About The College From The President Insights
National Military Appreciation Month
What is the meaning of Memorial Day?
Going back as far as I can remember, Memorial Day in my family has meant remembering the loved ones we have lost. Honoring the memories of beloved family members, including my infant sister who died at only six months of age. Bringing flowers to their graveside on an almost summer and almost always hot day. Celebrating the love of family by spending time together outside of work and school. That is the original, personal meaning I carry with me each Memorial Day.
Of course, as I grew older and gained more life experience, my worldview changed. Only then did I come to realize all the meanings of Memorial Day. Today, I think of the families preparing to bring flowers to the gravesides of their beloved soldiers, men and women who sacrificed their lives in service to our great country. I think of the young – and the young at heart – eager to wear red, white, and blue at local parades.
Today, I think of the families preparing to bring flowers to the gravesides of their beloved soldiers, men and women who sacrificed their lives in service to our great country.
Indeed, there is no one way to celebrate Memorial Day. I sincerely hope, however, that we all take a moment to appreciate those who have protected our freedoms, including the freedom to choose how we will spend the day.
Originally called Decoration Day when it was formalized in 1868, Memorial Day is the final of three designated days to honor the military community in May, following Armed Forces Day and Military Spouse Appreciation Day. In fact, May is National Military Appreciation Month.
What is the meaning of appreciation?
The word appreciation derives from the Latin word for price. I believe it is very important to appreciate that members of the military community are willing to pay the ultimate price for our country.
Perhaps another way to translate this word is to think of appreciation as the act of pausing to consider someone or something not in the literal sense of a price or sum, but rather, in the sense of intangible value. Freedom, sacrifice, leadership, determination, the resiliency of the human spirit – these are ideals we value, and ideals that the best of the military community represent for us.
Latin origins aside, to me appreciation means acknowledgment. National Military Appreciation Month gives citizens the opportunity to acknowledge the current, former, and departed men and women of the military community – including active-duty, guard, reservists, and veterans. If you’re not in this group, you likely know someone who is.
Freedom, sacrifice, leadership, determination, the resiliency of the human spirit – these are ideals we value, and ideals that the best of the military community represent for us.
What does the military mean to financial services?
There’s a strong connection between the military community and the financial services profession – and one we continue to strengthen.
Back in 2021, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reported 200,000 service members transitioned to civilian life per year. As of late last year, that number has increased to 250,000 per year. I am hopeful many will join us by pursuing careers in financial services.
When veterans search for well-paying and fulfilling careers that emphasize service and leadership (careers to which they are well-suited), financial professional and financial advisor consistently appear in the top 10 of many lists (here’s an example). Likewise, in my experience, if I had to come up with a list of the greatest leaders in financial services, there’s no doubt military veterans would make it into that top 10.
As I like to say within our College community, and something that certainly holds true within the military-College community: We are stronger together!
When veterans search for well-paying and fulfilling careers that emphasize service and leadership (careers to which they are well-suited), financial professional and financial advisor consistently appear in the top 10 of many lists
How can you get involved?
I want to take this chance to appreciate and acknowledge the military community directly. Thank you for your service! And thank you for being part of The College – whether you’re a student, an alumna, alumnus, or designee, or just getting started.
Others, please join me in recognizing our colleagues who have military backgrounds, or who have family members who are serving or have served. If you can’t connect in person or by phone, you may share this message or acknowledge them on LinkedIn.
You’ll recall I opened this blog by suggesting you ask your friends about their traditions, and I hope you do. I’ll close by asking about yours: Would you please thoughtfully consider starting a new tradition of honoring those who have strengthened our nation – and our profession – by supporting College scholarships, events, or other efforts in the military community?
The American College Center for Military and Veterans Affairs and Center founding partner and sponsor Penn Mutual invite you to join the cause – to help members of the military community expand their opportunities.
Although we can’t put a price on their contributions, we can acknowledge how much we appreciate and value the military community.
Partnership with Couplr.AI
KING OF PRUSSIA, PA – May 14, 2024 – The American College of Financial Services is proud to announce its strategic partnership with Couplr.AI, a leading provider of AI-powered matchmaking solutions for financial advisors and clients. This partnership offers free advisor profiles for potential consumer matching to all designees in The College’s Professional Recertification Program (PRP). These professionals already have access to innovative tools like The College’s Knowledge Hub+ continuing education platform and marketing toolkits to enhance their practice and professional lives.
The PRP is designed for designees in good standing, ensuring the active status of their credential(s) while providing access to tools, platforms, and programs. With the integration of Couplr.AI's proprietary algorithm, PRP designees can potentially take advantage of a technology platform facilitating meaningful connections with potential clients based on mutual interests and needs.
The College is the exclusive designation-conferring institution or organization that can offer free profiles for Couplr.AI’s technology.
"In today's rapidly evolving financial landscape, it's essential for professionals to leverage cutting-edge technologies to thrive in their practice,” said Jared Trexler, senior vice president and chief marketing and strategy officer at The American College of Financial Services. “Couplr.AI's innovative approach aligns perfectly with our commitment to supporting our lifelong learners."
Couplr uses AI and data science to learn more about what consumers and advisors are looking for in their professional relationship and best matches financial advisors with the ideal potential clients across a variety of human and financial dimensions, fostering stronger relationships and helping to increase advisor success rates. The integration of Couplr.AI's functionality within The College's My Learning Hub will enable PRP designees to access this innovative tool seamlessly.
College designees in good standing can opt-in to the partnership by visiting their Learning Hub (hub.theamericancollege.edu), viewing the "My Designations & Certifications" page from the menu, and clicking the button to share information with Couplr.
“Couplr.AI is all about making connections for financial professionals with consumers, potential clients, that they can aid in their financial journey,” said Derek Notman, founder and CEO, Couplr.AI. “The level of expertise possessed by the alumni network of The American College of Financial Services is unparalleled and we are proud to be a connector for their continued success.”
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ABOUT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF FINANCIAL SERVICES
Founded in 1927, The American College of Financial Services is the nation’s largest nonprofit educational institution devoted to financial services professionals. Holding the highest level of academic accreditation, The College has educated over 200,000 professionals across the United States through certificate, designation, and graduate degree programs. Its portfolio of applied knowledge also includes just-in-time learning and consumer financial education programs. The College’s faculty represents some of the foremost thought leaders in the financial services industry. Visit TheAmericanCollege.edu and connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Discover all the ways you can expand your opportunities with us.
ABOUT COUPLR.AI
The Couplr.AI fintech client acquisition solution was specifically built for financial companies and their financial advisors. Couplr is a byproduct of frustration, first-hand experience, need, potential, data science, and the human connection. Financial advisors and the companies they represent want to help as many clients as possible, but with up to 90% of advisors failing in the first three years this is a constant challenge, yet also a huge opportunity. After 18+ years in the financial services industry as an advisor, founder Derek Notman saw one pivotal issue: a lack of empathy and trust in professional financial relationships, especially for people looking to hire a financial advisor. In other words, lead generation was broken. Knowing that human connection was foundational to success, Derek started the journey to find a solution that truly works. A smart fintech solution matching clients and financial advisors. The result feels magical, but are based on financial psychology, behavioral finance, and math. For more information, visit www.couplr.ai.
Contact
Sarah Tremallo
908-967-0381 / stremallo@jconnelly.com
Innovating for Impact
Innovation starts with great ideas. In alignment with The College’s mission, the executive leadership team identifies and vets all ideas for new initiatives and program offerings rigorously, weighing their potential to help achieve the institution’s strategic goals. A new designation program, for example, might help us:
- Enhance the education experience for learners
- Fill voids in the financial services profession and society
- Advance data-informed planning and decision-making
By adhering closely to these goals and establishing measurements to track our progress toward them, we ensure The College’s ability to deliver high-quality experiences for all our constituencies.
“It is the responsibility of The College to uphold the promises we make to our students, learners, business partners, communities, and society. Assessing and reporting on our institutional effectiveness holds us accountable and allows us to be proactive and relevant in our delivery of applied financial knowledge.”
What’s Old is New
Innovation occurs within long-standing programs, including the one that started it all: the Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®)—a designation program that is continuously improved, including most recently in 2022. During the latest reporting process to maintain its institutional accreditation, The College highlighted the reimagining of the CLU® through a collaborative effort led by Program Director David F. Pierce, MSFS, MSM, MA, AEP®, CLF®, ChFC®, CLU®.
Through the collection of student and course enrollment data, the program director and faculty identified a growing downward trend, necessitating a question and call to action: What was causing the downturn in student enrollment to CLU®?
The program team turned to corporate partners and alumni to explore the issue with a survey. As this pie chart shows, the majority (68%) agreed or strongly agreed with focusing the curriculum and shortening the program.
From this data, the program team went to The College faculty and leadership to propose a program consisting of four core courses plus one elective, using the Personal Pathway® delivery model.
The CLU® program is now tracking the impact of this change by looking at enrollment and course persistence. We see an early spark of progress in the enrollment and persistence of students from the first to the second course, as well as positive feedback from students.
“Streamlining the CLU® program from eight to five classes was a big improvement...the program [is] so well structured, [it] provides the ease of studying and understanding how various concepts apply in real life.”
Successful, continuous improvement is the cornerstone of a strong academic institution. And that will always require assessing existing programs for relevancy and quality, and then adapting as needed.
What’s New Now
The evolution of the financial services industry also necessitates the updates of existing, and development of new programs—a process that itself benefits from recent innovation.
When the time comes to develop a new program, the process involves internal teams—including Academics, the Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI), and more—and in some cases, additional experts and partners who help The College expand our resources and what we offer.
Happening now, The College is developing a first-of-its-kind Tax Planning Certified Professional (TPCP) Program, with the leadership of renowned subject matter expert and College alumnus Jeff Levine, CFP®, CPA, PFS, CWS, AIF®, RICP®, ChFC®, BFA™, MSA.
Read the full article and learn more about The College’s innovative program offerings, including the TPCP Program, in our 2023-2024 President’s Report.