CFP Board and Center for Financial Planning Conferences Feature New Research, Opportunities for Faculty, Students and CFP® Professionals

The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. and its Center for Financial Planning announced today that its two marquee education conferences will feature new opportunities for CFP® professionals, students and faculty to collaborate and learn about exciting new research in the field of financial planning.

The Center for Financial Planning’s Academic Research Colloquium is February 19-21 and the CFP Board Registered Programs Conference is February 21-22. Both events will be held at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, VA.  

“Quality education programs are vital to the success of CFP® certification. They provide the foundational knowledge students need to be prepared for the CFP® exam and eventually become CFP® professionals serving the American public,” said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. “Both of these excellent conferences offer opportunities for in-depth research, collaboration and exposure to new ideas that will benefit the financial planning profession as we continue to build its academic home and body of knowledge.”

About the Academic Research Colloquium

The third annual Academic Research Colloquium for Financial Planning and Related Disciplines is an international meeting of researchers, practitioners, graduate students and leaders of financial planning practice hosted by the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning, in cooperation with Financial Planning Standards Council and Financial Planning Standards Board.  The Colloquium is designed to be a forum to showcase rigorous, relevant research within financial planning, as well as disciplines that directly or indirectly relate to the financial planning body of knowledge or financial planning practice. 

In addition to research paper presentations, the 2019 Colloquium will for the first time feature three new sessions of interest for practicing CFP® professionals. These sessions, devoted exclusively to exploring the implications of research to financial planning practice, will be led by prominent scholar-practitioners – individuals who have extensive financial planning practice experience and can apply those to relevant, impactful research. CFP® professionals attending these sessions will be eligible to receive CFP Board CE credit provided by the Financial Planning Association. The Colloquium will also offer the opportunity for faculty to interview for open positions across various colleges and universities. 

The Colloquium will again feature a series of Best Paper Awards that will be presented at the event with a $2,500 cash prize for the author(s) of the winning paper.

• The TD Ameritrade Institutional Best Paper Award for Behavioral Finance will recognize the best research paper that brings psychological insight into human behavior and decision-making with implications for financial planning practice.
• The Northwestern Mutual Best Paper Award for Insurance/Risk Management will recognize the best paper on the discipline of Insurance/Risk Management, with implications for financial planning practice.
• The Emerging Scholar Best Paper Award will recognize the best research paper by a junior faculty member that directly or indirectly relates to financial planning practice. Authors who are serving as faculty members within their first five years of a position, tenure-track or not, regardless of academic focus, are eligible for this award.
• The Best Paper Award in Investments will recognize the best paper that focuses on the area of Investments, with implications for financial planning practice.
• The Best Paper Award in Household Finance will recognize the best paper that focuses on research questions related to Household Finance. 

“The Colloquium provides a unique opportunity for faculty, students and CFP® professionals to come together and experience the best research and learning opportunities available within the financial planning profession,” said Charles Chaffin, Ed.D., Director of Academic Initiatives for the Center for Financial Planning. “The financial planning discipline continues to grow, with more and more attention being given to scholarly research in this field. The Colloquium will continue to advance these efforts as we build an academic home and enhance the body of knowledge for the financial planning profession.”

About the Registered Programs Conference

The conference will bring together program directors and faculty from institutions that deliver professional financial planning education for individuals pursuing CFP® certification, offering opportunities to connect with each other and with firms to share best practices for strengthening the talent pipeline. The student track will explore topics such as the path to CFP® certification, pro bono financial planning and trending issues in financial planning.

CFP Board Registered Programs are offered at regionally-accredited colleges and universities who have met specific criteria for educating individuals pursuing CFP® certification. Individuals who meet CFP Board's coursework requirement through a registered program are eligible to sit for the CFP® Certification Examination. CFP Board partners with over 330 programs at more than 200 institutions.

“Year after year, financial planning educators have found this event to be an invaluable forum for sharing ways to build out and strengthen their registered programs,” said Mary Kay Svedberg, Ph.D., CFP Board’s Director of Education. “This year, we’re excited to expand the conference to allow students to attend to gain information and make connections that will help them on their journey toward CFP® certification.”