Financial planners called on to ‘inspire greatness’ at FPA Professionals Congress

Financial planners and other delegates will be gathering in Adelaide this week for the 2014 annual Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) Professionals Congress, running from 19-21 November.

The total number of registrations matched last year’s FPA Congress in Sydney and the overwhelming majority of this years’ Congress delegates are practicing financial planners with over half of them holding the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^®(CFP^®) certification.

Mark Rantall, CEO of the FPA said: “The high professional standards of the delegates attending this year’s Congress is testament to the quality and value of the program, which has been designed for planners, by planners.”

Against the backdrop of a year of unprecedented scrutiny of financial planning, this year’s Congress theme of “Inspiring Greatness” encapsulates the aim of uniting financial planners and other delegates, and inspiring them to create positive change and make a difference in the lives of all Australians.

The Congress will be opened by Ray Martin AM, who will be joined by guests including Ita Buttrose AO, OBE, Jihad Dib and Tara Moss, all of whom will respond to the Congress theme by sharing how greatness in others has inspired their own lives. The closing speaker will be master storyteller and interviewer, Andrew Denton.

The Congress program is designed to deliver education and self-development opportunities to FPA members and other delegates, providing them with the tools, techniques and mindset to achieve better outcomes for both clients and their practice. Sessions are divided into four categories; technical skills, best practice, personal development and leadership.

Registrations to the technical workshops have been particularly popular, with delegates especially keen not to miss out on estate planning and aged care workshops as well as wanting to learn more about how to communicate advice to clients.

Mr Rantall said that despite the fact that some of the discussion around financial planning over the past 12 months has focused on rogue planners, he welcomed any scrutiny which opened up the debate on improving professionalism, standards and education, a debate the FPA has been spearheading for years.

“In line with our aim of improving the skills and professionalism of financial planners, this year’s Congress includes sessions designed to extend technical knowledge, as well as to help develop strategies and tools to serve clients better and run practices more efficiently,” Mr Rantall said.

Mr Rantall concluded by saying that the impressive number of delegates at this year’s Congress is proof of the value that financial planners place on quality on-going professional education and the support of the FPA.

“The FPA has always sought to stand at the heart of financial planning, supporting and guiding our members and raising professional standards.

“We have always been focused on responding to policy and regulation change in a way which allows the profession to focus on the endgame, helping more Australians have access to quality, trusted and professional financial advice.”