? Three of the largest organizations of financial planners–the CFP Board, the FPA, and NAPFA–announced that they are holding a series of exploratory meetings to "discuss a unified response to widely expected reform of the financial services industry in the 111th Congress." (see page 70)
? FPA's Best Practices Task Force recently completed a new set of checklists of compliance requirements to better serve financial planning professionals and their clients, and to help its financial planning members conform to the new CFP Board Standards of Conduct. These checklists cover six different transaction scenarios, and an initial financial planning engagement, that a financial planner may encounter on a routine basis.
? The Independent Advisor Technology Forum (IATF) has been formed to provide an online forum at www.iatechforum.com where advisors going independent can educate themselves on their technology needs. The brainchild of industry veteran Tim Welsh of Nexus Consulting, IATF charter members include Laserfiche, Junxure, Black Diamond Performance Reporting, IPS AdvisorPro, Laser App, and Nexus Strategy.
? The Center for Political Accountability (CPA) reported December 11 that at least 13 mutual fund families have reversed their votes so far this year and now support shareholder resolutions that call on public companies to disclose when they spend corporate funds on politics.
