Communication Associate: Public Relations | Lori Melton | lmelton@d.umn.edu | (218) 726-8830
March 30, 2012 Susan Banovetz | Director of External Affairs | 218 726-6141| banovetz@d.umn.edu
Kathleen McQuillan-Hofmann | UMD Marketing and Communication Assistant | 218 726-7111 | kmcquill@d.umn.edu
New Student Chapter at LSBE
The Labovitz School of Business and Economics (LSBE) at the University of Minnesota Duluth, will soon become the first in the state of Minnesota to have a Student Chapter of the Financial Planning Association (FPA).
On Wednesday, April 4, at 2:30 pm, in the financial planning program's TD Ameritrade Learning Lab located in the JNBA offices in Duluth's Tech Village at 11 East Superior Street, Marv Tuttle, CEO of FPA, will join Richard S. Brown, CEO of JNBA Financial Advisors and LSBE Senior Fellow; Kjell R. Knudsen, LSBE dean; faculty and student representatives from the LSBE financial planning program, to officially initiate the chapter.
Media is invited and interviews will be granted from all parties.
Brown believes the affiliation with FPA, which is the largest membership organization for personal financial planning experts in the U.S., will greatly benefit LSBE financial planning students. "FPA is a well-respected organization. They work to broaden the education of their financial advisor members. Through FPA, students will have opportunities to attend the same workshops as advisor members, improve their interview skills, and learn about internships. Being associated with FPA will set our students apart from others looking to get into the industry," Brown said. LSBE launched the financial planning minor in 2010.
During his visit, Tuttle will speak with financial planning students. "We're looking forward to meeting the next generation of financial planning professionals and to begin the new FPA student chapter at UMD," he said.
Tuttle is also interested in touring the first-of-its-kind TD Ameritrade Learning Lab. "We're excited to visit the university and witness cutting-edge innovation in action for the future of the financial planning profession. UMD's unique Learning Lab is a sterling example of combining hands-on training and technology to prepare and train our next generation," he said.
The TD Ameritrade Learning Lab is one of the signature features of LSBE's financial planning minor. The Learning Lab was developed through a strategic relationship with JNBA Financial Advisors, TD Ameritrade Institutional, and LSBE and is located in the Duluth Technology Village in downtown Duluth. This combination learning lab and professional office for JNBA's Duluth office allows students to work alongside professionals in an actual advisory firm.
"Our visit to Duluth will help FPA become better informed and to play a supporting communications role with other universities and colleges about the uniqueness of the Learning Lab approach," Tuttle said. "FPA sees a special opportunity for the Learning Lab approach to spread to other registered programs that prepare individuals to become Certified Financial Planner (CFP) practitioners." Students graduating from UMD with the financial planning minor are eligible to sit for the CFP exam.
Brown, who was recently ranked number three among Minnesota's financial advisors as part of Barron's list of 1,000 top advisors in the country, has considerable praise for LSBE's financial planning program. "It is highly respected within the industry for the students coming out of the program," he said. "The FPA Student Chapter at LSBE will be a phenomenal addition."
About JNBA
Bloomington-based JNBA Financial Advisors, Inc., is an independent fee-based wealth management firm specializing in goal-directed asset management and financial planning for more than 33 years. Their advisory teams champion a team approach, reviewing client portfolios every 10 business days and driving the planning process, including strategy development and implementation with estate, tax and risk professionals as appropriate. For more information, visit www.jnba.com.
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