December 16, 2009
Announcement of successful candidates for the Second CFP® Certification Examination in 2009
Japan Association for Financial Planners, a non-profit organization, (JAFP; Hiroshi Kato, President) today announced the candidates who have successfully passed the Second CFP® Certification Examination held in 2009. This is the 29th CFP® Certification Examination and it was held in ten cities throughout Japan on November 8 and 15, 2009. A total of 7,440 sat for the examination, of which 569 passed all six subjects, resulting in a pass rate of 7.6%.
Those 569 successful candidates must complete the Practice and Ethics Program for CFP® certification and fulfill a further three years of experience requirement prior to CFP® certifications being granted.
CFP® certification is granted only to those who possess the highest standards of competency, and are able to provide professional financial planning advice to clients. The CFP® certification programs are offered in 23 countries and regions on five continents (as of December 2009). There were 118,506 CFP® certificants worldwide as of December 2008.
JAFP introduced the CFP® certification program into Japan in 1992, and as of December 1, 2009 there are 16,449 CFP® certificants in this country.
The CFP® Certification Examination is held twice a year by JAFP in June and November. The next examination is scheduled on June 13 and 20, 2010.
November 17, 2009
9,402 CFP® and AFP certificants respond concerning client needs for financial planning consultation and the type of clients seeking advice
The Non-profit Organization Japan Association for Financial Planners (JAFP; Hiroshi Kato, President) has compiled its Financial Planner Practice Survey Results, which was implemented targeting financial planners who are members of JAFP.
The survey was implemented in July 2009, targeting financial planners with CFP® certification and AFP certification recognized by JAFP. Questions in the survey included those on the certification status of financial planners and the status of the practice, as well as the views and evaluations of financial planning. A total of 9,402 persons provided valid responses.
I．Status of Financial Planner practice
- There is a tendency for annual income of financial planners to increase in line with their length of experience. Approx. 20% of the financial planners with more than nine years of experience in financial planning practices have an annual income over 10 million yen.
- The most popular requests for consultation received by financial planners are "benefits and compensation planning," mainly concerning requests for proposals on new or revised insurance plans, accounting for more than 30% of consultations, and "financial asset planning," accounting for approx. 30% of consultations.
- Hourly consultation fees are split into "5,000 to 9,999 yen" (more than 30%), and "10,000 to 19,999 yen" (approx. 30%). * Fees can differ depending on consultation content.
- In comparison to five years ago, fees from consultations and advisory, etc., in financial planning practices have increased.
II．Typical Financial Planners' client
- Most clients are "company directors and executives," accounting for approx. 40%, followed by "company employees" accounting for approx. 30%.
- The most common consultation areas from individual clients are "life planning (education funds / funds to purchase home, and etc.)," accounts for more than 30%, followed by "financial asset planning," over 20%, and "estate and business succession planning," which is approx. 20%.
III．Utilization of Financial Planner certifications and future intentions
- Approximately 60% of financial planners belonging to companies responded that their "place of work encourages education and training to acquire financial planning certifications."
IV．Views and evaluations of Financial Planning
- More than 80% of persons who acquire financial planning certifications responded that they are satisfied with obtaining the certifications. In particular, approx. 40% of CFP® certificants responded that they are "extremely satisfied."
- Approximately 30% of financial planners responded that the most vigorous financial planning business in the future is likely to be "retirement planning and life planning in post-retirement."
November 12, 2009
Financial planners respond to consumers' questions and concerns about life and money by telephone consultations
"Life and Money Hotline" Available on December 5 (Sat)!
The Non-profit Organization Japan Association for Financial Planners (JAFP; Hiroshi Kato, President) will also offer a temporary telephone consultation "Life and Money Hotline" on Saturday, December 5, 2009, due to increased demand during the end of year bonus season. CFP® certificants* will respond to consumers' questions and concerns about life and money by telephone consultations.
* The CFP® certification is granted only to the individuals who possess highly qualified competency, and who are able to provide professional financial planning advice to clients.
October 16, 2009
Saturday, November 7 is "FP Day"
Various seminars and consultations on life and money provided nationwide by financial planners around FP Day
The Non-profit Organization Japan Association for Financial Planners (JAFP; Hiroshi Kato, President) has designated the first Saturday in November each year as "FP Day," which this year falls on November 7. For a period of one month before and after "FP Day", a series of events including free seminars and consultations in connection with life and money by financial planners will be held nationwide. These events are the largest-scaled public education activities offered by JAFP and are endorsed by the Financial Services Agency.
The sixth "FP Day" will take place with the slogan; "Make Your Dreams Come True" for the local consumers. A variety of events that are useful to their individual daily lives, including money-related seminars and individual financial planning consultations, will be held. The seminars will cover a wide-range of topics from management of household finance, life planning, home mortgages, to planning for life after retirement. In addition, some chapters will offer financial education activities specifically targeting children. JAFP chapter members will come together to present a series of highly original events.
As the long-lasting economic downturn brings forth a sense of uneasiness about their daily household finances and life after retirement, JAFP will offer all seminars and consultations free of charge to give consumers opportunities to clear their concerns and questions about life and money.
August 5, 2009
Unease Exposed Due to Financial Crisis and Economic Downturn-
Results of FY2008 "FP Public Relations Center Telephone Consultations" and "Life and Money FP Consulting Center"
"Financial asset planning" inquiries come top for telephone consultations, with "Life insurance- related" inquiries being most popular for face-to-face consultations.
The Non-profit Organization Japan Association for Financial Planners (JAFP; Hiroshi Kato, President) has compiled the figures for consultations implemented in FY2008 (April 2008 to March 2009) for its "FP Public Relations Center Telephone Consultations" and "Life and Money FP Consulting Center."
| ＜Summary Results of FY2008 "FP Public Relations Center" (telephone consultations)＞ |
In telephone consultations "Financial asset planning" themes, including financial products and asset management, rose by 100 cases from FY2007 to take top position.
In the first half of last year, consultations focused on "Asset management," but in the latter half, the number of consultations about "Investment trust" rapidly increased. It is assumed that short-term concerns were concentrated due to the turmoil in the financial markets in the wake of the "Lehman shock." The next most popular consultation theme was "Life planning," followed by "Insurance." |
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＜Summary Results of FY2008 "Life and Money FP Consulting Center" (face-to-face consultations)＞ |
| "Life planning" was the most popular theme for face-to-face consultations, and day-to-day living issues stood out, such as review of household finances, new borrowing and review of home mortgages, and retirement planning. It is assumed that consumers are increasingly seeking sound advice from financial planners face-to-face. The next most popular consultation theme was "Insurance," followed by "Financial asset planning." |
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July 22, 2009
Announcement of successful candidates for the First CFP® Certification Examination in 2009
The Non-profit Organization Japan Association for Financial Planners (JAFP; Hiroshi Kato, President) will today be announcing the candidates who have successfully passed the First CFP® Certification Examination held in 2009. This is the 28th time the examination has been held. It took place in ten regions throughout Japan on June 14 and 21, 2009, and 633 of the candidates passed all the six subjects that compose the examination. There was a total of 7,570 candidates, a figure higher than on the previous examination (the second examination held in fiscal 2008), when the examination was sat by 7,387 candidates. The pass rate was 8.4%, which was also higher than the figure of 7.6% recorded on the previous examination.
The 633 successful candidates will now go on to complete the Practice and Ethics Program for CFP® certification and will achieve recognition as CFP® certificants by fulfilling a further three years of experience requirement.
CFP® certification is granted only to the individuals who possess highly professional knowledge and experience, and who are able to provide the best possible financial planning advice to clients. The CFP® certification programs have been conducted in 23 countries and regions among the United States, Europe and Asia (as of July 2009). There were 118,506 people registered worldwide as CFP® certificants (as of December 2008).
JAFP introduced the CFP® certification program into Japan in 1992, and as of July 1, 2009 there are 16,463 CFP® certificants in this country.
The CFP® Certification Examination is held twice a year by JAFP in June and November. The next examination is scheduled to be held on November 8 and 15, 2009.
June 9, 2009
Life Planning Awareness Survey for People in Their Twenties
The Non-profit Organization Japan Association for Financial Planners (JAFP; Hiroshi Kato, President) has compiled the results of a Life Planning Awareness Survey for People in Their Twenties that was implemented in February 2009. The survey was aimed at both men and women between the ages of 20 and 29. A total of 3,756 valid responses were received.
◆Of the 2,629 respondents who had considered a life plan, the matter that caused them the most concern and anxiety or worry now and in the future was "day-to-day family budget management" (47.9%). This was followed by "job security" (44.7%) and "pensions" (41.8%). There is a tendency for young people to focus on immediate issues, rather than concerns for the future.
◆The main response was "I am thinking about starting to consider my future dreams, goals and asset management plans, etc., soon" (32.4%), which was followed by "I have not given the matter particular thought yet" (30.0%). It is therefore a fact that few people have created a specific plan for the future.
June 1, 2009
A unique contest that encourages elementary school students to create their own "Life Plan Sheet," based on their "dreams for the future" that sets out a path to realizing those dreams!
The Third National Elementary School Essay Contest for Secrets to Have Dreams Come True
Tremendous responses from elementary school teachers from around Japan, reporting that "students have begun to approach things positively and systematically"
Organizer: Japan Association for Financial Planners
Application Period: Monday, June 1, 2009 to Saturday, October 31, 2009
Text Book: Learn through Manga Series, Secrets of Work Part 2 Secrets to Have Dreams Come True- The Works of Financial Planners in Life Planning
The Non-profit Organization Japan Association for Financial Planners (JAFP; Hiroshi Kato, President) will hold the "Third National Elementary School Essay Contest for Secrets to Have Dreams Come True" (Application period: June 1 to October 31), for elementary school students.
The first contest was held in 2007 and is now in its third year. The contest is based on a textbook entitled Secrets to Have Dreams Come True: The Works of Financial Planners in Life Planning (Gakken Co., Ltd.), which was published in 2007 to promote understanding about the importance of life planning and the work of financial planners in an easy-to-understand Manga-based format. The theme of the essay is "My Dreams for the Future," and the contest is unique in that entrants are required to submit an essay and also a "Life Plan Sheet," which sets out how they intend to fulfill their dreams.
March 3, 2009
As was expected, elementary school students dream of becoming baseball or soccer stars.
More and more elementary school students are thinking about their overall life plan!
"My Ideal Career" as expressed by the 1,674 students who took part in the Second National Elementary School Essay Contest for Secrets to Have Dreams Come True
●Perhaps under the influence of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) and the FIFA World CupTM, these athletes ranked high.
●There were many elementary school students who, in the "Life Plan Sheet" that they drew up together with the essay, not only indicated their ambition of becoming sportsmen and sportswomen but also set out their plans for what they were intending to do after retiring from active competition.
The Non-profit Organization Japan Association for Financial Planners (JAFP; Hiroshi Kato: President) last year held the Second National Elementary School Essay Contest for Secrets to Have Dreams Come True aimed at elementary school students all over Japan. The sets (consisting of an essay and Life Plan Sheet) were accepted between June 1 and October 31, 2008, and JAFP has now summarized the results with regard to what occupations that students would most like to take up in the future, based on the content of their essays.
■Ideal Career (Top 10)
| Rank |
Ideal Career |
Number |
Rank |
Ideal Career |
Number |
| 1 |
Baseball player |
155 |
6 |
Researcher, scholar, doctor |
42 |
| 2 |
Football player or coach |
109 |
7 |
Beautician, hair & make-up artist, etc. |
41 |
| 3 |
Confectioner (including pastry chef) |
89 |
8 |
Teacher |
40 |
| 4 |
Nursing school teacher or kindergarten teacher |
86 |
9 |
Creative designer |
39 |
| 5 |
Medical doctor |
64 |
Basketball player or coach |
39 |
January 22, 2009
Announcement of the Results of the Second National Elementary School Essay Contest for Secrets to Have Dreams Come True
Kunitaro Inoue, the second grader from Tenri Elementary School, Nara Prefecture selected from 1,674 applications to win the Prize for Most Outstanding Essay!
The Non-profit Organization Japan Association for Financial Planners (JAFP; Hiroshi Kato: President) has announced the prize winners in its Second National Elementary School Essay Contest for Secrets to Have Dreams Come True, which was held last year. JAFP held the contest for elementary school students throughout the country as part of JAFP activities in personal finance education which contributes to enrichment and improvement of national citizens' lives, with the aim of enlightening children about the importance of money and drawing out a life plan. The contest received a total of 1,674 applications during the application period from June 1 to October 31, 2008, sent from around the country.
This contest is unique in that, in addition to submitting an essay, contestants must think what efforts they should take specifically and what money they will need in the future in order to fulfill those dreams, and create their very own "Life Plan Sheet."
The various prizes awarded are as detailed below.
Individual Prizes
■Most Outstanding Essay Prize (1)
■Outstanding Essay Prizes (5)
■Encouraging Essay Prizes (10)
School Prizes
■Most Outstanding School Prize (1)
■Outstanding School Prize (2)
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