Institute of Advanced Financial Planners

Symposium 2009 Report

London Symposium a Dramatic Success!

20-Year R.F.P.s Symposium 2009

Our longest-standing R.F.P.s are recognized and awarded their 20-year certificates

The IAFP’s seventh annual Symposium was a ground-breaking event for the profession, delighting delegates and surprising many who were not too sure about the Sustainability theme. Congratulations to Symposium Co-Chairs Al Feth and John Hope for breaking new ground with the theme and case study, leading the way to another tremendously successful Symposium! (26 more photos are posted in our London Symposium photo gallery.)

Delegates Symposium 2009

Here’s what delegates said about this year’s Speakers:

  • “Simply exceptional”
  • “Engaging and enlightening”
  • “Passionate, knowledgeable, interesting.”
  • “An intelligent challenge to our conventional thinking & old beliefs.”
  • “Thought provoking and challenging contradictions to which we rarely give a second thought.”
  • “I fundamentally disagree with [speaker], but agree his subject is controversial & provocative & we disregard it at our peril.”
  • “Well presented and very relevant. I did not feel I was being sold anything – only to understand reality and to think about this.”
  • “Speakers were excellent and relevant to the case”
  • “Good to present new perspectives. Excellent food for thought.”
  • “Excellent delivery of an important topic.”
  • “Very honest, well researched. For the fund industry, this is progress.”
  • “Great value and tools provided.”
  • “Very useful approach to dealing with clients’ needs.”
  • “Top quality. Very well done and vital to our growth as Advisors.”
  • “Excellent presentations of issues that differ from the usual topics.”
  • “Excellent. Thought provoking and practical”
  • “A great overall line up.”

Other delegates said these were the most valuable aspects of the Symposium:

  • “Stretched my thinking!”
  • “The challenge of our conventional thinking and beliefs was excellent.”
  • “Great case study and challenging speakers. The theme was very strong.”
  • “The unique financial topics and exposure to speakers who are experts in these topics. The main case study in this Symposium is very timely.”
  • “Looking at the concept of sustainability as integral to your practice”
  • “The speakers; the peer networking; the open forum and the question/answer periods.”
  • “I found the level of the presentations to be far more advanced and detailed than conferences by other organizations.”

IAFP Members should contact us at 1-888-298-3292 if they missed the Symposium and would like to purchase access to presentation materials.

Case Study and Saturday Round-table Discussions

The theme of Sustainability in financial planning was explored through the “Happy Valley” case study, which was set in a Village of 100/1000 microcosm of our current world. The case examined the long-term effects of wealth on both family and community stakeholders, and raised questions about the importance of a client’s non-financial aspirations. (To investigate further, see our Sustainability & Financial Planning links page.)

On Friday, all delegates completed ballot forms asking them to make 15 difficult choices on options presented by the case study. Most of the delegates also attended the Saturday morning round-table sessions where they discussed ballot results, and pursued a range of issues in more depth with their peers. They generally agreed that a lesson to be learned from the case study was how difficult it is to make financial choices in isolation, i.e., for a single client and without considering key choices made in other areas of an estate or by other stakeholders.

Ballot results reflected the complexity of calculating how one aspect of endowments affects another, and the need to avoid breach of trust by ensuring that the mathematics in each area works for all concerned. A post-Symposium analysis of the ballot results led to the questioning of widely-held economic assumptions about distribution of wealth. For more detail, IAFP Members can read the full summary and case study conclusions on the Members Site.

Saturday participants also heard from R.F.P. Al Feth on the subtleties of Endowments. They then discussed a wholistic approach to endowments and estate planning which considers all of the many aspects of wealth as well as the intersection of individual, family and community interests.

 

Sponsor Booth Area

A sincere thank you to our London Symposium Sponsors, including:

The Gala dinner at the London Museum was also a highlight for many delegates and guests.

Get ready for Symposium 2010, September 23 to 25 at the Rimrock Resort Hotel in Banff!

Last updated: 09 Nov 2009 7:07 PM