www.fpanv.org

The Planner News Briefs

November 2008

Welcome to this edition of Financial Planning Association of Southern Nevada’s monthly news brief.  In it you will find useful information about our chapter and its programs promoting the financial planning profession.

President’s Message—Andrew Patai, CFP®

As the end of the year draws near, so too does my tenure as President of FPA-NV.  The last three years as a member of the Board, and currently as President, has provided me an insight into the financial planning community from a different perspective.  This has been a tremendous opportunity to take my participation with the FPA to a whole new level and I am appreciative to have had the honor.

Since becoming involved with the Board a few years back, our chapter has witnessed numerous changes.  Not directly attributed to my own doing mind you, but changes that have helped our chapter grow and make new accomplishments that I feel are noteworthy.  Our Board has grown from a small handful to where we are now, including Chairs of every major function along with necessary committees.  We have added a Chapter Administrator to enable our advisory Board to execute numerous endeavors that would not have been possible with our limited time resources.  Pro-Bono has helped spread financial awareness to numerous community organizations and the calendar for next year is filling up quickly.  Public Relations is working to compile a press kit that will help brand FPANV more succinctly and communicate a common theme among our organization.  Membership is taking on several mandates to ensure new members are welcomed and to keep in contact with the existing members’ needs.  Our support from sponsors and our chapter growth has enabled our Treasurer the opportunity to accomplish goals with out wondering how it would happen. Our Sin City Symposium Lite was a great example of the teamwork our Board is capable of.  The list goes on.  And did I mention we achieved Gold Level status with FPA National for the 4th year in a row!  This is quite an accomplishment that not many chapters can attest to.

Our chapter leaders recently returned from FPA National’s Leadership Conference and are working to instill fresh new ideas and strategies for the upcoming year.  We are always working to bring you, the members and sponsors, the best value to your membership and we strive to continue our presence as the premiere association for the financial planning community. 

This year has brought about innumerable changes that have impacted the shape of not just our country, but our world as we know it.  In times of struggle it is easy to lose sight of the greatness that surrounds us.  We live in a time and place that is like no other and the opportunities are limitless.  I choose to like at the glass as half full.  This has been reinforced through my services to this chapter and I am grateful for the experience.  Many challenges have faced this chapter and we have always found a resolution.

We look forward to a new year with great changes, lots of opportunities to participate in your community and with the FPA, and continued success for our chapter.  Consider a small donation of your time and know that the rewards will be reciprocated.

Thank you and see you at the holiday party!

Upcoming Programs—Judy Moore, CFP®

We have completed our educational programs for the year and now look forward to the holiday season. We will be holding our annual holiday party on December 4 at the home of Eleesa Aimaq.

Click here for more information.

 

News Briefs

Board of Directors Update

The Board of Directors held is annual Strategic Planning Retreat last month and has come up with some exciting plans and projects for 2009. As we put the plans into action we will be giving you advance notice so you won’t miss any of the new programs and events we have planned.

Staci, Jocelyn, and Eleesa just returned from three day Chapter Leaders’ Conference in Denver. They are all fired up about the exciting changes taking place in FPA. They also brought back with them the Gold Chapter Recognition Award for 2008. This makes the fourth year in a row that the Financial Planning Association of Nevada (that’s right it’s official—Our new name if FPA- Nevada) has earned this prestigious honor.

We are also looking forward to having programs that reach out across the state so that our members get full benefits regardless of where they reside. You’ll be hearing more about this next month.

Along those same lines, we are pleased to report that we received a Gubernatorial Proclamation from Governor Gibbons for Financial Planning Week October 6-12, 2008. We also received Mayor Proclamations from Mayors Martini (Sparks) and Goodman (Las Vegas).

If you think you would like to serve on the 2009 Board of Directors or one of its committees, please send your name to admin@fpanv.org ASAP.

FPA Takes Out Full Page Ad in USA Today (Nov 3, 2008)—Marv Tuttle Jr FPA Executive Dir/CEO

FPA has placed a full-page advertisement in USA TODAY.  It is a message to all Americans about the times in which we live, the change and leadership we seek, and how the financial planning community through FPA can be helpful catalysts for positive change in turbulent times. You can view the advertisement on our Web site.  Click here to view the ad.

As part of our public awareness efforts to assist consumers through the financial crisis, this ad includes a link to FPA’s consumer site, www.FPAforFinancialPlanning.org, where readers will find resources and tools on financial planning. Additionally, FPA recently created a page on Facebook, one of the fastest growing Web-based community sites with 110 million active users, where consumers may ask questions of FPA member volunteers by participating in discussions on the political impact on the economy, financial planning in an economic downturn and others.  You can participate in Facebook at no cost by visiting www.Facebook.com.

As the leadership and advocacy organization connecting those who provide, support and benefit from professional financial planning, FPA stands ready to serve.

So Who’s Looking Out for Joe the Planner?

Duane Thompson, FPA Managing Director of Government Relations, announced that there will be a one hour webinar on December 2 (11 AM PST) to discuss issues pertinent to Joe the Planner.

In 2009 the 11th Congress will tackle financial services reform in an effort to resolve the financial crisis. What will financial planning regulation look like? Will Joe the Planner have a financial planning license? Or, one from FINRA? Join us to review this critical issue.

Click Here to Register

Featured Article

An IRS private letter ruling shows the importance of attention to detail.

A taxpayer we’ll call Jane Doe was working with a registered representative we’ll call Nancy Smith on a variety of investment management ideas. During a December 2000 meeting, they talked about a large IRA that Jane owned. Jane could not transfer the assets in the IRA without paying hefty surrender charges, but the charges grew smaller over time. Some of the surrender charges would expire in 2004; the rest in 2005. Jane set up an ordinary investment account with Nancy in 2001.

Click here for complete Article

Other News and Announcements

Social Security's New Retirement Estimator Rated the Federal Government's Best Online Service

In the latest quarterly ratings of the University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index for Federal Websites, the Social Security Administration's new online Retirement Estimator ranked as the best in government.  The Retirement Estimator debuted with a score of 90, the highest score in this survey and the second-highest score ever received by a government website.  Several other Social Security online services also are rated among the government’s top performers and equal to the highest caliber private sector sites, such as Amazon and Google.

"It's great to be recognized as the best, but we're not resting on our laurels," said Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security.  "We will have a series of new services in the coming year, and we are also improving some of our already successful online services."

The new Retirement Estimator is available at: www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator and gives the public the opportunity to run accurate, personalized scenarios for Social Security retirement benefits in a user-friendly way.

FPA-PAC

 

 

Support Our Corporate Sponsors—They Support Us















 

Web Advertising
Chapter members, place a web-ad on our consumer website pages. Click here for more information.

If you have an item you would like posted in The Planner News Briefs, email it to editor@fpanv.org.

©2008 Financial Planning Association Nevada Chapter
1930 Village Ctr Cir #3-396 • LAS VEGAS, NV 89134 • 702-756-2242

To unsubscribe to this newsletter only reply to this email with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the Subject line