FPA, fi360 Collaborate to Provide Fiduciary Training

DENVER and PITTSBURGH, Sept. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Financial Planning Association^® (FPA^®) and fi360^® announced today a strategic collaboration where the widely recognized fiduciary training organization will create an exclusive certificate program for FPA's members. The program focuses on fiduciary obligations and best practices in context of the financial planner's job tasks.

This eight-module program covers a variety of fiduciary-related topics including professional and regulatory standards; client-planner engagement; formulating and monitoring financial planning regulations; and how to handle conflicts of interest. The education will be available through a variety of online and in-person learning opportunities and will be led by fi360 instructors.

"In today's challenging regulatory environment, financial planners have specific legal and ethical obligations, and FPA is proud to work with fi360 to provide our members with the training needed to navigate their important fiduciary duties," said Lauren M. Schadle, CAE, FPA associate executive director and COO.

The program provides continuing education credit for many professional designations, including AIF^® and AIFA^®. FPA members also receive access to fi360's wide range of resources, including on-staff fiduciary experts.  

"fi360's unmatched breadth and depth of fiduciary expertise provides both the technical and practical content relevant to financial planner's daily activities," said Blaine Aikin, fi360 CEO. "Our infrastructure and network of professional resources is unmatched in the fiduciary field and we look forward to working with FPA and its members." 

The program will be introduced at FPA Experience 2012, the annual conference for the financial planning community, which is just days away in San Antonio, Texas. A preview of the first module will be presented at a conference session -- "Fiduciary Implications of Financial Planning: Introduction to the Fiduciary Standard" -- on Tuesday, October 2 from 7:30-9:00 a.m. CDT. The FPA Experience session is free and will allow attendees to interact with the developers of the curriculum and sign up for the program.

fi360 and FPA will each donate 2.5% of the revenue from the fi360/FPA Fiduciary Training Program to FPA's 501c3 subsidiary, the National Financial Planning Support Center, for the purpose of funding additional education and research activities involving how financial planners and financial planning practices are adapting to and integrating the fiduciary standard into their day to day practice.

About fi360
fi360 offers a comprehensive approach to investment fiduciary education, practice management and support that has established them as the go-to source for investment fiduciary insights. With substantiated practices as the foundation, fi360 offers world-class fiduciary training/education, tools and resources that are essential for fiduciaries and those who provide services to fiduciaries to effectively and successfully manage their roles and responsibilities. fi360 assists those who rely on their fiduciary education programs, professional AIF® and AIFA® designations, Web-based analytical and reporting software and resources to achieve success. For more information about fi360, visit www.fi360.com or Twitter: @fi360.

About the Financial Planning Association
The Financial Planning Association^® (FPA^®) is the largest membership organization for personal financial planning experts in the U.S. and includes professionals from all backgrounds and business models. FPA members adhere to the highest standards of professional competence, ethical conduct and clear, complete disclosure to those they serve. Based in Denver, Colorado, FPA works in alliance with academic leaders, legislative and regulatory bodies, financial services firms and consumer interest organizations. For more information about FPA, visit www.FPAnet.org or call 800.322.4237.

SOURCE fi360