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Abstract We analyzed survey data from examinees of six administrations of the CFP[R] Certification Examination between November 1999 and November 2001. We observed increases in the proportions of examinees that [...]

Abstract We surveyed examinees from three administrations of the CFP® Certification Examination. Factors that are statistically significantly associated with passing the exam include primary business activity; highest degree earned; undergraduate [...]

In this article important issues in a set of academic and advanced practitioner articles that have been published in the past year and that are unlikely to have been read by most practitioners are identified and summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most financial service professionals are so busy that they have difficulty keeping up with articles in practitioner journals, much less those in academic journals, which are often arcane and lack practical application. This paper identifies 17 recent academic articles and summarizes them in a way that makes them more accessible to practitioners. The subject matter represents all the areas in the Certified Financial Planner® topic list (investment planning, retirement planning, insurance planning, estate planning, tax planning, and employee benefits). The authors of this article believe that practitioners who are familiar with concepts from academic journals can serve their clients by staying current with the cutting edge, or even the bleeding edge, of research in the financial services industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) was originally designed to combat aggressive tax planning used to eliminate or substantially eliminate the taxable income of high-income taxpayers. In 2012 the number of taxpayers subject to the AMT is expected to explode by 661%, from 4.1 million in 2010 to 31.2 million. The AMT is no longer a tax imposed only on high income individuals; it has descended to the ranks of middle-income taxpayers. This article, the first in a two-part series, reviews the history of the AMT, shows how the AMT impacts middle-income taxpayers, and suggests policy changes for lawmakers. A second article will review possible planning options for advisors to help their clients avoid the AMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic research is sometimes obtuse or inapplicable to the real world of financial services. Further, because of the nature of the primary market for academic journals, even relevant and helpful articles are inaccessible to most financial service professionals. The authors of this article have identified and summarized 13 relevant, useful articles from journals that are not typically read by financial service professionals. The topics include investment planning, retirement planning, and estate planning, all of which are part of the Certified Financial Planner® topic list. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors of this article contend that the top tier of financial planners/advisors should continually stretch their boundaries by keeping track of information and analysis from the academic world. Although academic research in financial planning is often too theoretical or abstract for the real world of financial planning, every year a multitude of academic articles provides insights that can be helpful to practitioners. The authors of this article have identified and reviewed 12 recent articles that they believe are particularly useful, which appeared in journals that are not typically read by practitioners. The articles reviewed are from three areas in the Certified Financial Planner® topic list (investment planning, retirement planning, and estate planning). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]