Planning to meet your life's goals? Looking to manage your finances better to achieve these goals?

'Financial planning' is the new buzzword in the industry and catering to this new-found need is the Association of Financial Planners, which has introduced the certified financial planner course in India.

The intention is to afford long-term beneficial effects to the financial services industry.

The Association of Financial Planners is a non-profit professional, membership and certification organisation - a part of leading global confederation established by prominent financial services corporations.

It was established in April 2001 and is dedicated to developing and promoting an industry providing unbiased financial advice to the Indian public. It is a part of a global assembly of financial planning associations.

The International CFPTM Council was established in 1990 as an international assembly of financial planning associations, and promotes professionalism in financial planning.

AFP is the fifteenth member of the council. As the Indian affiliate of the CFPTM board, AFP oversees the administration of the internationally recognised certified financial planners professional certification process.

The AFP is an industry initiative where prominent financial services companies have come together to form the Association. The charter members of the AFP are some of the biggest and the best providers of financial services in India. Members include the likes of American Express Bank, Franklin Templeton AMC, MetLife Insurance and Standard Chartered Bank.

The target audience to which AFP promotes financial planning are industries and corporations, students and financial products distributors and government and regulators.

The target audience for the CFP course are existing financial planners, corporate executives and students.

Industry players indicate that financial planning is at a nascent stage in India, but it is quite advanced in other countries. For eg in South-Africa 'financial planning' is taught to high school students.

Ranjeet S Mudholkar, CEO, AFP India, says," AFP was established with an objective to professionalise the concept of financial planning in India. It is an affiliate of the Certified Financial

Planner - Board of Standards located in Denver, US. AFP establishes the 'certified financial planner' mark in India and ensures that the standards of the CFP certification are maintained."

AFP India has proposed a new education delivery model keeping in mind the international standards of CFP course and also to open up the market for more number of education providers.