FPA's knowledge and learning experiences are designed to meet the needs of all career stages within the financial planning profession. As you grow in experience and expertise you need knowledge, talents, skills and strengths to gain success. Our mission is to achieve the Five Big E's for FPA attendees at all conferences and events:

1. Education
2. Experience
3. Excitement
4. Excellence
5. Execution

To help you identify the best learning opportunity for you, we have created the FPA Lifelong Learning Competency Model. The model serves as a resource to help you identify the intended scope and learning level of a particular education program. Each program will be flagged with the Career Stage and Competency that the session most closely aligns to from an educational perspective.

The Model

Career Stage

1. Early (1–5 years)
2. Mid (6–14 years)
3. Late (15+ years)

Competency

1. Business & Practice Management
2. Technical Knowledge
3. Relationship Skills
4. Sales & Marketing
5. Critical Thinking
6. Organizational Skills
7. Human Resources Management
8. Leadership Skills

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. Topic List (when applicable)

1. General Principles of Financial Planning
2. Insurance Planning & Risk Management
3. Investment Planning
4. Income Tax Planning
5. Retirement Planning
6. Estate Planning
7. Interpersonal Communication

Sample Model Application

Date/Time: Sunday, September 9 (8:30-9:45 a.m. EDT)
Title: Setting Up Your Practice: What, Why, When and How?
Career Stage: I
FPA Competency: Business & Practice Management, Sales & Marketing
Speakers: Bonnie A. Hughes, CFP^®, Ben Jennings, CPA/PFS, CFP^®, CLU and Michael J. Zmistowski, RFC