Financial Planning Standards Board Celebrates 15 Years; Envisions Bright Future for Global Financial Planning Profession

Denver, Colorado, Nov. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Sunday, 1 December, Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB Ltd.), owner of the international CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER certification program outside the United States, will celebrate 15 years of leading the global financial planning community in support of its vision: To establish financial planning as a globally recognized profession, with the CFP marks its symbol of excellence.

FPSB Ltd. opened for business on 1 December 2004 with an affiliate network of professional financial planning bodies in 17 territories around the world that had come together to develop, promote and enforce world-class standards for CFP certification and financial planning professionalism. At that time, there were just under 90,000 CFP professionals worldwide committed to competently and ethically delivering financial planning in the interests of clients. Today, the FPSB Network comprises organizations in 27 territories that, together with FPSB Ltd., represent over 181,000 CFP professionals across the globe.

"Since its founding, FPSB Ltd. has benefited from a dedicated group of individuals and organizations that saw the need for a global body to establish financial planning as a recognized profession around the world," said Noel Maye, FPSB Ltd. CEO. "Over the years, both the FPSB Network and our sphere of influence have grown, and we're pleased to celebrate our 15-year anniversary with this level of global recognition for CFP certification from practitioners, financial services firms, regulators and consumers supporting competent, ethical financial planners who place their clients' interests first."

While FPSB Ltd. has had an impressive number of achievements in the last 15 years ? some of which are highlighted in its anniversary infographic ? the organization and its stakeholders are fully focused on the future. At FPSB Ltd.'s annual meeting in Zürich, Switzerland, last month, the FPSB Network engaged in long-term strategic planning for the global financial planning profession, and identified its collective priorities over the next several years. Themes coming out of the meeting centered on collaboration, alignment, agility and impact, most notably:

• Evolving FPSB Ltd.'s CFP certification standards and requirements to embrace a fintech-enabled future and "future-proof" the financial planning profession.
• Increasing best practice sharing and knowledge transfer within the FPSB Network to promote the value and impact of financial planning and working with a CFP professional to global stakeholders.
• Launching an integrated global communications strategy to support increased consumer awareness of the value of financial planning, of having a financial plan and of working with a CFP professional.
• Publishing Guidance Practice Notes to support financial planning professionals in developing policies and working with clients, including vulnerable clients, in a way that fulfils their ethical and professional obligations.

"FPSB Ltd. has charted an ambitious course to build the financial planning profession around the world for the benefit of the public for generations to come," continued Maye. "With the financial services industry facing its most disruptive time in history, the time has never been better to communicate to consumers the value of financial planning, the value of having a financial plan and the value of working with a competent and ethical financial planner. I'm confident that as the FPSB Network and global community of CFP professionals continue to be responsive to external conditions and evolve the profession to meet the changing needs of clients, we will together accomplish even greater things in the years ahead."

About FPSB Ltd.

FPSB Ltd. manages, develops and operates certification, education and related programs to benefit the global community by establishing, upholding and promoting worldwide professional standards in financial planning. FPSB Ltd. 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 Ltd. and the FPSB global network administer CFP and other certification programs in the following 27 territories: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, People's Republic of China, Peru, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. At the end of 2018, there were 181,360 CFP professionals worldwide. For more, visit fpsb.org.

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CFP Certification Global excellence in financial planning^TM

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