For Immediate Release
Date: Friday, October 24th, 2014
Contact: Amanda Kahn Fried, (415) 554-0889
Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector
CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO HOSTS FIFTH ANNUAL
FINANCIAL PLANNING DAY
Free Advice on Budgeting, Financial Planning, Debt Management, Estate Planning and Paying for College from Professional Financial Planners and Credit Counselors
SAN FRANCISCO - Treasurer José Cisneros, in partnership with Assessor Recorder Carmen Chu will host “Financial Planning Day” at the San Francisco Public Library’s Main Branch tomorrow from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Experts from the Financial Planning Association®, Certified Financial Planner™ professionals, and Certified Consumer Credit Counselors from Consumer Credit Counseling Service of San Francisco volunteered their time and expertise to provide one-on-one financial advice and credit counseling to local residents and educational workshops on key personal finance topics. This year, a limited number of participants will have the opportunity to create a free estate plan with trained attorneys.
“As San Franciscans struggle to afford the high cost of living, Financial Planning Day remains a key event in my Office’s ongoing mission to empower all San Franciscans to take charge of their own finances,” said Treasurer José Cisneros. “I thank our volunteers for providing access to free professional and ethical financial advice that is critical to making informed decisions.”
“I am thrilled to be a part of such a great event in helping San Franciscans gain the knowledge and resources to make smart informed financial decisions,” said Assessor-Recorder Carmen Chu. “With an increasingly complicated economy, I believe it is never too early or too late to learn sound financial practices.“
Certified Financial Planners and Certified Consumer Credit Counselors will meet one-on-one with attendees to answer questions on budgeting, financial planning, debt management, and paying for college; among many other topics. This advice is offered on a pro bono basis and volunteers will not sell financial products or services.
San Francisco Financial Planning Day is hosted by the City and County of San Francisco in partnership with San Francisco Financial Planners Association and Consumer Credit Counseling Service of San Francisco (CCCS). The event is part of the National and Local Financial Planning Days initiative created by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board), the Financial Planning Association (FPA), the Foundation for Financial Planning, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. This collaboration partners city governments and financial planners nationwide to provide free financial education and programming to their local communities.
About San Francisco Office of Financial Empowerment
In 2009, the City and County of San Francisco became one of only three cities in the country to launch a municipal Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE). The San Francisco OFE is housed within the Office of the Treasurer, which serves as the banker, tax collector and investment officer for the City and County of San Francisco and is led by the elected Treasurer, José Cisneros. Treasurer Cisneros believes that his role of safeguarding the city’s money should extend to all San Franciscans and he has embarked upon an ambitious financial empowerment agenda since taking office.
San Francisco has proven success with groundbreaking programs, including Bank on San Francisco, the Working Families Credit, Payday Plus SF, Kindergarten to College, CurrenC SF, and the Smart Money Network. San Francisco also places a major emphasis on financial education, offering classes through the Bank on San Francisco program and convening the Smart Money Network, dedicated to improving the quality of, and access to, a broad range of financial education services city-wide, both in-person and online. Visit www.sfofe.org and www.sfsmartmoneynetwork.org for more information.
About Financial Planning Association
The Financial Planning Association® (FPA®) is the leadership and advocacy organization providing support and professional financial planning to those in need. FPA demonstrates and supports a professional commitment to education and a client-centered financial planning process. Based in Denver, Colo., FPA has 95 chapters throughout the country representing tens of thousands of members involved in all facets of providing financial planning services. Working in alliance with academic leaders, legislative and regulatory bodies, financial services firms and consumer interest organizations, FPA is the community that fosters the value of financial planning and advances the financial planning profession. For more information about FPA, visit www.FPAnet.org or call 800-322-4237.
About Consumer Credit Counseling Services
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of San Francisco (CCCS) is a non-profit service and a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). CCCS is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children, Inc. and is certified by HUD to provide comprehensive housing counseling services. CCCS has provided money management information and assistance since 1969. For more information about CCCS, visit www.CCCSSF.org or call 800-777-7526.
About Certified Financial Planner
The mission of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP) is to benefit the public by granting the CFP® certification and upholding it as the recognized standard of excellence for personal financial planning. The Board of Directors, in furthering CFP Board’s mission, acts on behalf of the public, CFP® certificants and other stakeholders. CFP Board owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements. CFP Board currently authorizes more than 61,000 individuals to use these marks in the United States. For more about CFP Board, visit www.CFP.net or call 800-487-1497.
About Foundation for Financial Planning
The mission of the Foundation for Financial Planning is to help people take control of their financial lives by connecting the financial planning community with people in need. The Foundation funds programs that provide pro bono financial planning, and connects volunteers through the involvement of the financial planning and services community. The Foundation strives to help people who are underserved by the market, in need of financial guidance, or in a financial crisis. The Foundation aims to improve the lives of all Americas, regardless of their socio-economic level, through access to pro bono financial planning and financial life skills education, as well as provide them with the knowledge to control their financial lives. For more information about the Foundation for Financial Planning, visit www.foundation-finplan.org.
About The U.S. Conference of Mayors
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,204 such cities in the country today. Each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. More information about the Conference is available at www.usmayors.org.
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