FPA and AARP’s Guide to Working With Older Clients

This morning when I arrived at work I received a notification from the Financial Planning Association® (FPA®) regarding a new publication for its members. The booklet is titled A Financial Professional’s Guide to Working with Older Clients and is filled with quite a bit of information that nearly all financial professionals will find useful.

As an active member of the FPA and also a volunteer with AARP (see my former posts about working with Tax-Aide), I am pleased to see the collaboration between these two organizations. I can say with certainty that most CFP Board-registered education programs do not prepare students for the unique challenges of working with these diverse clients.

The booklet provides a concise summary of its contents and how it relates to financial professionals seeking to better their relationships with older clients:

AARP and the Financial Planning Association® (FPA®) have organized this document around two major themes that financial professionals need to take into account when working with older clients. The first part discusses the information that all financial professionals should be prepared to offer clients and potential clients. The second part reviews the key social, family, generational, physical and mental characteristics that may have an impact on this type of client’s approach to financial issues.

The booklet is available for a free download by FPA members. Again, I applaud both organizations for publishing clear and comprehensive information aimed at improving services and benefits to older clients.