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March 03, 2022 at 09:05 AM
What You Need to Know
- For more than two decades, financial planners have been volunteering their time to help underserved and at-risk individuals and families.
- Several dedicated FPA chapters have focused on reaching out and serving their communities.
- There are many ways for advisors and their firms to get involved in a pro bono program.
One of the hallmarks of a growing, thriving profession is the willingness of those within it to use their time, talents, experience and knowledge to impact others’ lives positively. Financial planning is a relatively young profession compared to medicine, law and accounting, but that hasn’t stopped financial planners from having the same positive impact as doctors, lawyers and accountants.
Pro bono financial planning is not a new undertaking. For more than two decades, financial planners have been volunteering their time to help underserved and at-risk individuals and families address their pressing financial challenges.
This important work goes back to the 9/11 terrorist attacks when Financial Planning Association members sought to help those impacted by that solemn day’s events. Since then, pro bono financial planning has become an activity many practitioners seek involvement in every year.
FPA, our chapters and our members have been at the center of these important efforts. We proudly work with the Foundation for Financial Planning and many national, regional, and local partners to make these services available in communities across the country.
And despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, FPA chapters and members managed to touch the lives of thousands of individuals and families who need the support.
In 2021, more than 5,700 individuals received pro bono services from 960 volunteer financial planners who volunteered 17,407 hours of guidance, an 18% increase from the previous year.
When combining the one-on-one engagement numbers with the number of individuals participating in various additional pro bono programs, including financial education workshops, a cumulative total of 11,277 underserved and at-risk individuals and families received much-needed support throughout the year.
We are proud of our chapters and members who dedicate themselves to this important work and thank them for their commitment to bettering the lives of others. Here are just a few examples of the work being done by a few dedicated FPA chapters and members:
