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​​​Saturday, December 12, 1969, was a day that will live forever in the financial planning movement. On that day, the first discussions about forming a professional organization for those providing financial services took place. That first organization, the International Association for Financial Counseling, provided the foundation for other organizations that followed.​

Prior to this meeting, Jim Johnston and Loren Dunton had started sharing their views about a better delivery system for financial services. Dunton went so far as to form a 501c(3) corporation in Colorado on June 19, 1969, called The Society for Financial Counseling Ethics.

 

Timeline

1969: Thirteen individuals meet at O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, to begin development of financial planning movement

1970: International Association for Financial Planning (IAFP) formed

1972: College for Financial Planning incorporates

1973: First CFP class of 42 graduates recognized

1973: Institute of Certified Financial Planners (ICFP) formed

1985: CFP Board-originally International Board of Standards and Practices for Certified Financial Planners, or IBCFP-founded

1985: National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) emerges

1987: First 20 universities recognized by CFP Board as offering registered educational programs

1990: Australia becomes first member of International CFP Council

1992: First comprehensive CFP examination offered

1995: Development of Financial Planning Practice Standards begins

2000: IAFP and ICFP merge to form Financial Planning Association® (FPA®)

2004: Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB) established to maintain international certification requirements for CFP® marks

2005: Nearly 100,000 individuals in 18 countries throughout the world hold CFP® marks

2007: Bachelor's degree required to earn CFP® certification

 

Archives for the History of Financial Planning

In May 2005, Texas Tech University (TTU) agreed to serve as the site for the archives, which will be housed in The Southwest Collections, TTU's special collections library.

This initiative, supported by the Financial Planning Association and TTU's Personal Financial Planning Division, will be responsible for acquiring and preserving items of historical significance to the financial planning profession​. Through this collection, valuable historical resources will be made available onsite, electronically and through educational public outreach programs.

For additional information, visit the Archives for the History of Financial Planning or e-mail [email protected].