to the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission.

Petition Process Defined for Challenges to Candidate Fitness Standards

CFP Board has developed a petition process for individuals seeking CFP® certification whose past conduct falls within the categories of CFP Board's Candidate Fitness Standards that are presumed to be unacceptable and presumed to bar an individual from becoming certified.

The Candidate Fitness Standards were introduced earlier this year and are designed to help CFP Board ensure that the past conduct of individuals seeking CFP® certification does not reflect adversely on their fitness as candidates for CFP® certification, or upon the financial planning profession or the CFP® certification marks. The standards include a list of transgressions that will always bar an individual from becoming a CFP® certificant and a list of conduct that is presumed to bar an individual from becoming a CFP® certificant.

Beginning January 1, 2007, when the Candidate Fitness Standards become effective, individuals whose past conduct falls in the "presumed unacceptable" category of the standards may petition CFP Board's Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (DEC) for reconsideration and present evidence that their past transgression does not reflect adversely on their fitness as candidates for CFP® certification. This evidence may include evidence that the petitioner's conduct since the transgression has been exemplary and beyond reproach, evidence of restitution to anyone harmed by the transgression, and evidence demonstrating fitness to become a CFP® certificant, including a demonstration that the petitioner understands CFP Board's ethical standards and intends to act in conformity with those standards.

Individuals who petition for reconsideration may choose to submit only a written petition, or they may request a hearing before the DEC and appear in person or by telephone. After reviewing a petition for reconsideration, the DEC may determine that the petitioner's past conduct does not reflect adversely on his or her fitness as a candidate for CFP® certification and permit the petitioner to proceed with the process of applying for CFP® certification, or the DEC may determine that the transgression does in fact reflect adversely on the petitioner's fitness to become a CFP® certificant and bar the individual from attaining CFP® certification. The decision of the DEC regarding a petition for reconsideration is final and may not be appealed.

For more detailed information about this process, read the Instructions for Petitioning for Reconsideration of the Candidate Fitness Standards for CFP® Certification that are now part of the Candidate Fitness Standards publication. Individuals who wish to submit a petition for reconsideration may do so after January 1, 2007, when the Candidate Fitness Standards become effective.

Misuse of CFP® Marks May Delay Certification Renewal

When CFP Board learns of misuse or unauthorized use of the CFP® marks, CFP Board must keep a record of when the responsible person is contacted about the situation. If you have been contacted by CFP Board regarding your use of the CFP® marks, the Trademark Department has opened a trademark case. Because CFP Board takes seriously its obligation to protect the trademarks that identify CFP® certificants as those who abide by CFP Board's standards of competency and ethics, those with a trademark case are not able to renew certification or register as a continuing education sponsor until the case has been resolved and closed.

Resolving a trademark case is usually a simple matter. The communication sent by CFP Board will include specific directions for fixing the trademark misuse or unauthorized use. Questions can also be resolved quickly by contacting CFP Board's Trademark Department by e-mail at TrademarkDept@CFPBoard.org or by fax to 303-860-7388.

If you've been contacted by CFP Board's trademark department, please contact CFP Board's trademark department in order to resolve the matter and prevent delays in processing renewal or continuing education sponsor applications.

CFP Board's Trademark Department would like to thank all of the CFP® certificants and others who have adjusted their use of the CFP® marks to follow the guidelines of CFP Board's updated Guide to Use of the CFP® Certification Marks. During the first months of CFP Board's regional Trademark Education Initiative, the focus has been on CFP® marks users in the Atlanta, Georgia and Seattle, Washington areas, but many marks users from outside those areas have also been reached through the ongoing initiative. While the trademark usage guidelines aren't especially complicated, CFP Board understands that they also are something that takes some time to learn before they become second nature. We appreciate all those who have cooperated with CFP Board's Trademark Department.

Trademark Tip

CFP Board does not allow CFP® certificants to use its trademarks within a business name. Because CFP® certification is not permanent and requires renewal, an individual may become uncertified at any given time for various different reasons. If a person were allowed to use the CFP® marks in a business name but then became uncertified, the public would likely continue to think the person was still certified by CFP Board.

Unauthorized Use:

John Doe, CFP LLC
Jane Doe Certified Financial Planner, Inc.

To ensure that your use of CFP Board's trademarks is correct, we encourage you to review our Guide to Use of the CFP® Certification Marks and contact CFP Board's Trademark Department with any questions by e-mail to Compliance@CFPBoard.org or by fax to 303-860-7388.

CFP® Certificant Sought for Manager of Examination Position

CFP Board is seeking to hire a CFP® certificant to assist with development of the CFP® Certification Examination. The Manager, Examination position will be involved in the coordination and review of questions written for the CFP® Certification Examination and will work closely with the Council on Examinations to ensure that CFP Board's exam continues to meet high standards for certification testing. The position will require some travel but will be based primarily in CFP Board's Denver office. Read more about the Manager, Examination position.

To apply for the Manager, Examination position, please send your resume to HumanResources@CFPBoard.org with the job title in the subject of your e-mail.

Read more about the CFP® Certification Examination development process.

2007 Financial Planning Grants Program

Information about CFP Board's 2007 Financial Planning Grants program is now online. The program continues the effort of the 2006 program to provide grant funding to innovative and sustainable programs that are educating Americans about the benefits of financial planning. If you are aware of such a program or have thought about starting such a program, we invite you to apply for a grant from CFP Board. The application deadline is March 1, 2007. Read more about CFP Board's 2007 Financial Planning Grants Program.

Volunteers Needed to Assist Disciplinary and Ethics Commission

CFP Board's Disciplinary and Ethics Commission is seeking CFP® certificants to serve on hearing panels as part of the disciplinary process investigating complaints against CFP® certificants. Hearings take place three times a year, in March, July and November, in Denver, Colorado.

Peer review and diversity are what makes CFP Board's disciplinary process fair, and the Board is looking for volunteers from different regions of the country who work in a variety of organizations. Volunteers should have at least five years of experience as a CFP® practitioner and have characteristics such as discretion, objectivity, competence, good communication and listening skills, and respect for all parties involved. Volunteers must be willing to attend a one-day training session in Denver and serve the next two days on hearing panels. All business-related expenses are reimbursed by CFP Board.

CFP® certificants interested in volunteering should complete an online volunteer application on CFP Board's Web site at www.CFP.net/aboutus/volunteers.asp.

Read more about CFP Board's disciplinary process.

Contribute to CFP Board's Newsletters

In October, CFP Board celebrated the third anniversary of its consumer-oriented "It's Your Turn" eNewsletter with a reader survey. With feedback from a significant number of the more than 19,000 current subscribers to the monthly publication, CFP Board has planned several modifications for the eNewsletter as a result of the survey. One modification that eNewsletter readers requested was articles on financial planning topics written by CFP® certificants willing to share their expertise and experiences through the eNewsletter.

Readers of "It's Your Turn" expressed the most interest in articles on retirement planning and investing. The eNewsletter typically features an article for people just beginning to consider how financial planning might benefit them, an article with a useful tip for someone ready to try some aspect of financial planning - whether on their own or with their financial planner - and an article that highlights activities by CFP Board or other organizations that are promoting the value of financial planning. Contributions from CFP® certificants about experiences they've encountered with clients in common situations would provide eNewsletter readers with concrete illustrations of the benefits of financial planning.

CFP Board also welcomes submission of articles that might also be featured in the CFP Board Report newsletter sent to CFP® certificants, CFP Board-Registered Program directors and continuing education sponsors, such as stories of people whose lives have been improved through the financial planning process, articles featuring interesting or innovative ways of reaching people in specific situations, or updates on advances in financial planning education.

If you enjoy writing and have interest in contributing to CFP Board's newsletters, send your submissions or statements of interest to CFP Board at mail@CFPBoard.org.