{"id":3174,"date":"2017-12-19T13:17:40","date_gmt":"2017-12-19T18:17:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.afcpe.org\/?p=3174"},"modified":"2019-04-23T15:44:10","modified_gmt":"2019-04-23T19:44:10","slug":"afcpe-advancing-the-profession-and-bridging-the-gap-across-professionals-and-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.afcpe.org\/news-and-publications\/blog\/afcpe-advancing-the-profession-and-bridging-the-gap-across-professionals-and-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"AFCPE: Advancing the Profession and Bridging the Gap Across Professionals and Communities"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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One of the things I love most about AFCPE is the diversity and depth of our professionals. Each one brings a different area of expertise and experience from across the field of personal finance, from research to practice. This connected, dynamic network is a hallmark of AFCPE.<\/p>

This year\u2019s Annual Research and Training Symposium was nothing short of powerful. Sessions focused on diversity, inclusion, and wide ranging issues affecting our country, for which our professionals are uniquely equipped to work together to bridge the gaps. We talked about important issues, like the racial and gender wealth gap, communication and behavior change, incorporating research and practice, and building the continuum of care with our financial planning colleagues. As always, AFCPE professionals also gave back to the local community by offering pro bono financial counseling services.<\/p>

At AFCPE, we believe a comprehensive continuum of care across different specialties is essential to achieve our mission and vision for the field. But it\u2019s up to each one of us to ensure that consumers are educated about the range of services available to help them: financial education, counseling, coaching, planning, and therapy. We must work together, have important conversations, build professional relationships and referral networks, and invite other professionals to join our network.<\/p>

As we\u2019ve grown as an organization, so has the influence and impact of our professionals. This year\u2019s symposium program exemplified the crucial role that AFCPE professionals play in our field and in critical national issues that impact financial security. More specifically, it emphasized our role and responsibility in addressing systemic and societal problems that plague the economic security of people across our nation; issues like consumer protection, the rising levels of income and wealth inequality, skyrocketing student debt, declining wages, and decreased savings.<\/p>

At AFCPE we don\u2019t just set A standard — we set THE standard — not just because it\u2019s the best thing to do, but because it\u2019s the right thing to do.<\/p>