The Financial Planning Association, Ameriprise Financial and the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) have announced the 2019 Financial Planning Challenge finalists, comprising eight college student teams.
Sponsored by the three organizations, the three-stage competition is designed for college and university undergraduate finance programs registered with the CFP Board, or related fields of study. The Financial Planning Challenge aims to "promote the financial planning profession as a vibrant community and viable career choice for today’s students," according to the event.
This year, the following eight teams will advance to the final rounds of the Financial Planning Challenge at the 2019 FPA Annual Conference, held Oct. 16-18, 2019, in Minneapolis:
- Edinboro University
- Kansas State University
- Texas A&M University
- Texas Tech University
- The University of Akron
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Utah Valley University
- Western Kentucky University
“In partnership with Ameriprise Financial and CFP Board, FPA always looks forward to hosting this annual competition to showcase the passion and knowledge these aspiring financial planners will bring to the profession,” stated FPA executive director and CEO Lauren Schadle. “Students represent the future of the profession and we’re proud to be part of a program that helps them jump-start their careers in financial planning and engage with our practitioner community.”
The challenge is separated into three phases — a written financial planning case study; a case study presentation; and a “How Do You Know?” Challenge, a game-show financial planning knowledge contest. The top three student teams will receive a monetary scholarship for their respective schools.
“The Financial Planning Challenge provides a unique opportunity for students to put theory into practice. They get a hands-on experience of taking what they have learned in the classroom and bringing it to life,” said CFP Board CEO Kevin Keller in a statement. “We are always pleased to be a part of this great program so that students who are on their way to CFP® certification get a taste of what it’s like to use their knowledge and skills.”
“It’s inspiring to see the next generation of financial planners demonstrate their exceptional knowledge of financial planning as they will be instrumental in carrying on the legacy of their predecessors in the profession,” stated 2019 FPA president Evelyn Zohlen. “This competition is a wonderful opportunity to showcase their talents as we look to elevate the profession.”
For more on the Challenge, head to the FPA's
