FPA, in Effort to Save CFP Credential, Joins New Coalition

The Financial Planning Association said Wednesday that it has joined the Professional Certification Coalition to help beat back attempts by states to bar the use of the Certified Financial Planner, or CFP, designation.

The newly formed Professional Certification Coalition (PCC), a Washington-based unincorporated nonprofit association, seeks to stem “efforts to enact legislation that would undermine the recognition of certifications developed or offered by private certification organizations.”

The coalition was formed by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence and the American Society of Association Executives.

The PCC advocates for certification organizations by working with state legislatures to eliminate harmful language, monitoring and analyzing state legislative activity, and educating state lawmakers about the Coalition’s position.

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“As the membership association for CFP professionals, we have a mission to advocate for financial planners,” said Lauren Schadle, FPA’s executive director and CEO. “Protecting our members against efforts that undermine their ability to serve their clients as CFP professionals is core to our association. By joining the PCC, we will be able to further our mission and engage the thousands of CFP professionals in our ranks to advocate for a certification that comes with high-standards of professional conduct.”

FPA partnered with PCC and other affiliated organizations to remove language in a Louisiana bill that would have prohibited FPA members that hold certification credentials, such as the CFP credential, from using the term “certified” in their titles.

FPA also advocated in Missouri by asking the governor to veto similar legislation.

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