John Moran

The Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) yesterday announced John Moran of Apt Wealth Partners as the winner of the third Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award.

Mr Moran received the award for being the highest achiever in last semester’s CFP® certification program. He donated his $1,000 prize money to the FPA’s charitable foundation, Future2.

“I want to thank the FPA for this award and pay tribute to the first lady of financial planning. Gwen Fletcher remains an inspirational role model, committed to campaigning for a better financial future for all Australians,” said Mr Moran.

“This award brings to mind the high professional standards that the CFP® program fosters, ensuring that we gain a deep understanding of financial planning principles and practice. It is invaluable for developing the skills required for professional excellence and I couldn’t recommend it more highly.
“The CFP® program is also a major differentiator that clearly signals to consumers that they can have trust and confidence in us. Apt Wealth Partners believes strongly in the CFP® designation and the valuable work the FPA does.”
Mark Rantall, CEO of the FPA, congratulated Mr Moran on his achievement.

“On behalf of the FPA, I would like to formally congratulate John and, in particular, recognise his exceptional contribution to both his clients and the wider community. John is continuing Gwen’s legacy of helping people first and foremost, reflected in her constant efforts to improve the financial planning profession.

“I hope John’s commitment to the CFP® program inspires other aspirational and driven financial planners to aim for the high standards that Gwen set and to make a meaningful contribution to our profession,” said Mr Rantall.

The CFP® designation is the only financial planning designation that is recognised worldwide, requiring financial planners to adhere to world class professional and ethical standards. There are already around 5,500 CFP® professionals in Australia.

Enrolments for Semester 2 of the CFP® certification program close this Thursday, 9 July. Visit www.fpa.asn.au for more information.

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Amy Early

The Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) has announced Amy Early of Crowe Horwath as the winner of the second Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award.

Ms Early, who has been a financial planner for two years, was handed the award for being the highest achieving student in last semester’s CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®) Certification Program.

Speaking out about her achievement, Ms Early said: “I’m obviously pleased to have finished my studies and it’s a real honour to receive recognition from the FPA. Gwen Fletcher was an outstanding role model and her commitment to assisting financial planners in helping their clients is very inspiring. Receiving this award is a great motivation to constantly aim for the high standards that Gwen set and to make a meaningful contribution to our profession.

“After graduating university with degrees in economics and politics I wasn’t really sure what career path I should take. From my studies and previous work experience I knew that I enjoyed problem solving and helping people. After doing some research, financial planning seemed to be the perfect fit and I haven’t looked back since!”

Mark Rantall, CEO of the Financial Planning Association, congratulated Ms Early on her achievement and said he was pleased that see Gwen’s enduring legacy and commitment being celebrated through this award.

“It is fantastic to see so many bright young planners coming up through the ranks within our profession. It is through planners like Amy – who have a clear commitment to education and higher professional standards – that we will continue to show the true value of quality financial advice.”

According to Ms Early, Gwen Fletcher had a remarkable influence on the development of the financial planning profession in Australia.

“Gwen believed that financial planning was first and foremost about helping people and this shone through in her efforts to constantly improve the profession. The high standard that CFP® professionals hold themselves to today are a testament to her legacy. Gwen left a lasting impact, and perhaps as a result of this, more women than ever are joining the profession.

“As financial planners I think we have a responsibility to commit ourselves to the highest possible professional standards. The CFP® program provides this opportunity through ongoing education and by setting ethical and practice standards. For consumers, the CFP® designation is a valuable tool when engaging a financial planner. Knowing that a planner has undertaken an internationally recognised qualification and that they are part of a professional body that puts clients first can make the decision much easier,” Ms Early said.

Ms Early concluded by saying “I am grateful for the recognition from the FPA for my work and commitment. And I am also appreciative that my employer and mentors Patrick Giddy and Peter Cheadle, really value the CFP® program and have been so supportive throughout my studies. I think it’s really important that all financial planning firms encourage and assist their planners to always aim high in terms of education and professional standards. The CFP® program is challenging, so having support and encouragement from a manager and employer provides a student with that extra motivation to really get the most out of their studies, which in the end, benefits everyone.”

The Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award is presented to the CFP® Certification student who achieves the highest mark in all three required assessments each semester. Winners also receive a $1,000 prize, funded by the FPA.

Pre-admission for next semester’s CFP® program is now open.

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Erin Shields

The Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) announced yesterday Erin Shields of Dixon Advisory as the winner of the inaugural Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award.

Mark Rantall, CEO of the FPA, congratulated Ms Shields on taking out the award, which was handed to her for being the highest achieving student in last semester’s CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^®(CFP^®) Certification Program. He said he hopes her commitment to pursuing the CFP^® accreditation sets a precedent for other aspirational and driven financial planners.

“On behalf of the FPA I want to formally congratulate Erin and acknowledge her commitment to raising the overall standards of the financial planning profession.

“Now, more than ever, it is important that we continue to forge ahead along the path to professionalism, which we first embarked on some twenty years ago. The CFP^® accreditation is one of the key tools to prove indefinitely, to peers and clients alike, that our commitment to professionalism, excellence and expertise is unfaltering.

“While this is a journey that the FPA continues to lead the wider financial services industry on, it was Gwen who really started us on this path – it was Gwen who brought the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^® designation to Australia back in 1990,” Mr Rantall said.

As the first winner of the award, Ms Shields said she was honoured and grateful to be recognised in the memory of “such an incredible woman” – the late ‘First Lady of Financial Planning’.

Speaking about the personal meaning of this award and the importance of the CFP^® accreditation, Ms Shields said: “The CFP^® certification is a magnificent achievement because it is one of the few programs that truly sets you aside from others in the field.

“It not only illustrates that you have the necessary practical experience and technical expertise, but it also highlights that you have a moral backbone and commitment to professionalism. It is one thing to practice all those things in your day to day working life but to be formally recognised for it is extremely motivating. It also helps to be able to tell clients that you hold the highest professional designation available globally.

“Being named as the first winner of the Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award is a huge achievement for me. Not only does it acknowledge the hard work I have put into the CFP^® course, it also reminds us all of one of the most important woman in financial planning, not just in Australia but across the globe. I applaud the FPA for driving the recognition of Gwen and her work, and I see my job now as continuing along the path that Gwen forged.

Mr Rantall concluded by noting that the next round of CFP^® enrolments are now open and he encouraged those considering the qualification to commit to their own professional development.

“The benefits of the CFP^® accreditation are indisputable. We know that the CFP^® designation is the most commonly cited credential by consumers when looking for a financial planner[1]. Our research also shows that 67% of financial planners surveyed believe that the CFP^® designation would have a positive impact on their reputation[2]; and that on average CFP^® professionals earn $35,000 per annum more than other financial planners[3].”

The next Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award will be announced on 14 November 2014. Each award is valued at $1,000, and is funded by the FPA. The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^® Certification student who achieves the highest mark in all three required assessments each semester will receive the award.

Enrolments for next semester’s CFP^® program are now open. For more information go to www.fpa.asn.au/cfp/cfp-certification-program.

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The late Gwen Fletcher AM

The Financial Planning Association (FPA) has today announced the institution of the Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award, a prize that will be awarded to the highest achieving student in the CFP® Certification Program each semester.

The award honours the memory of the late ‘First Lady of Financial Planning’ and supports a key legacy of her lifelong endeavours to champion the vital role of education and its central importance in nurturing a financial planning profession.

Mark Rantall, CEO of the FPA, says the award both honours and perpetuates Gwen’s service to the profession and, by extension, the financial wellbeing of all Australians.

“Gwen’s relentless effort to build a highly qualified financial planning profession along with an awareness of the role of financial planning has helped shape the industry into a growing profession. Given she was responsible for bringing the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation to Australia back in 1990, it is appropriate that we acknowledge our top students in her name.

“Gwen holds a special place in the hearts of many planners within the profession. She was always open to offering her advice and opinion when it was sought, and was always prepared to help people who were new to the profession. This award is a way that we can not only acknowledge her commitment from an organisational perspective, but the role she played in developing individual financial planners and ultimately putting them in a better position to service their clients.”

Ms Fletcher played a pivotal role in campaigning for, and organising, the merger between the International Association of Financial Planners (IAFP) and the Australian Society of Investment and Financial Advisers (ASIFA) to become the Financial Planning Association of Australia in 1992. She also coined the name ‘Financial Planning Association’, a title that was subsequently adopted by the organisation in the US among other countries.

The first Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award will be announced on 20 June 2014. The second will be awarded on 14 November. Each award is valued at $1,000 each, funded by the FPA. The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Certification student who achieves the highest mark in all three required assessments each semester will receive the award.

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