ASPPA and CFFP Form Education Partnership
ARLINGTON, VA, February 9, 2010 -- The American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA) and the College for Financial Planning (the College) have joined forces to offer advanced qualified retirement plan education to financial professionals. Beginning in March, the College will offer instructor-led courses online that lead to ASPPA's Qualified Plan Financial Consultant (QPFC) credential. Students will be able to sit for the QPFC exams and upon successful completion, apply for the QPFC credential with ASPPA.
Both ASPPA and the College view the partnership as essential to achieving their respective missions of educating and credentialing financial advisors. "Our two organizations complement one another very well," said ASPPA President Sheldon H. Smith, Esq, APM. "ASPPA is the premier credentialing organization for retirement plan professionals and the College is the premier educational institution for financial professionals. If you're a financial advisor engaged in the increasingly complex world of qualified plans, this partnership represents a significant opportunity to advance your career."
The College is renowned for creating the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) certification, and offers its own professional designations, one of which is the Chartered Retirement Plans SpecialistSM or CRPS® designation. A benefit of the ASPPA partnership is that CRPS® designees will automatically receive credit for the first two ASPPA QPFC required exams-Retirement Plan Fundamentals 1 and 2. "Chartered Retirement Plans SpecialistSM designees will be encouraged to continue to take QPFC courses through the College and then demonstrate their commitment to retirement financial planning at the highest level by earning the QPFC credential with ASPPA," said College President John Sears. "Clients today expect financial services professionals to be experts in their chosen field. Our goal is to help meet those expectations and to be just as successful with education for the QPFC credential as we have been with education for the CFP® certification."
Under the partnership, the College will offer Plan Financial Consulting 1 (PFC-1) online beginning March 22, 2010. The follow-up course, Plan Financial Consulting 2 (PFC-2), will be offered in the fall. PFC-1 will cover retirement plan design concepts and PFC-2 will cover the fiduciary and investment aspects of qualified plans. The courses will be taught by Bill Yurkovac, CFP®, a financial services specialist with Arnold, Gentleman & Associates in Naples, Fla. Yurkovac has a master's degree in education and 25 years experience in financial planning. Heis a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) and was recently elected to the board of directors of the Estate Planning Council of Naples.
More information about the ASPPA-College partnership and course descriptions can be found at www.asppa.org/cffp .
About ASPPA
The American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA) is a national organization of more than 7,000 retirement plan and benefits professionals and serves as the educator, voice, and advocate for the employer-based retirement system. ASPPA members are administrators, actuaries, advisors, attorneys, accountants, and other financial services professionals who provide consulting and administrative services for qualified retirement plans. ASPPA is based in Arlington, Va., with 17 regional ASPPA benefits councils (ABCs) that provide opportunities for retirement plan employee benefits professionals to participate in ASPPA activities in their local communities. For more information, visit www.asppa.org.
About the College for Financial Planning
Founded in 1972, the College for Financial Planning (the College) provides accessible and flexible degree, non-degree, and continuing professional education programs to students nationwide. Shortly after its founding, the College introduced the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification, which has evolved into the world's most recognized and respected financial planning credential, with more than 50,000 professionals in the U.S. having earned the certification. In addition to its CFP® Certification Education Program, the College offers Graduate Degrees Programs for more in-depth knowledge of the finance industry and professional designation programs in asset management and retirement planning. The College for Financial Planning is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association. More than 120,000 students have graduated from one of the College's programs. For more information, visit www.cffpinfo.com.
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