FPA’s Virtual Externship Hosts 1,950 Participants
CFP professionals are providing instruction on eight financial planning modules.
The Financial Planning Association’s first FPA Virtual Externship opened June 1 with 1,950 aspiring certified financial planners.
This eight-week immersive program, designed to replace canceled summer internships, offers in-depth training to students and those interested in making financial planning their vocation.
The FPA Virtual Externship will expose attendees to the insights and practices of multiple financial planning firms, not just one host/planner firm as in the case of traditional internships.
By the end of the program, attendees studying for CFP certification will be able to receive 160 hours toward the Standard Pathway for the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards’ Experience Requirement.
During the eight-week program, thought leaders in the financial planning profession will provide virtual instruction covering these modules:
- Investment planning
- Insurance planning
- Client communication and care
- Cash flow planning
- College and student loan planning
- Retirement planning
- Tax planning
- Estate planning
Programming takes place daily during the business week to provide attendees with a structured experience. Lessons and case study assignments focus on each week’s topic area.
In addition, there is software training, office hours with practitioner mentors and technology partners, training to help students better understand the professional landscape and guidance on finding a job.
Weekly virtual happy hours give attendees an opportunity to connect with their peers and mentors and access to an online community to promote collaboration.
The externship is powered by TD Ameritrade Institutional, which is providing a wide range of support for the program, including access to its online advisor education center and professional staff.
The externship’s fintech partner is eMoney Advisor, which provides students technology support, including access to the firm’s proprietary software to help them complete case studies. In addition, eMoney’s in-house financial planning professionals will offer guidance to participants throughout the program.
Students will also be encouraged to participate in weekly “Financial Planning in Action” sessions hosted by the FPA Diversity & Inclusion Committee. These sessions will highlight different planners from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to show how they do financial planning as a whole.
— Related on ThinkAdvisor: