FPA Seeks Input on 12b-1 Fees

Wading into the fray again over a regulatory hot-button issue, on August 13 the Financial Planning Association began to poll its members on the issue of mutual fund 12b-1 fees. Noting its input on a prior SEC proposal in 2004 to eliminate those fees, the FPA said it was seeking member input to help the group "update and refine our position." At Chairman Christopher Cox's request, SEC staff will recommend by year's end what action, if any, the Commission should take on the mutual fund fees; a roundtable discussion with industry experts on June 19th was part of that process (see Melanie Waddell's August column for more on that roundtable: http://www.investmentadvisor.com/article.php?article=7975)

The FPA will be accepting responses to its six-question survey through August 31.

Meanwhile, on October 1-7, the Financial Planning Association is celebrating its sixth annual Financial Planning Week, during which FPA staff and members conduct a number of events, including educational seminars, hotlines, and interviews with members, all meant to increase public awareness of the financial planning process. Further information on the events is at www.fpanet.org/member/fpweek/.