News from FPA of Minnesota

Your Partner in Planning

February 7, 2023

February Chapter Meeting: Improve your client interaction game plan

Tuesday, Feb. 21, from 7-10 a.m.

As financial planners, we always strive to do the very best for our clients, which means keeping our interactions with them fresh and engaging. Join us for this month's chapter meeting and learn ways to improve client relationships.


At our February session, you'll participate in a case study that addresses meeting format, fees, tools, deliverables and planning observations. Understand the thought processes of other CFP® practitioners when approaching client situations. Our facilitator is Jeanna Fifer of Cordis Financial, and panelists are Grant Meyer of GTS Financial and Ryan Antkowiak of The Brennan Jandric Antkowiak Group - Baird Private Wealth Management. The discussion will cover tried and true ways to further your work with clients, provide answers to those pesky issues, and leave you with ways to improve your business.


Register here. In-person and virtual options are available. Buy a season pass for a year of discounted pricing (see details below).

It's time to purchase your 2023 season pass! For $299, you can attend 10 regular chapter meetings, Lunch n' Learn webinars and NexGen K'Nex virtual events and receive two guest passes. When registering, click the Registration Type pulldown menu and select the FPA MN Season Ticket (not paid) - members-only option. 

Your choice of location! Attend our chapter meeting at the beautiful Metropolitan Ballroom & Clubroom in Golden Valley or watch the meeting remotely.

Chapter Update

Board President Bruce Lorenz

Happy February! It's the last full month of winter... somewhere! 


It was great to see so many members at the January chapter meeting. Our Programs Committee has planned more enriching content throughout the entire year. If you have yet to attend a monthly session, register for our next engaging panel presentation on Feb. 21. Also, please take note of the exciting progress of the Financial Literacy Coalition of MN and their Day at the Capitol event.


FPA MN Updates and Highlights


Membership Dues


Last year the board voted to raise 2023 membership dues after benchmarking comparable chapter dues, evaluating member benefits and analyzing our financials.  


Our FPA MN dues are composed of two parts for CFP® and Allied Professional members. 

  • An amount that the national office sets 
  • An amount that the MN chapter sets 


CFP® members: the national dues are $375 and the MN chapter dues increased from $95 to $110 (total $485).


Allied Professionals: the national dues are $299 and the MN chapter dues are $85 (total $384).


Three other membership categories have yearly national dues and no MN chapter dues.

  • Aspiring Financial Planners: those that don't work in the financial planning or financial services industry ($50)
  • Academic: those that teach full-time in a financial planning degree or certificate program ($199)
  • Emeritus: those that are financial planning professionals and have retired or are working for no more than 20 hours per week ($149)


Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP) 2023 Grant Recipients


FFP provides funding for organizations that help the underserved with financial planning services. 2023 grant recipients include three MN organizations - the Angel Foundation in Mendota Heights, Prepare and Prosper in St. Paul and Wings for Widows in Wayzata.


I invite you to serve others in a Pro Bono engagement. Coordinated through our Pro Bono Committee, FPA MN has many opportunities for you to help underserved people. Please connect with the committee's director, Tiffany Walker, or anyone on our board.


Minnesota State Mankato Scholarship


In January, the board voted to support an educational scholarship of $2,000 per year for three years. Ideally, this will be awarded to a CFP® student from an under-represented group within the financial planning profession.


Free March Webinar for Members


Our MN chapter belongs to the Alliance Forum - composed of the larger FPA chapters. We recently voted to pool our dollars within the Alliance to bring nationally recognized speakers, Dr. Moira Somers and Dr. Carolyn McClanahan, to the collective chapters. By doing this, FPA MN's maximum cost was limited to $1,000. 


This fantastic webinar, addressing client cognitive incapacity, will be held on Friday, March 24. To learn more and register for this free event, click here.


Calendar of Events 


The board strives to have events on the master calendar as far in advance as possible. See our website's calendar or events tabs for what's already scheduled in 2023.


Member Survey


Please watch your email for a short survey. For planning purposes, we'd like your input on a few questions. 


I encourage you to become involved in our chapter. Join a committee, and bring your ideas and suggestions. Let’s make FPA MN the best that it can be! 

FPA MN Day at the Capitol: Help advocate for MN financial literacy

Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

Join us on Feb. 22 for our annual advocacy day, FPA MN's Day at the Capitol.


This year marks the 11th annual advocacy event and brings a special opportunity to promote financial literacy on behalf of Minnesota youth. Attendees will meet with their legislators to ask for support of the personal finance course requirement bill and to raise awareness of FPA MN. 


Learn more about the capitol event and register here.

CFP® volunteers needed for Angel Foundation's Financial Cancer Care program

Our chapter is proud to support the Financial Cancer Care program. Led by the Angel Foundation, this program provides cancer patients and caregivers with financial planning and education to help mitigate the financial risks associated with treatment.


Since the Financial Cancer Care program launched in early 2020, several FPA MN members have become involved.


A look at the program's 2022 impact:

  • 204 patients attended a financial planning workshop co-presented by a CFP®.
  • 25 patients were introduced to a Pro Bono CFP® for individual education, assistance and advice.
  • Compared to the first half of 2022, the requests to meet with a Pro Bono CFP® quadrupled.


"Knowing that I am able to provide guidance, a plan, and help someone who has gone through the unimaginable is why I became a financial advisor." –Pro Bono CFP®


The Angel Foundation needs more volunteers in 2023, as they've seen much growth in the last year! If you are an interested CFP®, sign up here, or contact the Angel Foundation's Jennifer Schorn, LGSW, by email or at (612) 284-6611.

Member shoutout: Andy Lucking

We're starting the year in celebration of our hard-working committee members! This month we'd like to thank Andy Lucking, a CFP® professional at Northstar Financial Partners.


When it comes to FPA MN membership, the second time's the charm for Lucking. After a nine-year membership hiatus, he rejoined FPA MN in 2017 and currently serves on its Programs Committee.


"In my prior stint with the FPA, I was just a fly on the wall, uninvolved, and barely attending meetings. Don't be that person! You get CE credit at chapter meetings, and they're wonderful networking opportunities."  


As a committee member during COVID, Lucking led a panel discussion about succession planning. This topic interested him, as his practice went through some of the same issues. It may have been his first time moderating, but attendees never knew that it was a new subject matter for him also.  


"It was just another area in my professional life that the FPA allowed me to experience and grow. If you want to grow professionally and meet other financial planners, there is nothing better than to be involved in our chapter. I enjoy meeting people, hearing their stories, and seeing what doors it opens for each of us."  


Are you interested in learning more about our Programs Committee? Check out our committees and how you can get involved here.

WCCO's financial segment with Grant Meyer

In CBS's news segment "4 Your Money," FPA MN's PR committee member, Grant Meyer (GTS Financial), shared budgeting tips to take control of money. Kudos to Grant! Check out WCCO's newscast here.

Save the date for upcoming events

It's time to grab your calendar and schedule FPA MN's meetings and events!



Click here to view the full calendar.

Partner Spotlight: February 2023

Bringing 25 years of experience in mortgage consulting and financial planning, Nicole Meeker is known for her big-picture approach to home financing. As a Certified Financial Planner™, she helps clients look at their long- and short-term financial real estate goals, then implements specific strategies to achieve the desired results. Nicole and her husband live in Minneapolis where you can find them exploring the food scene and enjoying local theater.

FPA of Minnesota | 763.781.1212 | fpamn.org
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