Bangkok--13 Feb--Thai Financial Planners Association
Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB), owner of the international CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER certification program, reported that the number of CFP professionals worldwide reached 153,376 CFP professionals at year-end 2013, up almost 5,500 or 3.76 percent from year-end 2012. Number of CFP professionals in Thailand increased by 32% in 2013 ranked 3rd among FPSB’s member organizations in term of annual growth rate.
For the second year running, FPSB's member organization in the U.S. and People's Republic of China led the pack, increasing the number of CFP professionals in their territories last year by 1,886 and 1,782 respectively. FPSB's member organization in Japan was third in terms of annual growth, adding 628 CFP professionals. These three territories, together with Australia and Canada, represent the five largest national populations and 82 percent of the world's CFP professionals.
The top three in terms of growth were followed by strong CFP professional growth from FPSB's member organization in Brazil, which grew by nearly 40 percent in 2013 by adding 356 CFP professionals. Members in South Africa, the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia and India all added more than 100 professionals each, continuing the important role growth markets play in establishing financial planning as a global profession and CFP certification as its symbol of excellence.
Since 2002, FPSB has increased the number of territories offering CFP certification by almost 50 percent (from 17 to 25), and the number of CFP professionals has more than doubled during that time.
“CFP professional is responsible for providing personal financial planning services with rigorous standards of competency, ethics and professionalism whereby commits to put clients' interests first and assist them in achieving their financial and life goals” said Mr. Teera Phutrakul, Chairman of Thai Financial Planners Association – TFPA.
“TFPA has become the 22nd member of FPSB among its 25 member territories worldwide. TFPA is the marks licensing authority for the CFP Marks in Thailand, through agreement with FPSB. Currently, there are 111 CFP Professionals who are certified by TFPA and work in Thai financial services industry. At end-2013, growth in Thailand was 32 percent which is ranked 3rd among FPSB’s member organizations in term of annual growth rate.” Mr. Teera Phutrakul added.
Growth in Europe was solid at 6.2 percent, with all of FPSB's seven member organizations in that region adding CFP professionals, ending the year with a total of 4,903 CFP professionals in Europe. Among FPSB's 12 member organizations in Asia-Pacific, the number of CFP professionals increased by more than 3,000 (5.7 percent) to total 56,396, representing 37 percent of the global CFP professional community. In the Americas, where Brazil, Canada and the U.S. are home to 57 percent of the world's CFP professionals, the number increased by 2.3 percent to 87,504. FPSB's member organization in South Africa added 178 people, growing the number of CFP professionals in that territory to 4,513 by year-end 2013. FPSB partnered with the Union of Financial Planners in Israel (UFPI) to deliver for the first time an FPSB-administered CFP exam in a territory, resulting in 61 CFP professionals.
About FPSB
FPSB manages, develops and operates certification, education and related programs for financial planning organizations to benefit the global community by establishing, upholding and promoting worldwide professional standards in financial planning. FPSB demonstrates its commitment to excellence with the marks of professional distinction - CFP, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER and CFP Logo Mark. FPSB has a nonprofit member organization in the following 25 territories: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. At year-end 2013, there were 153,376 CFP professionals worldwide. For more, visit fpsb.org.Follow FPSB at twitter.com/fpsb or facebook.com/fpsb1.