The Journal of Financial Planning welcomes original, advanced papers on any aspect of financial planning—typically research-based and 5,000 words in length. Please consider the composition approach and elements detailed below to give your paper its best chance of succeeding through peer review to publication.

COMPOSITION APPROACH

Audience

Keep our readers—primarily experienced financial planning professionals—in mind as you write. Provide timely, practical material that applies to, or will directly benefit, financial planners in their work. Assume the reader has a fundamental but not esoteric knowledge.

Style

Your writing style should be easy to read and follow, yet professional. Thoughts and concepts should be clearly presented and easy to comprehend. Examples that illustrate key points are encouraged.

Organization

Stay focused on guiding the reader through the paper. State early its purpose, the material it will cover, and why that material is important and useful to the reader. Include a literature review of previous research on which this paper builds. Explain how it differs. After laying out the new research, clearly summarize the paper's premise and key findings or recommendations.

Objectivity

Content should be objective and avoid mentioning or promoting specific financial products or services. Any statements or assertions should be supported by sufficient research and data.

Research

Academic research in financial planning should have a direct and demonstrable application or benefit for financial planners. All research should be readily accessible by editorial staff, review board members and readers.

COMPOSITION ELEMENTS

Length

Manuscripts should run approximately 5,000 words.

Format

Your name, mailing address, e-mail address, phone number, and  a brief biography should be on the cover page. For blind-review purposes, the second page should consist of the title and an executive summary of no more than 250 words, but not your name.

Executive Summary

The executive summary, ideally in a bulleted list, should tell readers what they can expect from reading your paper, including all major points and broad conclusions. Do not attempt to sell the reader on the merits of the article. Include information such as whether your article is a primer, for the experienced planner, or for planners at any level and highlight any specific opportunities for practical application of your data.

Infographics

Infographics—tables, drawings, graphs, charts, or other visual support material—should not be excessive in length or in number. Please limit the total number of infographics to four or fewer.

Endnotes/References

The Journal of Financial Planning uses an author/date system. While there are too many variations based on the variety of sources to cover here, these are our basic formats for articles and books:

• Articles: Last Name, First Name [subsequent authors are First Name, Last Name]. Year. "Article Title." Publication Title 1 [volume], 2 [issue] (Month or Season, if available): 22–32 [page numbers].
• Books: Last Name, First Name [subsequent authors are First Name, Last Name]. Year. Book Title. 4th ed. City: Publisher.

SCREENING & REVIEW 

Initial Screening

Our editorial staff first screens manuscripts for appropriateness and quality, and may suggest revisions before sending a manuscript for blind peer review. Authors are notified of the editorial staff's decision.

Peer Review

Articles with merit will be reviewed by members of the Journal of Financial Planning's Editorial Review Board. The initial screening and peer-review process takes six to eight weeks. You will be notified as soon as we have heard from all of our reviewers.

Once we have received all manuscript reviews, you will receive a letter notifying you of next steps—publish, revise, reject—for your manuscript, along with copies of the reviewers' evaluations.

While your manuscript is in the review process, we ask that you do not submit it to any other publication for consideration. The Journal of Financial Planning will not publish any articles that have been accepted or printed by other publications.

SUBMISSIONS 

Electronic

Send your completed manuscript or article ideas, preferably as a Microsoft Word file, to Melanie Stafford at Melanie.Stafford@FPAnet.org.

By Mail

If you are sending paper copies as opposed to electronic files, please direct them, along with a CD, to:

Submissions
Journal of Financial Planning
Suite 600
7535 E. Hampden Ave.
Denver, Colo.  80231

We acknowledge receipt of all content.

PAYMENT

Authors receive no remuneration or reimbursement for any expenses incurred in conjunction with the preparation of articles published in the Journal of Financial Planning.