On January 1, 2000, members of the Institute of Certified Financial Planners (ICFP) and the International Association for Financial Planning (IAFP) took a step forward, combining forces to create the Financial Planning Association® (FPA®). FPA is the leadership and advocacy organization connecting those who provide, support and benefit from professional financial planning.

In 2001, September 11 created a challenging environment for the entire world. Stemming directly from the terrorist attacks on the United States, FPA created its National Planning Support Center on October 8, 2001. The Support Center's immediate focus was to offer pro bono financial planning assistance to families, individuals and businesses directly affected by the attacks. Since then, with generous assistance from the Foundation for Financial Planning, the Support Center has expanded its public service to disaster-related victims and military personnel.

With the National Planning Support Center in place, FPA realized the need to expand its resources to the broader public. A new consumer Web site was created to help individuals learn about the value of financial planning. It offers interactive tools including educational seminars, literature, audiocasts, checklists, an e-mail hotline, a financial planner search service and more.