A lot has changed in the 24 years since I was last president of this organization.  Not only has the profession grown and the concept of “Financial Planning” more accepted, but also the industry has changed in many ways. 

            Regulation is now the word of the day.  We have seen government over site of the securities industry, as well as the financial planning profession, become tighter and tighter.  With the recent Madoff scandal, as well as others, this over site is certainly more likely to increase.  Moreover, these problems with the industry certainly do not settle well with the investing public.  Couple this with the current economic climate and the Financial Planning profession will have its fair share of challenges over the next few years.

            I want to also take this opportunity to thank Jayne for her direction and leadership last year.  It was another excellent year with superior programs and many accomplishments.  The year was capped off at the Chapter Leadership Conference I attended in Denver.  At the conference the Chapter received the Gold Level Achievement Award for Chapter Recognition. Jayne deserves most of the credit for the chapter receiving this award.

            In 2009 the FPA and the Central California Chapter face several challenges.  First and foremost is membership.  In these tough times it is important to maintain your professional relationships.  The FPA is an excellent source of information and referrals.  Take advantage of your membership.  By being a member of the Central California Chapter you are able to keep your finger on the pulse of the Central Valley.  It is of vital importance for everyone to know what is happening locally.  You will also notice that we have lowered the cost of our quarterly meetings to $20.00.  We want to encourage everyone to attend. 

            The Board is also asking that you consider more involvement in the FPA.  We have board positions available and would like to see new faces.  If you could serve on the board it will only take 1-3 hours per month of your time.  I’m sure you will find the time well spent and quite rewarding.   If you are willing to serve, or would like more information, please contact me at sdorrance@afaltd.com or (559)323-5555.

Board of Directors 2009

President          Stan Dorrance, MBA, CFP^©

Board Chair        Jayne Ferrante, CFP^©

Treasurer           John Longstaff, CFP^©

Secretary          Rod Thornton CLU, ChFC

Membership      John Longstaff, CFP^©

Programs          Carol Widmer, CFP^©, GRI

Sponsorship     Kong Phimmachack, CFP^©

Gov’t Relations Bill Thompson, CFP^©

Public Relations            Jayne Ferrante, CLU, CFP^©

Pro Bono          Bill Thompson, CFP^©

See you on February 19^th!

FPA Business Solutions

March 9-11, 2009

The Westin O’Hare, Chicago, IL

FPA Business Solutions conference on advanced business management consists of specialized content intended for financial planning professionals focusing on business management, technology and compliance issues. Early Bird Registration ends January 23, 2009

For more information, please visit: http://www.fpanet.org/EventsConferences/Conferences/BusinessSolutions

FPA Retreat 2009

April 27-30, 2009

TBD

Retreat is not your average conference — it is as much about connecting and conversation as it is about advanced education and pushing the boundaries of financial planning. Because of the strong focus on the "retreat experience," attendance is limited.

For more information, please visit: http://www.fpanet.org/EventsConferences/Conferences/Retreat/

February 19^th- Managing Risk Tolerance Goeff Davey, Director of Research & International Business, FinaMetrica, Sidney NSW.

Goeff is on a tour of the West Coast giving this presentation to the Orange County and Silicon Valley chapter of the FPA too.  This material appears to be cutting edge, with very recent data that hasn’t been discussed yet.  This is an exceptional opportunity to broaden your ideas and information on managing risk.  Be sure to attend!!

March 11- Tax Strategies for the Financial Planner…Maine Shafer, Bradford & Company

This is an “extra” course for anyone interested.  The focus of this presentation is tax strategies to small business people, and has been given to several FPA Chapters in the Bay area.  CE = YES  NO CHARGE FOR THIS MEETING!

MAY 14^th- Ethics

Complete your required Ethics course.  This course will fulfill your CFP Ethics requirement.

Certificate Program in Financial Planning

2009

Class Dates to be Determined

The Department of Finance and Business Law of the Craig School of Business at California State University, Fresno will offer a Certificate Program in Financial Planning that fulfills the educational component of the CFP^® certification. The Program consists of six courses with each course taught within a 4-week term, meeting 3 hours on Friday evening (6 p.m.-9 p.m.) and 7 hours on Saturday (9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-5 p.m.) each week, totaling 40 hours per course. Candidates who complete the six courses in the sequence, who receive at least “C” from each course, and who maintain an overall GPA higher than 2.5 will complete the Program in eight months.

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Certificate Program Fees:

Course fee: $450 per course (excluding the required textbook)

Seat limit:  15           

Payment schedule:

Course fees, payable to “CSUF Foundation,” must be paid one week prior to the start of each course.

For more program information, please contact:

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the marks CFP^®, Certified Financial Planner™, and CFP (with flame logo)^®, which it awards to individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing certification requirements.

California State University, Fresno (CSUF) does not certify individuals to use the CFP^® Certified Financial Planner™, and  certification marks. CFP certification is solely granted by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. to those persons who, in addition to completing an educational requirement such as this CFP Board-Registered Program, have met ethics, experience and examination requirements.

Department of Finance and Business Law

Craig School of Business

California State University, Fresno

Peters Building #285, 5245 N. Backer Avenue

Fresno, CA 93740-8001

(559) 278-2341

Certificate Program in Financial Planning

Registration Form