香港財務策劃師學會
The Institute of Financial Planners of Hong Kong
This year, the Institute of Financial Planners of Hong Kong (IFPHK) celebrates its 25th anniversary. On behalf of the IFPHK Board of Directors, may I congratulate our financial planning community for having achieved this magnificent milestone. Without support of stakeholders such as our founding members, previous Board of Directors, corporate members, past chairpersons education providers, and of course individual members, IFPHK and the financial planning profession will not be what we are today.
IFPHK came into being in 2000, a few years after the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. It was founded with the vision that personal financial planning is essential to financial security for all. By offering CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Certification, the gold standard in financial planning, our core mission is to promote financial planning excellence. We received resounding support as, only two years later, the number of CFP Certificants reached over 1,000. Just three years later, our membership had risen rapidly and surpassed 4,500.
Throughout the last 25 years, IFPHK has always worked to advance the financial planning profession and has made notable progress. As a result of our advocacy, regulators such as the Insurance Authority and the Securities and Futures Commission have, since our early days, accepted CFP Certification as one of the internationally-recognised qualifications that go towards fulfilling licensing requirements. In terms of support to our fellow practitioners, during the 2008 global financial crisis we offered six initiatives to help members weather the storm. And we are constantly listening to the industry’s voice, with introduction of AFP Certification in 2011 being in response to the industry’s call for a pathway to CFP Certification.
Over the years, we have expanded our social responsibility portfolio. In 2012, we launched the “IFPHK Financial Education Awards” to commend the pro bono financial education efforts of firms both inside and outside of the financial services industry. To address the pressing issue of retirement-readiness in our fast-ageing population, our first Hong Kong Retirement Expense Index was unveiled in 2021. And as part of our mission to grow the financial planning profession for the benefit of our community, our 2023 ESG statement sets out our policy initiatives to develop our work in this flourishing area of financial planning.
Looking to the future, IFPHK will continue to drive growth by enabling financial planners to elevate their skills and capabilities. In keeping with Hong Kong’s role as a hub for international family offices, we are planning to introduce a new certificate programme in family office management. To encourage the use of technology in financial planners’ every day practice, we will empower the profession to apply AI in various aspects of their work.
To keep ourselves informed about international developments in financial planning, we will further strengthen our collaboration with the Financial Planning Standards Board and all related affiliates. Financial planning affects everyone, at every stage of life. Our profession has a noble vocation – to engage with our clients to give them the best financial planning advice, so that they may fulfill their wishes and life goals. To become better professionals, financial planners must also engage among ourselves, so that our community will grow, prosper, and thrive for many more years to come.
Mr Edwin Cheung, CFP®
Chairman
Institute of Financial Planners of Hong Kong
On this joyous occasion of the 25th anniversary of IFPHK, I am delighted to announce that we have lined up a series of celebratory events that span various formats. To kick off celebrations, we will host a cocktail reception in August for members and various stakeholders to join in the festivities. Further, we are offering a special one-time limited discount for CFP Certification renewal. A special mini website, together with other multimedia channels that include a video and a programme booklet to showcase our achievements over the past 25 years.
Just as our city is the gateway between Mainland China and the rest of the world, IFPHK has played a key role in connecting the Hong Kong financial planning profession with our community. In our 25 years, we have hosted a wide variety of events across different platforms to increase awareness of the importance of receiving professional advice from qualified financial planners. Aside from featuring in newspapers columns, radio and television segments, we also made appearances at industry conventions and exhibitions to promote the financial planning profession, and our media campaign in 2013 was an initiative to drive up the wider public’s awareness of CFP Certification. For the working public, we have partnered with the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority to conduct many MPF roadshows, and for financial education we have worked closely with various organisations including the Investors and Financial Education Council. To spread the word about the importance of financial planning, we frequently visit schools and education institutions as well as those in need such as the elderly and the vulnerable. To help financial planning professionals expand their skillsets, we have partnered with relevant organisations to offer certificate programmes in, amongst other topical subjects, family office and ESG.
Our connection with our stakeholders near and far is a key component to our international advantage. As the world becomes ever more connected, understanding regional and international issues and developments in financial planning will equip practitioners with the insights essential to best serve clients.
We have a future vision of multiplying our connections. To exchange ideas and to foster ongoing dialogues for the profession with our closest neighbours, we will soon launch our second tour of the Greater Bay Area. We will also rejuvenate our relationship with the financial planning community and stakeholders in Macao. By teaming up with tertiary institutions and suitable professional bodies, we hope to create cross-industry pollination and synergies. To facilitate members’ connection with IFPHK our website will receive a revamp and make more use of today’s technology. And to further sustain and uplift standards in financial planning, we will undertake a review and refresh the programme content for CFP Certification, AFP Certification and QRA qualification.
IFPHK’s 25th year milestone is anchored on the labour of our stakeholders: members of the Board of Directors, Committee members, individual members and our staff, past and present. Our most heartfelt gratitude goes to all of you. We are connected by one common mission, that financial planning is crucial for our community to live better lives. As the leading organisation in Hong Kong for advancing professional financial planning standards and promoting the importance of financial planning, IFPHK will continue to play our role to ensure that the financial planning industry, and the high professional standards we uphold, are here to stay.
Dr Paris Yeung
Chief Executive Officer
Institute of Financial Planners of Hong Kong
