Financial Planning Association Launches All-New FPA PlannerSearch® to Increase Financial Planner Visibility and Connect Consumers with CFP® Professionals

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May 24, 2016, 10:00 ET

DENVER, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Financial Planning Association^® (FPA^®) is pleased to announce the official launch of a newly redesigned, re-engineered FPA PlannerSearch^® platform that provides consumers with much needed educational content while connecting them with Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP^®) professionals.

The website and search tool, now available at www.PlannerSearch.org, has been designed to help CFP^® professionals standout in today's ultra-competitive digital world. While FPA PlannerSearch^® has been available for a number of years, the focus of the updated platform has changed from generating new client business for CFP^® professionals to driving the visibility of CFP^® professionals across the web.

The new FPA PlannerSearch^® was designed with three goals in mind:

Increase Planner Findability – The new website's foundation is built from the perspective of traffic acquisition. Best practices of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), social sharing, and structured data will now drive the architecture of the website so CFP^® professional members of FPA can be found more often and in more places across the web.
Improve Usability – User experience is paramount to findability and engagement. Consumers will enjoy a streamlined experience and be able to easily accomplish their goal of researching, contacting, and partnering with a financial planner that meets their unique individual needs.
Expand Accessibility – Users seeking to find a financial planner from their desktop, tablet, or smartphone will be treated to a seamless user experience at their convenience. This will drive increased traffic, interactions, new client business and – ultimately – help members grow their businesses.

When searching for a CFP^® professional, consumers are able to search by zip code, city, state, or by last name. An advanced search can also be performed to find a CFP^® professional based on area of specialty, languages spoken, compensation type, and other qualifications. An interactive map is also available after a search is done that provides a consumer with a visualization of where other CFP^® professionals are located based on their geographic area.

"We are thrilled to be able to now offer consumers a more robust, more appealing platform to seek out and engage CFP^® professionals in their respective areas," says 2016 FPA President Pamela Sandy, CFP^®. "As the professional membership home for more than 17,000 CFP^® professionals, more than 8,000 of those members are actively participating in FPA PlannerSearch^®. So, no matter what a consumer is searching for in a financial planner, they will be able to find and connect with one through the platform."

Besides making it easy for consumers to connect with CFP^® professionals, FPA PlannerSearch^® has been designed to provide consumers educational content so they can learn about their personal financial situations. Authored by participating CFP^® professionals, content is housed in a "Life Events" section of the site that is broken out into specific sections of interest, including investments, tax planning, estate planning, divorce, military families, education, and much more.

The site also contains free downloadable brochures on various personal finance topics and information on how to choose a financial planner, including questions to ask a planner, what to bring to your first meeting with a planner, and understanding planner compensation.

To further build out the educational content on FPA PlannerSearch^®, a blogging feature will be integrated into the backend of the platform to make it easy for participating CFP^® professionals to share their original articles and content with a consumer audience. That feature is slated for rollout in September 2016.

"As an organization we are constantly seeking to build value for our members who call FPA their professional home. The improvements we have made to the architecture of the website and search functionality will help our CFP^® members increase their visibility online and will be another great benefit of membership," added FPA CEO/Executive Director Lauren M. Schadle, CAE.

FPA PlannerSearch^® is now live at www.PlannerSearch.org.

About the Financial Planning Association
The Financial Planning Association^® (FPA^®) is the principal professional organization for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP^®) professionals, educators, financial services professionals and students who seek advancement in a growing, dynamic profession. Through a collaborative effort to provide more than 24,000 members with One Connection^TM to tools and resources for professional development, business success, advocacy and community, FPA is the indispensable force in the advancement of today's CFP^® professional. Learn more about FPA at OneFPA.org and follow on Twitter at twitter.com/fpassociation.

SOURCE Financial Planning Association