Kacy Gott, CFP® Appointed Chair of CFP Board Council on Education

Will Help Shape Future of CFP Board Education Requirements

WASHINGTON, April 5, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) announced today that Kacy Gott, CFP® has been appointed as Chair of its Council on Education.

"Our education requirements are the bedrock of the CFP® designation and Kacy will be instrumental in advancing our education program as part of our effort to have financial planning recognized by the public as a distinct profession," said CFP Board Chief Executive Officer Kevin R. Keller, CAE.

The role of the Council on Education is to advise CFP Board staff on the development and implementation of the organization's education program and policies. Currently, CFP® certification requires candidates to complete a education requirement consisting of a core curriculum of the major financial planning areas offered by a CFP Board-Registered Program that is an accredited institution of higher learning and have obtained a bachelor's degree by the time they are ready to become certified.

Beginning in 2012, there will be a requirement for those wishing to become certified to complete a capstone course in addition to the current registered program curriculum. Once they earn the designation, CFP® professionals are then required every two years to complete 30 credit hours of continuing education of which two credit hours must be on ethics.

"As an educator myself, I believe that we need to continuously improve our education programs to ensure students and our CFP® professionals are not just competent, but also have a strong academic foundation when practicing financial planning," Gott said.  "I am thrilled and honored to help CFP Board advance its mission of granting and upholding the CFP® designation as the gold standard in personal financial planning."

Gott currently serves as the Chief Planning Officer and a Principal at Aspirant. He also teaches financial planning students and professionals, serving as an instructor at Golden Gate University. A frequent contributor to The San Francisco Chronicle and The Wall Street Journal, Gott serves on the Endowment Committee of the ARC of San Francisco, a resource for people with developmental disabilities. He has previously served on the national board of directors for the Financial Planning Association and is currently serving on its Diversity Task Force. Gott holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from San Diego State University. He earned his Certified Public Accountant credential in 1990 and his CFP® designation in 1996.

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 the federally registered 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 62,000 individuals to use these marks in the U.S.

SOURCE Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.