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The Financial Planning
Hall of Fame
Honoring transformational achievements. Celebrating visionary leadership. Inspiring what comes next.
The Hall of Fame celebrates leaders whose ideas and actions advanced the profession, raised its profile and helped shape its future. By honoring their contributions, we also look ahead to inspire the next generation of CFP® professionals and spark new possibilities.
Established in 2025
The Financial Planning Hall of Fame is a living tribute to the visionaries who have shaped the profession. The award honors transformational achievements that advanced financial planning for the benefit of the public.
Inductees may come from many walks of life — financial planners, educators, policymakers, innovators, authors and advocates— but all share a common legacy: They reimagined what financial planning could be and championed its highest ideals.
By preserving and celebrating these legacies, the Financial Planning Hall of Fame not only honors the past but also inspires the future, encouraging generations of CFP® professionals to strengthen the profession with vision, courage and conviction.
The inaugural inductees, Dr. Bill Anthes and Alexandra Armstrong, CFP®, exemplify transformational leadership. Their work strengthened professional standards, expanded access to trusted advice and safeguarded the enduring integrity of CFP® certification.
Alex Armstrong, CFP®
Alex Armstrong, CFP® has helped define the conscience of the financial planning profession. Among the first women to earn the CFP® certification, she broke barriers in the 1970s and went on to found one of the earliest woman-led financial planning firms.
Bill Anthes, Ph.D.
As President of the College for Financial Planning from 1979 to 2005, Bill Anthes, Ph.D. expanded access to education nationwide, creating the first accredited master’s program in the field and launching university partnerships that brought CFP® curriculum to campuses across the country.
Selection Process
Honorees are chosen through an open nomination process and independent review.
Nominees are evaluated for:
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Transformational impact on the profession and its future
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Elevating the standards of the profession
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Extending the impact of the profession on society
2025 Selection Committee
The inaugural Selection Committee was appointed in January 2025 by CFP Board Chair Liz Miller, CFP®, CFA®, and included past CFP Board Chairs, academics and public members who brought deep expertise and varied perspectives to this important task.
2025 Selection Committee Members:
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Karen Schaeffer, CFP® – Chair (2007 CFP Board Chair)
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Matt Boersen, CFP® – 2024 CFP Board Chair
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Bill Carter, CFP® – 1994 CFP Board Chair
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Ben Coombs – Member of the first class of CFP® certificants (1973)
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Sue Meisinger – Public Board Member (2010–2013)
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Latha Ramchand, Ph.D. – Board Member (2019–2022)
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Richard Salmen, CFP® – 2017 CFP Board Chair
CFP Board received more than 150 nominations for the inaugural class. Following staff review, the Selection Committee carefully considered a shortlist of nominees and recommended inductees for approval by the Board of Directors of CFP Board.
CFP Board extends its sincere appreciation to all Selection Committee members for the integrity and diligence they brought to the process. Their stewardship has helped shape a meaningful recognition program that will inspire generations to come.
The Financial Planning Hall of Fame will continue to honor those whose leadership and integrity shape the profession’s future.