Group Think

? Schwab Institutional announced the winners of the third annual Impact Awards, which honors advisors and firms that have “advanced the industry through their visionary leadership, operational excellence, technology innovation, and impressive growth.” The Charles R. Schwab Impact Award was presented to Joan Bavaria, founding president and CEO of Trillium Asset Management Corporation for her pioneering work in socially responsible investing. The Best-in-Business Award winner, Litman/Gregory Asset Management, LLC of Larkspur, California, was honored for its best-in-class practice management and innovation in serving wealthy individuals, families, and institutions since 1987. The Best-in-Tech Award winner was wealth management firm Clarfeld Financial Advisors, Inc. of New York and London, which was cited for its “powerful, intuitive, and flexible IT system.” The Pacesetter Award winner, Vista Capital Partners, Inc. of Portland, Oregon, was honored for its focus on clients’ long-term success.

? At its annual gathering, this year in Boston in early October, the Financial Planning Association said membership had grown in the past year to 29,800; that it planned a new consumer portal off the FPA’s fpanet.org Web site, and a diversity scholarship program. But the biggest accomplishment seems to be the FPA’s new Standard of Care, adopted by its board on August 28, that specifies a fiduciary standard must be met by all financial planners.