Group Think

? The Financial Planning Coalition–CFP Board of Standards, National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), and the Financial Planning Association (FPA)–has issued a call for legislation that would designate a national organization to oversee the financial planning profession and would preclude FINRA from consideration as that regulator due to its inherent conflicts of interest as a membership organization for the broker dealer community. The Coalition’s oversight body would set standards of ethics and competency for financial planners and would establish rules to promote the fiduciary standard of client care when providing financial planning services.

? The National Association of Independent Broker/Dealers (NAIBD) has announced new member programs and a heightened focus on independent broker/dealer (IBD) advocacy, as applications surge in light of the recent financial crisis. NAIBD has expanded their educational outreach by offering timely Webinars to help guide IBD’s through new industry issues and provide direct access to board members and qualified speakers. Webinar attendance is free for all members. Webinar topics will include “Small Firm Representatives to the FINRA Board Speak Out” and “Compliance Issues Posed by Social Networking.”