Message from Robert J. Glovsky

The financial planning profession is in the midst of seismic change. Indeed, more and more Americans, especially in light of recent events in the financial markets, are seeking competent, credible and trustworthy personal financial advice. In response to that growing demand, the financial planning profession -- inclusive of brokerage firms, banks, insurance companies, and mutual fund firms -- is today providing incentives to employees to obtain the CFP® certification or making the CFP® certification a mandatory requirement of employment. Over the next five years, the number of people with the CFP® certification in the United States is likely to double 80,000, from 40,000 today.

In response to those trends -- the need on the part of the financial planning profession to educate quickly the next generation of financial planners and the increased demand for advice -- Boston University has created the Online Program for Financial Planners.

The Online Program for Financial Planners represents the best of two worlds. One world is that of Boston University, which has a 150-year plus tradition of excellence in education and which has offered a highly successful classroom-based, instructor-led program for financial planners since 1981 and upon which the Online Program is based. The other world is that of Acadient, Inc., which has developed in association with Boston University the next generation of interactive, multimedia education for financial planners -- an education that represents the best of the classroom experience with the best of what the Internet and technology have to offer.

Like the existing classroom-based programs, the Online Program is extremely comprehensive. Like the classroom-based program, students who successfully complete the coursework qualify to sit for the CFP™ Certification Examination. Like the classroom-based program, students will have the opportunity to obtain a Certificate in Financial Planning from Boston University, one of the nation's largest and most respected academic institutions.

Unlike the classroom-based program, the Online Program affords students anytime, anywhere access and convenience. It's a self-paced, self-study program that enables students to study on their own terms from the convenience of home or office or wherever.

What's more, the Online Program is highly interactive. Students have the opportunity to communicate with other students and subject matter experts via email and message boards. Equally important, students engage the online material in ways that test their knowledge or reinforce their knowledge through a variety of adult-learning principles and techniques. Plus students will receive high-tech and high-touch feedback.

Finally, I believe the Online Program is especially unique if only for its advisory board. We have established a board comprised of industry and thought leaders who help oversee the Boston University Online Program for Financial Planners.

In closing, the Online Program will qualify you to sit for the CFP ™ Certification Examination. But more importantly, we believe you will become a better financial planner for having been a student in the Online Program. We look forward to helping you in your journey to acquire the financial planning knowledge, training and education required to service consumers.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Glovsky, JD, LLM, CFP®, ChFC, CLU

Also see The Bob Glovsky Show on Business 1060 AM WBIX.

Boston University does not certify individuals to use the CFP®, Certified Financial Planner™ and marks. CFP® certification is granted solely by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. to individuals who, in addition to completing an educational requirement such as this CFP Board-Registered Program, have met ethics, experience and examination requirements.