Summertime….
For most of us this is a time to relax, change the pace, get away, and just enjoy. At Bridgeworth, ‘tis the season of interns. We have five–a couple are in the financial planning program in Tuscaloosa, and few are in finance at UAB. If the talent, drive, and maturity exhibited by these young adults adequately represent their generation, we can all expect many good things.
Over the years we have developed a good relationship with the program at the University of Alabama. Several of our full-time staff graduated from the program, as did one of our partners, Stephen Iaconis. So much of this relationship springs from our involvement with The Financial Planning Association of North Alabama. The author serves as current president, and thanks to Pete McCarn, Jackie Tucker, Henry Ware, and DeLynn Zell, we are host to four of the chapter’s past presidents. And more, William Hocutt will serve as president of the chapter in 2015. One might say, “FPA is in our DNA.”
So much so, perhaps, that we might have taken for granted several of the main tenets of the organization, which aims to promote the financial planning profession and the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNING™ (CFP®) credentials. We know that we adhere to the fiduciary standard and put our clients’ interests ahead of our own, but do we acknowledge it enough? Do our clients and allied professionals know that we, too, must earn hours of CE in order to use the CFP® marks? And is our audience familiar with the Code of Ethics (Integrity, Objectivity, Competence, Fairness, Confidentiality, Professionalism, and Diligence)? These are points that make me proud to serve in this profession and with this firm.
There is much to be excited about here at Bridgeworth. Our culture, our involvement, and the potential of those who will enter our profession in the years to come make for a promising future. Combine these concepts with the wonderful clients we are privileged to serve, and we could not be more gratified, hopeful, and thankful.