August 4, 2010

Third grade Certified Skilled Worker of Financial Planning Examination to be Launched by JAFP
First examination date set for Sunday, January 23, 2011

Japan Association for Financial Planners, a non-profit organization, (JAFP; Hiroshi Kato, President) will implement the Third grade Certified Skilled Worker of Financial Planning Examination, a national certificate system, from Sunday, January 23, 2011.

July 21, 2010
Announcement of successful candidates for the First CFP® Certification Examination in 2010

598 candidates pass the CFP® Certification Examination!

Japan Association for Financial Planners, a non-profit organization, (JAFP; Hiroshi Kato, President) today announced the candidates who have successfully passed the First CFP® Certification Examination held in 2010. This is the 30th CFP® Certification Examination and it was held in ten cities throughout Japan on June 13 and 20, 2010. A total of 7,625 sat for the examination, of which 598 passed all six subjects, resulting in a pass rate of 7.8%.
Those 598 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 July 2010). There were 126,016 CFP® certificants worldwide as of December 2009.

JAFP introduced the CFP® certification program into Japan in 1992, and as of July 1, 2010 there are 17,127 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 November 14 and 21, 2010.

June 28, 2010
Financial planners respond to consumers' questions and concerns about life and money by telephone consultations

"Life and Money Hotline" Available on July 10 (Sat)!

Japan Association for Financial Planners, a non-profit organization, (JAFP; Hiroshi Kato, President) will also offer a temporary telephone consultation "Life and Money Hotline" on Saturday, July 10, 2010, due to increased demand during the summer 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.

May 14, 2010
A unique contest that encourages elementary school students to create their own "life plan sheets," based on their "dreams for the future" that set out paths to realizing these dreams!

The Forth "National Elementary School Essay Contest for Secrets to Have Dreams Come True"

Organizer: Japan Association for Financial Planners
Application Period: Monday, June 1, 2010 to Saturday, October 31, 2010
Text Book: Learn through Manga Series, Secrets of Work Secrets to Have Dreams Come True- The Works of Financial Planners in Life Planning

Japan Association for Financial Planners, a non-profit organization, (JAFP; Hiroshi Kato, President) will hold the Forth "National Elementary School Essay Contest for Secrets to Have Dreams Come True" (Application period: June 1 to October 31), for elementary school students.

April 23, 2010

Life Planning Awareness Survey for People in their Prime Working Years (30's- 40's)

Japan Association for Financial Planners, a non-profit organization, (JAFP; Hiroshi Kato, President) has compiled the results of a Life Planning Awareness Survey for People in their Prime Working Years (30's-40's) that was implemented in January 2010, targeting men and women between the ages of 30 and 49 nationwide. A total of 4,911 valid responses were received.

- Almost half of respondents (49.4%) indicated that the cause for major concern or anxiety was "life planning post-retirement," followed by "pensions" (38.5%) and "nursing care for parents" (37.3%). These responses demonstrate that many people have a realistic approach to issues associated with post-retirement. At the same time, they have more immediate concerns or anxiety about such things as "day-to-day family budget management" (35.1%), "preparing for sickness, injury or death" (34.1%), and "children's education costs" (32.8%).

- A total of 95.0% of respondents were aware of the term "financial planning." With regard to a life plan, the responses were as follows: "I am about to start considering" (31.3%), "I am collecting information" (21.2%), and "I have already drawn up a specific life plan" (12.9%). On the other hand, 34.6% responded that "I have not particularly thought about it yet." Also, among those who have already implemented "financial planning," 65.6% responded that their plan was proving useful.

March 24, 2010

"My Future Career" as expressed by the 1,542 students who took part in the Third National Elementary School Essay Contest for Secrets to Have Dreams Come True

The most popular career among elementary school students is "baseball player" for boys and "confectioner" for girls
● Many boys aspire to become sports players, with four sports appearing in the top ten.
● For girls, careers in which women are typically active, such as nursery school teacher or nurse, rank high.
● Professions such as doctor, teacher or manga artist are popular for both boys and girls.

Japan Association for Financial Planners, a non-profit organization, (JAFP; Hiroshi Kato, President) last year held the Third National Elementary School Essay Contest for Secrets to Have Dreams Come True aimed at elementary school students all over Japan. Applications were accepted between June 1 and October 31, 2009, with the results of the contest announced on February 26, 2010. JAFP has now summarized the results with regard to what occupations students would like to be in the future, based on the content of their essays.

■Future Career (Top 10)

＜Boys＞
Rank Future Career Number

1 Baseball player 146

2 Football player or coach 106

3 Scholar or researcher 46

4 Medical doctor 42

5 Teacher 21

6 Swimming athlete or coach 20

7 Game designer or other game-related artist 17

8 Manga artist 16

9 Pilot or other aviation-related job 14

10 Basketball player 13

＜Girls＞
Rank Future Career Number

1 Confectioner
(including pastry chef) 94

2 Nursery school teacher 64

3 Teacher 57

4 Medical doctor 52

5 Nurse 28

6 Novelist or writer 27

7 Veterinary doctor 27

8 Manga artist 27

9 Singer 24

10 Beautician or hair & make-up artist 19

February 26, 2010

Announcement of the Results of the Third National Elementary School Essay Contest for Secrets to Have Dreams Come True

Japan Association for Financial Planners, a non-profit organization, (JAFP; Hiroshi Kato, President) has announced the prize winners in its Third National Elementary School Essay Contest for Secrets to Have Dreams Come True, which was held during this fiscal year. JAFP holds this contest for elementary school students throughout the country as part of JAFP activities in personal finance education which contribute to enrichment and improvement of national citizens' lives, with the aim of enlightening children about drawing out a life plan and the importance of money.

The theme of the contest is "My Dreams for the Future." It is unique in that contestants are required to submit two documents in a set: a "Life Plan Sheet" that sets out specific efforts they intend to make and for what purposes money will be required to fulfill their dreams, and an essay in which they describe their feelings, thoughts and pictures about their dreams for the future.

The contest received a total of 1,542 applications during the application period from June 1 to October 31, 2009, sent from around the country.

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)