September 21, 2004
A strongly agree with the FPA position regarding the Broker Dealer Rule. Anyone holding themselves out to be financial planners, financial consultants or investment advisors should be held to the same standards that apply to Registered Investment Advisers under the Investment Advisor Act of 1940. These terms do not translate to broker in most consumersminds and imply a higher level of expertise and committment than one might find in a person trained in securities sales. Its difficult to understand why there would be opposition to registration if a person or firm is acting in the clients best interest and is dedicated to providing quality financial planning services to customers in an ethical manner. One can only conclude that the financial planning services function merely a tool to generate sales.