Financial Planning Association of Australia Limited (FPA)

Overview:

Profession(s): Financial Planning
Member Type(s): Certified Financial Planner practitioners, financial planners, paraplanners
Scope: National - Australia
Formed: 1992
Members: 12,000
Registration No.: ABN 62 054 174 453
Address: Level 8, Marland House, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne, 3000, Australia
Phone: 03 9627 5200
Fax: 03 9627 5280
Email: fpa@fpa.asn.au
Website: www.fpa.asn.au

Description:

The Financial Planning Association of Australia Ltd (FPA) is Australia's peak financial planning body, representing both individuals and businesses. It was founded in 1992 through the merger of the Australian Society of Investment and Financial Advisers and the International Association of Financial Planners. The FPA's entire focus is on providing relevant and useful services for members and representing them to important constituents such as government and the community.

Mission/Aims:

FPA and its members strive to improve the financial wellbeing of all Australians and to support and enhance the professionalism of financial planners.

On behalf of its members, the financial planning profession and the Australian people, FPA focuses its work on:

Professional education and continuing professional development.
Support for members in maintaining and enhancing ethical and professional standards.
Representing members’ views to government, regulators, the media, and other stakeholders to ensure effective input into policy and legislative decision making.
Raising the awareness of Australians about the need for and value of professional financial planning advice.

Principal Activities:

Professional education: Certified Financial Planner certification program; and continuing professional development.

Policy & Government relations: Developing policy positions and making representations and submissions to government and regulators

Professional Standards: Developing and implementing professional standards for members; investigating complaints against members and sanctioning them as appropriate; providing support to members with professional standards and practice issues

CFP certification: upholding and promoting CFP certification as the standard of professional excellence; overseeing the administration of CFP certification exams, ensuring that those who use the CFP marks are properly authorised, and establishing and enforcing competency, ethics and practice requirements for CFP professionals.

Member Benefits:

CFP certification.
Continuing professional development.
Building public awareness.
Referring business via an online Find a Planner service.
Provision of consumer brochures and financial literacy materials.
Advocacy on behalf of members.
Practice guidance.
Investigating high professional standards.
Network of 31 Chapters nationally, offering local professional development and networking.
Password-protected member website.
National and State based events for professional development, including an annual National Conference.
FPA Plus, a member benefit scheme providing access to discounted products and services.

Training/Licensing/Certification:

CFP Certification
Online Continuing Professional Development
CPD Professional Accredited Literature
CPD Quarterly, published in Financial Planning magazine
Professional development workshops and seminars
Quality Education Accreditation
Accreditation of external CPD courses

Affiliations:

Associations to which we are a member:
Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB)

Partner Associations:
Investment and Financial Services Association (IFSA)

Verification Criteria:

Australia:

Authorised representative of an Australian Financial Services Licensee
Practitioner member of the FPA
Certified Financial Planner professional