Fifth Year of Financial Planning Days Brings Free Financial Counsel to Americans Nationwide

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In these uncertain economic times, Americans nationwide will have the opportunity to get competent financial advice at absolutely no cost and with no strings attached.  Over the next seven weeks, between September 27 and November 8, Financial Planning Days (www.FinancialPlanningDays.org) will be held in twenty five cities around the U.S.  On those days, hundreds of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals will partner with local city governments and gather in designated schools, municipal buildings, and libraries to offer free financial counsel to area residents.

In its fifth year, Financial Planning Days is a joint endeavor by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board), Financial Planning Association® (FPA®), Foundation for Financial Planning and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The mission of the initiative is to bring free, ethical financial planning advice to the general public through one-on-one advising sessions and group workshops. Highly qualified CFP® professionals will volunteer their time to offer "no-strings-attached" advice and will not distribute business cards, take names or sell financial products or services. 

In one-on-one consultations, financial planners will be seated at tables and will meet privately with individuals and couples to answer questions on budgeting, managing credit, getting out of debt, income taxes, homeownership, planning and paying for college, estate planning, insurance and many other topics. Free classroom-style workshop presentations covering key areas of personal finance will also be available.

To participate: Free registration is available at www.FinancialPlanningDays.org or by calling toll-free at 1-877-861-7826. Walk-ins are also welcome.  Events are planned in the following metro areas:

In honor of the fifth anniversary of Financial Planning Days, consumers will have an opportunity to submit their financial planning questions on social media using the hashtag #FinancialPlanningQs.  CFP® professionals will address select questions in an October 15 blog post at www.FinancialPlanningDays.org.  For more information, follow Financial Planning Days on Twitter at @FinPlanDays or like it on Facebook.

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 competent and ethical personal financial planning. The Board of Directors, in furthering CFP Board's mission, acts on behalf of the public, CFP® professionals and other stakeholders. CFP Board owns the certification marks CFP®, Certified Financial Planner™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) 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 70,000 individuals to use these marks in the U.S.  For more information about CFP Board, visit www.CFP.net or call 800-487-1497.

About the Financial Planning Association
Since 2000, the Financial Planning Association® (FPA®) has been the principal professional organization for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM (CFP®) professionals, educators, financial services professionals and students who seek advancement in a growing, dynamic profession. More than 23,000 FPA members adhere to the highest standards of professional competence, ethical conduct and clear, complete disclosure to those they serve. Through a collaborative effort to provide members with One Connection to tools and resources for professional growth, business success, advocacy and community, FPA has become an indispensable force in the advancement of today's CFP® professional. Learn more about FPA at OneFPA.org and follow on Twitter at twitter.com/fpassociation.

About Foundation for Financial Planning
The Foundation for Financial Planning, a 501(c) (3) non-profit is the only organization solely devoted to supporting the delivery of pro bono financial planning.  Its mission is to help people take control of their financial lives by connecting the financial planning community with people in need. Visit  www.foundationforfinancialplanning.org for more information and to learn how you can contribute to making a difference in the financial lives of others.

The Foundation for Financial Planning meets its mission daily by connecting financial planners with underserved populations and through 2013 has connected more than 10,000 financial planners with volunteer opportunities.  In addition to volunteer opportunities, the Foundation has provided over $5.5 million in grants to local, regional and national nonprofits in support of pro bono advice outreach, including providing financial planning resources free of charge to the military and nonprofits.  It Matters! 

About The U.S. Conference of Mayors
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,204 such cities in the country today. Each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. More information about the Conference is available at www.usmayors.org.

SOURCE Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.