UC Irvine Extension Awarded Grant to Develop Online Financial Planning Course; Curriculum to Provide Financial Planning Information to Underserved Populations

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 21, 2006--UC Irvine Extension today announced that it has received a grant from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc (CFP Board) to provide online financial planning information to underserved consumers, free of charge. More than 100 grant applications were received by the CFP Board. UC Irvine Extension was the only recipient in Southern California.

As many Americans are now looking to secure their financial futures, financial planning training and information is in high demand. In fact, the 2001 Jobs Rate Almanac listed Financial Planner as the number one career in America.

"UC Irvine Extension has been offering innovative financial planning programs since 1984," said Lori Munoz-Reiland, the director of Business Management, Corporate Education, and Information Technologies at UC Irvine Extension. "This grant allows us to provide an online 'Fundamentals of Financial Planning' course for the general public. It will cover the 'nuts and bolts' of financial planning: basic budgeting; establishing an emergency fund; benefits of early planning; basic insurance needs and analysis, and much more."

Whether consumers intend to do their own financial planning or just need basic information before meeting with their financial planner, this program provides a greater understanding of their financial options.

This year marks the first year in which the CFP Board has awarded grants for financial planning programs and projects instead of research grants. More than $875,000 was awarded through 20 grants this year, including the $22,000 grant awarded to UC Irvine Extension.

"UC Irvine Extension is known as a leader in continuing education for financial planners and has a history of delivering high-quality programs," said Timothy Stifel, manager of External Relations for the CFP Board, which is based in Denver. "We partner with UC Irvine Extension because they too believe in our mission to develop competent, professional and ethical financial planners. The grant will allow the university to refine existing curriculum approved by the CFP Board to suit the informational needs of the general public."

In addition to the online course material made possible through the CFP Board grant, UC Irvine Extension offers two financial planning certificate programs, both registered with the CFP Board. These programs cover the body of knowledge deemed necessary for a personal financial planning career and enables participants to meet the educational requirements to sit for the CFP(R) certification exam.

The first of the two programs, the Personal Financial Planning Certificate Program, is a 10-course program that allows participants to earn the Personal Financial Planner (PFP) designation and fulfill the educational requirements to sit for the CFP(R) certification examination. Courses are offered on the UC Irvine campus as well as online in an instructor-led format.

The second program is the Personal Financial Planning Accelerated Certificate Program, which is geared toward financial professionals who are interested in attaining the CFP(R) designation. The rigorous five-part program is aimed at bankers, accountants, stockbrokers and attorneys, along with other mid-career professionals in the finance industry interested in developing their skills in personal financial planning. This program is offered on the UC Irvine campus only.

About UC Irvine Extension

As the continuing education arm of UCI, UC Irvine Extension is dedicated to providing a university-level learning experience for students, offering thousands of exciting courses and programs to local, regional, and global constituencies. UC Irvine Extension offers a rich array of academic and community programs to support a diverse audience, from a wide selection of academic programs to numerous campus activities. For more information, please visit www.extension.uci.edu.

About the University of California, Irvine

The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 24,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,400 faculty members. The second-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3.3 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.

About CFP Board of Standards

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP(R), CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER(TM), and the federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing certification requirements. The mission of CFP Board is to help people benefit from competent, professional and ethical financial planning. For more about CFP Board, visit www.CFP.net.