Purposeful Pursuits to Increase America’s Financial Well-Being
The College's eight Centers of Excellence serve to increase the financial security of all Americans through the intersection of academics, financial services, and an empowered, educated public. Each Center of Excellence – mission-based to champion specific causes and communities – partners with industry leaders, practitioners, and scholars to create meaningful, measurable, and lasting progress through critical research, innovative programming, scholarships, and collaborative, collective impact development.
Approximately 8.8 MILLION families in the United States have at least one child under the age of 18 with a special healthcare need.1
Black adults score 17% worse in financial literacy knowledge.2 Only 3.2% of senior leaders at U.S. companies are Black.3
The median family headed by a soon-to-be retiree has just $21,000 in retirement savings, with half of all families having NO SAVINGS at all.4
40% of total global wealth is held by women. Yet only 14% of financial advisors are women.5
Centers of Excellence
Cultivating lasting relationships between financial services and underserved communities — narrowing the wealth gap and promoting upward mobility.
Providing educational support and career opportunities to those who have honorably served and their spouses.
Promoting the advancement of women in financial services through research, education, and awareness.
Raising the level of ethical behavior in the financial services industry.
Elevating the retirement income planning knowledge of financial service professionals in order to improve retirement security for Americans.
Strengthening the financial services industry with knowledge and insight to help Americans achieve financial security.
Elevating the knowledge of financial service professionals in the area of special needs planning.
Fostering an open and inclusive environment for advisors and donors to engage in philanthropy.
Innovative Education for Financial Empowerment
Financial empowerment is born from knowledge and opportunity. The Center for Economic Empowerment and Equality is committed to advancing economic justice and equality and narrowing the racial wealth gap with culturally-relevant programming that synthesizes education with opportunity.
A state-of-the-art consumer financial education and empowerment experience to improve an individual’s understanding of money and personal finance, helping to promote wealth building in underserved communities.
An innovative leadership program for the advancement of Black executives in financial services synthesizing technical knowledge with identifying the unique challenges Black executives face and the recruitment and training of sponsors committed to helping Black leaders navigate corporate cultures.
Opening More Doors for Career Success
Equitable access to applied financial knowledge can positively affect communities, families, and financial services professionals. Through The College's various scholarship programs, new pathways for career success are helping individuals forge lasting and positive change in their lives, within their communities, and in financial services.
Successful Transition to Civilian Life
Each year, 200,000 men and women leave the U.S. military service and transition to civilian life.6 The Center for Military and Veterans Affairs opens the door to career success for active-duty military, National Guard, reserve service members, veterans, and their spouses by offering full scholarships to The College's professional designation and degree programs.
Increasing Diversity in Financial Services
Around 13% of the U.S. population is African American, yet just under seven percent of financial services practitioners are of African ancestry.7 Through The College's African American and HBCU scholarship programs, African Americans can remove the financial barriers to pursuing a career in financial services, leading to increased diversity in the industry and progress in narrowing the wealth gap.
Advancing Women in Financial Services
The Wealth Management Certified Professional® (WMCP®) Scholarship for the Advancement of Women in Financial Services is an unparalleled educational and mentorship experience focused on transforming women's lives. The scholarship includes a mentoring program sponsored by Women in Insurance & Financial Services (WIFS) and a complimentary WIFS membership provided by the scholarship's lead sponsor Ameritas.
Together, Let’s Plan for Success
1 Family Voices: National Center for Family and Professional Partnerships. October 2016.
2 TIAA Institute. African American Personal Financial Knowledge. November 2019.
3 Coqual. Being Black in Corporate America. 2019.
4 Economic Policy Institute. The State of American Retirement Savings. December 2019.
5 The Wall Street Journal. Clients Want to Work With Female Advisors, and Firms Are Taking Notice. August 2019.
6 U.S. Government Accountability Office. Transitioning Service members: Information on Military Employment Service Centers. June 2019.
7 MarketWatch. Three reasons you don’t see many people of color in the financial services industry-and how to fix it. July 8 2020.
Your Life's Work
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The American College of Financial Services provides equal opportunity to students and employees, regardless of race, color, and national or ethnic origin. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.
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