A global Financial Planning body wants to see the number of Certified Financial Planners across the world swell by 100,000 in the next nine years.

The Financial Planning Standards Board said at its annual meeting in Amsterdam that it aims to have 250,000 CFP professionals in 40 territories by 2025.

FPSB, the owner of the international Certified Financial Planner certification program outside the United States, has more than 160,000 CFP professionals in 26 territories currently.

It has identified 15 priority territories for growth.

FPSB committed at the event to “communicating the value of hiring CFP professionals to global financial services firms” as part of the bid to grow the number of CFP professionals worldwide.

FPSB CEO Noel Maye said: “FPSB is committed to benefiting the global community by establishing, upholding and promoting standards and certification requirements for the global financial planning profession.

“FPSB partners with member organizations, CFP professionals and other key stakeholders to promote worldwide the value of financial planning and the benefit of working with a competent and ethical financial planner who puts clients’ interests first.”

FPSB has created the Global Academic and Research Community to develop the global body of knowledge for Financial Planning, and will add additional communities of interest to its online portal in the next year or two. This is through its online community portal, Financial Planet.

The organsiation committed to “increasing the level and depth of engagement of key stakeholders to support FPSB’s mission and vision for a global financial planning profession”.

During the conference, FPSB launched its global social media campaign, #LifesBetter, to promote how life is better for members of the public who have a financial plan and who work with a CFP professional.

FPSB also presented a Qualifications Framework which will guide its development of content and credentials for pathway programs leading to CFP certification.

Other points to emerge from the conference were a reaffirmation of the importance of working with legislators and regulators at local, regional and global levels to ensure that financial planning and CFP certification are appropriately recognised.