Financial planners tend to work like entrepreneurs. It completely up to you to build your business, know the regulations inside and out and serve your clients.
You may work for a large financial institution, but you’re largely on your own. There are close to 300,000 financial planners in the U.S. The other planners are your competition and your colleagues.
To be successful, you need to up your game. You need to be on top of the latest trends and technologies to grow. Financial planner education is the cornerstone of your business.
The more you know, the better you can serve your clients. How can you improve your skills and meet with other financial planners?
Check out this list of the top financial planner conferences and events you can’t miss over the next year.
1. Engage 2020
Engage 2020 is held by two organizations: AICPA and CIMA. Both of these organizations are primarily for accountants. Why should a financial planner attend this type of event for accountants?
There are educational tracks for financial planners, such as Advanced Personal Financial Planning. Not only that, but you get to network with accountants.
Accountants can make excellent referral partners. They often work with high-net-worth individuals and business owners who have the money to invest. They can’t tell their clients what to do with their money, but they can refer them to you.
2. Financial Planning Association FPA Annual Conference
The Financial Planning Association is a national organization with local chapters throughout the country. They offer a broad range of legislative advocacy and financial education to advisors who are members.
The big event of the year is the FPA Annual Conference. This brings members together from all over the nation. You’re able to learn about the latest in financial news, products, and technology.
This is a great way to network and attend events locally and have access to financial planners nationwide. That helps you expand your network while staying on top of the latest in financial planner education.
3. T3 Advisor Conference
There is no doubt that technology has changed how financial planners do things. That’s why the Technology Tools for Today (T3) Conference is one you can’t afford to miss.
This is for Financial Planners who have their own practice and want to grow. There’s also a track for managers of large enterprises to learn about the latest financial enterprise solutions. The goal of the conference is to understand the tools and systems you can use to become more profitable.
4. IWI Retirement Management Forum
The biggest generation is retiring or getting ready to retire. As baby boomers are getting older, they have concerns about their retirement funds.
Same with GenXers in their late 40s or early 50s. You can carve out a niche by helping these folks sleep well at night. You can learn about retirement management through the Investment and Wealth Institute.
There are workshops that address ethics, risk management, and how baby boomers are redefining retirement.
5. Strategic Coach
Are you a solo financial planner and want to expand your clientele? This growth often requires a level of growth that you can’t do on your own.
The Strategic Coach program is geared towards entrepreneurs and business owners from all industries. The common denominator is that they want to grow their businesses.
This program works on your mental game, helping you change your mindset and build strong habits that will result in more clients.
Get the Most Out of Your Investment
Conferences and events offer a lot of opportunities to grow your business. The problem is that there seems like so much to do with so little time, it’s overwhelming.
Have a Goal for the Conference
Every conference has a slightly different format. In order to get a return on investment and have a successful time there, you want to set goals for each conference you attend.
For example, you might set a goal to get 2-3 potential referral partners. Another goal is to obtain a particular certification.
This step will help you define what a successful event is for you.
Book Early
The earlier you can make a commitment to attend, the easier it is to plan. You’ll also be able to save money in the process.
For any event, whether it’s a conference or a concert, you want to look for presale tickets. These are the codes that are for exclusive groups that let you get the first crack at tickets. You can often get these tickets for less with presale codes, too.
That also goes for hotels. The hotel that hosts the event often has a block of rooms set aside for a group rate for a discounted rate. The sooner you can grab one of those rooms, the more you’ll save.
Schedule In Advance
Are there people that you’d like to network with at the event? Hop on LinkedIn and make sure that you’re connected with them.
You’ll want to reach out to them well before the event and schedule some time to meet over coffee or drinks.
Don’t wait until you get to the event until you get there. Once you get there, you’ll be running around and it will be difficult to set up a time.
Enhance Your Financial Planner Education
There’s a good chance the world of financial planning has dramatically shifted since you started your practice.
You need to keep up on the changes (and get CE credits) by keeping up with your financial education. Financial planner education conferences offer outstanding opportunities to learn and network with others in your profession.
The top ones focus on a specific niche or give you the information to grow your business. When you choose a conference, be sure to have a goal for the conference and plan ahead. That will make sure you get a return on your investment.
Do you want more financial tips? Check this site often for more great financial articles.
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