CFP Board to Host Free Financial Planning Clinic in Chicago

Washington, DC, April 7, 2010 – Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards announced plans today for a free and wide-ranging Financial Planning Clinic at DePaul University’s O’Hare Campus in Des Plains, IL that will be open to the general public. Chicago-area residents will have access to free financial planning advice and guidance from more than 20 local CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals, who have committed to volunteering their time and expertise to work with Chicagoans one-on-one to address important financial questions.

CFP Board is organizing the Clinic as part of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Money Smart Week – a weeklong series of free events and activities designed to help consumers better manage their personal finances.

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals will be set up at their own tables to meet one-on-one with consumers to address direct questions on retirement planning, employee benefits, tax issues, investment strategies, estate planning and insurance, among many other topics. The advice will be offered on a “no strings attached” basis with no effort made to prospect for new business or sign up new clients.

The Financial Planning Clinic will also feature a series of educational workshops and presentations addressing key personal finance topics, including: Planning for Your Financial Goals; Investment Planning for Retirement Assets; Estate Planning Basics; and Financial Planning for Young Professionals.

The Clinic is organized by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board), a non-profit certifying and standards-setting organization that oversees more than 61,000 financial professionals holding the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. Since 2006, CFP Board’s free Clinics around the country have made a positive difference in the lives of thousands of individuals and families by helping them sort out their personal finance questions and concerns. Post-event surveys showed that more than 95% of attendees found their experience so rewarding that they would recommend it to others.

TO PARTICIPATE: The Financial Planning Clinic is open to the public. Members of the news media are invited to attend the events to interview CFP Board organizers. The Clinic will be held on Saturday, April 17, 2010 at DePaul University O'Hare Campus, located at 3166 South River Road, Des Plaines, IL 60018. Events will begin at 11 a.m. and run through 4 p.m. Free parking will be available to the public.

Free online registration and additional information about the Financial Planning Clinic in Chicago is available on CFP Board’s Web site, www.CFP.net, or by calling 800-487-1497.

ABOUT CFP BOARD: The mission of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. is to benefit the public by granting the CFP® certification and upholding it as the recognized standard of excellence for personal financial planning. The Board of Directors, in furthering CFP Board’s mission, acts on behalf of the public, CFP® certificants and other stakeholders. CFP Board owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements. CFP Board currently authorizes more than 61,000 individuals to use these marks in the United States. For more about CFP Board, visit www.CFP.net.