William Paterson University Honored By Financial Planning Association

The university has received the FPA’s “Heart of Financial Planning Award”

Yesterday, the Financial Planning Association of New Jersey (FPA) held its fall conference at William Paterson University, which marked the first time that a FPA conference was hosted by a college or university.

William Paterson University, known for having one of the top programs in the nation for financial planners, was the first institution to receive the FPA’s “Heart of Financial Planning Award” for its support and contributions to the profession, including offering a bachelor’s degree in financial planning through its Cotsakos College of Business. The university is known for offering student volunteer support at FPA conventions, winning top awards in student competitions and being the first university to organize a student chapter of the FPA.

“The award means that William Paterson University and Cotsakos College of Business have contributed substantially to the needs of different stakeholders in the financial planning industry,” said William Paterson University’s Cotsakos College of Business Dean, Siamack Shojai. “It also shows that we are a major force to be reckoned with when it comes to preparing students for the workforce in this field.”

Nearly 200 financial executives, including financial planners and advisors, were in attendance and were able to participate in an array of educational breakout sessions and presentations focused on various aspects of the industry.

Topics included coaching and communicating with your client by Jay Mooreland, founder of The Emotion Investor and an expert in behavior investing. Other information sessions were held on global innovating investing, retirement, longevity, smart fiduciaries and the keys to building a more tax-efficient portfolio.

The financial planning program at William Paterson University was established in 2009, and, in that time, has gained a reputation as one of the top programs in the nation. The university is consistently rated by Financial Planning Magazine as one of the nation’s top schools for future financial planners.

Despite the success, the university is not simply resting on its laurels, as Shojai said that there are still obstacles that need to be overcome with the help of the industry going forward.

“We have to educate the public. When prospective students come to us, they need to understand that we are not recruiting them for a degree program, but, instead, recruiting them for a career in an industry that is [potentially] very rewarding,” he said.

Shojai – with the help of others at the university and industry professionals – plans to continue to promote financial planning as a career, and added that a goal for the school is to attract more women to the field, since only 28 percent of professional financial planners today are female. However, he was also proud to point out that 40 percent of William Paterson University’s financial planning students are female, with that number expected to rise in the future due to the university’s efforts to promote diversity in the industry.

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