by | May 16, 2012

President’s Message – May 2012

Here we are half way through May, how the time fly’s.  FPA of Michigan has been very busy in the past month.  We are utilizing several channels to communicate with membership and provide event information along with quality content via our Blog, LinkedIn and Twitter.

We have had two social mixers in Grand Rapids and Metro Detroit that provided great opportunities to connect with fellow members and potential members.  Another Social Mixer is scheduled for May 22nd at the BlackFinn in Royal Oak.  For more information, click here.  Special thanks to our Social Mixer Sponsors for these events and look forward to more in the coming months.

The chapter has renewed its partnership with SBAM (Small Business Association of Michigan).  Be sure to visit our dedicated site at SBAM to take advantage of the many benefits available through this partnership.

The chapter has welcomed 70 new members in the first part of 2012 many of whom are new to the profession.

Finally, we will be launching our mentor program on June 5th, 2012 and are still looking for participants in the program.  If interested, please contact a member of the Career Development Committee.

FPA of Michigan wishes you a great month ahead and we hope to see you at an upcoming event.

Ryan B. Smith
President
2012 FPA of Michigan

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by | May 16, 2012

FPA Members Help Spread Financial Literacy

Teaching kids about responsible budgeting sounds about as easy as herding cats, but a group of FPA of Michigan members gave it their best shot … with some amazing results.  Partnering with the non-profit organization Junior Achievement, a group aiming to spread financial literacy skills to students from grades K-12 across the country, several of our FPA of Michigan Members brought in a group of 8th graders from Detroit’s Burton International School. The day was dedicated to teaching the kids about personal finances in a very hands-on way.   Students were encouraged to save money each month rather than spending it all.  Many took saving very seriously, making frugal choices.  

 

One child specifically said, “I want to make sure I can save a lot of money at the end of the month,” and was able to make a sizeable monthly (relative to income) charitable contribution as well. 


FPA Member Julie Hall says she left wishing she had experienced a field trip like that when she was a child. “Financial planning can and should begin at an early age so that our children are better prepared to handle their finances effectively in the future.” 

 

 

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by | May 13, 2012

FPA of Michigan Offers Complimentary Lunch to CFP Examinees

At the March 2012 CFP Exam, a complimentary lunch was provided for the CFP Examinees during the Saturday session.   This is the fourth consecutive CFP exam where FPA of Michigan has offered lunch at the Saturday session.  It is a service that is greatly appreciated by the examinees.  “It is so nice to have one less thing to worry about” shared one of the test takers.    Your FPA of Michigan membership fees help fund the lunch.  The next exam is July 20-21.  If you are interested in helping out, either by communicating with examinees about the complimentary lunch on Friday, July 20th or passing out food to the Thankful examinees on Saturday, July 21st, please e-mail Mary Medonis at admin@fpami.com.  Thank you!

Jen Flaherty
Career Development/Membership Committee Member

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Filed under Events, FPA News