Samantha Allen, Andrew Pavia |
In a frank discussion at a town hall meeting, and in other sessions at the FPA Retreat here this weekend, planners voiced a number of complaints. Planners are fed up with confusion surrounding labels used to describe what they do, they said; they also faulted the FPA's inability to "draw a line" between planners and salespeople and the lack of support in hiring and integrating the next generation of planners.
At the town hall meeting, one statistic intended as a rallying cry — the oft-cited need for 160,000 new advisors in the next decade — became instead a focal point of advisors' frustration.
Veteran planner
WHO ARE WE?
Another well-known industry player chimed in. "Why do we not know our own numbers?"
Kitces also pointed to the FPA's lack of enforcement regarding the standard of care planning members are supposed to adhere to.
Current FPA president
That may not work so well in the future, Kitces warned: "If we don't enforce the standard of care we abide by, we're setting ourselves up for a big PR disaster down the road."
In a separate session at the conference, Wagner voiced even more frustration. "We don't know what we're doing," he told a room full of other longtime planners. "What is our mission and purpose? I don't think that's been answered."
Not only did he criticize the "planner" label itself, saying it is insufficient to describe planners' role; he also faulted the industry from a practice standpoint as well. The current practice model is "expensive" and "inefficient," he said, and he called on advisors to figure out recruitment issues, make planning services available for the middle class and, at the same time, continue to be profitable.
Wagner did praise the positive impact that the CFP Board's code of ethics has had on the industry — although, he said, "I have a couple of issues with what's going on right now. Surprise, right, Kevin?" he cracked, drawing a nod from CFP Board CEO
OPPORTUNITY SHORTAGE?
Back at the town hall, Kitces also took on the notion that the planning industry is facing a talent shortage. The real problem, he said, is that new planners face a dearth of jobs and internships available for them.
"The problem is not finding financial planners," Kitces said. "It's that they can't find a place to get the job experience. We should know our numbers and do our research — that's necessary."
Several planners stood up to offer their firms' help in developing an FPA-wide recruiting strategy.
"We would work with the FPA to do this, to make it a turnkey program," Buie said, speaking directly to FPA board members. As an advisor looking for new talent, she said, "I'm going to be so much more comfortable when you've told me, 'Here's what [the interns or new planners] have done, and here's what you offer them.'"
Despite the freewheeling and sometimes heated discussion, FPA executives said they were pleased with what they heard and appreciated the open dialogue. “We have never been more laser focused on the work that we do today,” Stanzak said.
Copyright: | (c) 2014 Financial Planning. All rights Reserved. |
Source: | Source Media, Inc. |
Wordcount: | 698 |
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