The Financial Planning Association announced the winners of its first-ever Heart of Financial Planning Distinguished Service Awards, recognizing those who engage in exceptional work and contribute to the financial planning community or to the public. This year's winners include George Kinder, Ross Levin, Gary Morris, Nancy Schwartzmiller, Bonnie Stanley, Bob Veres, Blankinship & Foster, FPA of New York-Pro Bono Committee, and Scott Fithian.
The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards was charged by the FPA with weakening consumer protection in the board's proposed changes to its ethical guidelines. This past summer, the CFP Board drafted changes to its Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and Financial Planning Practice Standards. The FPA called on the CFP Board to "withdraw the current proposal, redevelop its changes with a more inclusive process, and then resubmit them to the public and certificants for future comment." Approximately 19,000 (67%) of the FPA's 28,500 individual members are CFP professionals.