The American College of Financial Services to Host 14th Annual National Conference of African American Financial Professionals

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., July 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The American College of Financial Services, the nation's largest non-profit educational institution devoted to financial services, will be hosting the 14th Annual Conference of African American Financial Professionals (CAAFP) from August 5-7 at the Marriot Marquis in Atlanta, GA.

CAAFP focuses on addressing the wealth gap in African American communities with a mission to advance and foster professional relationships and development among African Americans working in the financial services industry. Even though African Americans make up about 13% of the U.S. population, a recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study reports that they account for only about 5% of personal financial advisors. CAAFP strives to significantly increase the number of African American services practitioners and provides complementary registrations to college students to encourage them to consider financial services as a career path.

Over the course of two days, dozens of workshop sessions will cover a variety of personal and professional development topics including; influencing financial responsibility through debt reduction, holistic planning for financial security and simple shifts needed to create more wealth and well-being. The event will feature thought leaders from a variety of industries, including:

• Keynote speaker – Susan Taylor, Founder and CEO at National CARES Mentoring Movement and Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, Essence magazine
• Dr. Pamela Jolly, CEO and Founder Torch Enterprises
• Ramesh Srinivasan, Author and Founder, UCLA-wide Digital Cultures Lab
• Stacey Tisdale, President and CEO at Mind Money Media Inc.
• Walter Bond, Trainer, Coach and former NBA player

In addition, Atlanta Hawks legend and Hall-of-Famer, Dominique Wilkins, will be participating in the conference’s Success on All Fronts closing panel discussion.  Wilkins will be joined by Steve Stoute, Founder and Chief Executive Office of UnitedMasters and Translation, Rick Caffey, Senior Vice President and Atlanta Market Manager at Entercom Atlanta Communications, and Randal Harbert, Executive Vice President and Chief Agency, Sales & Marketing Officer at State Farm®.  

"As the national leader in financial services education for over ninety years, the American College of Financial Services is honored to continue its mission of supporting financial professionals and their communities at this year's CAAFP," says George Nichols III, President and CEO of The American College of Financial Services. "Our African-American communities remain an underserved and under-tapped populace by this industry, but with this conference we look forward to furthering the cause of diversity and inclusion—both in our profession and in our economy."

Financial professionals play a significant role in helping individuals achieve long-term financial security. The CAAFP was designed to help participants deepen their expertise and better serve their clients who need guidance and fiscal stability. The event has increased immensely in influence and prominence from its inception, growing from less than 20 attendees to its current following between 500-600 attendees each year.

To learn more about the event please visit: www.theamericancollege.edu/caafp2019

ABOUT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF FINANCIAL SERVICES
The American College of Financial Services was founded in 1927 and is the nation's largest nonprofit educational institution devoted to financial services. Holding the highest level of academic accreditation, The College has educated one in five financial advisors across the United States and offers two master's degrees in management and financial services and prestigious financial planning designations such as the Retirement Income Certified Professional^® (RICP^®), Chartered Life Underwriter^® (CLU^®), Chartered Financial (ChFC^®) and education leading to the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP^®) certification. The College's faculty represents some of the foremost thought leaders of the financial services profession. For more information, visit TheAmericanCollege.edu.

ABOUT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The American College of Financial Services through joint efforts with corporate, community and education partners, is looking to double the number of African American financial advisors from the current rate of approximately 8 percent, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to 16 percent by 2027.

To address the lack of diversity in the profession, The College is seeking to establish strategic partnerships to provide educational support in the form of scholarships and career opportunities to African Americans interested in careers in financial services. This lack of diversity contributes to minority communities not only being under-represented in the profession but also underserved in financial advice that can lead to negative financial outcomes. Further, it is widely believed that better financial returns can be achieved by increasing the number of minority financial service professionals.

The College has committed an initial amount of $200,000 to the African American Scholarship Program. Scholarships are awarded to individuals seeking new opportunities (career changers), recent graduates and students (undergraduate and graduate) interested in pursuing a career in financial services. If you are interested in partnering with The College on this initiative, please contact Sandra Carr, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, at [email protected] or (610) 526-1565.

SOURCE The American College

Related Links

http://www.theamericancollege.edu