CFP Board Forms New Commission to Review Sanction Guidelines and Fitness Standards

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) announced today that it has formed a new 15-member Commission on Sanctions and Fitness. This new Commission will review and recommend changes to CFP Board’s Sanction Guidelines and Fitness Standards for Candidates for CFP® Certification and Former Professionals Seeking Reinstatement (“Fitness Standards”).

These important documents address the consequences of failing to comply with CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct. The Fitness Standards apply to those seeking CFP® certification, while the Sanction Guidelines apply to those who are certified.

“This new commission is fundamental to CFP Board’s ongoing work to strengthen the enforcement processes for our Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct,” said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. “We very much appreciate the work that they will do to help ensure that our enforcement process remains credible to the public and fair to those whose conduct is being evaluated.”

The group is comprised of distinguished individuals, including members of the public, consumer advocates, individuals with regulatory experience, and CFP® professionals representing various business and compensation models. They have been charged with developing recommendations through a process that includes input from the public and the financial planning profession. CFP Board will issue the Board’s proposed revisions to the Sanction Guidelines and Fitness Standards for one or more rounds of public comment before final revisions are adopted. The Commission will be discharged after the Board of Directors issues the final revised Sanctions Guidelines and Fitness Standards.

The members of the commission are:

• Michael Branham, CFP®; Partner and Senior Financial Planner at The Planning Center, Inc.
• Shelly-Ann Eweka, CFP®; Wealth Management Director at TIAA
• Stephen W. Hall; Legal Director and Securities Specialist for Better Markets
• Christine Hines; Legislative Director at the National Association of Consumer Advocates
• Elizabeth Jeter Hrubala, CFP®; President and Owner of Jeter Hrubala Wealth Strategies, LLC
• Joseph M. Miller, CFP®; Chief Operating Officer at Envestnet MoneyGuide
• Dave O’Brien, CFP®; Principal and Founder of EVOadvisers
• Christopher Rand, CFP®; Managing Partner at FIDES Wealth Strategies Group and the Wealth Consulting Group
• Craig C. Reaves; Attorney at Reaves Law Firm, P.C.
• Russell G. Ryan; Partner at King & Spalding, LLP
• Andrea Seidt; Ohio Securities Commissioner at the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Securities
• Linda Sherry; Director of National Priorities and Chief Spokesperson at Consumer Action
• Joe Sicchitano, CFP®; Head of Wealth Planning and Advice Delivery at Truist (formerly SunTrust Bank)
• Demetra Sullivan, CFP®; Vice President, Regional Market Executive at Charles Schwab
• Jeffrey Weekes, CFP®; Vice President-Financial Advisor and Senior Portfolio Manager at Morgan Stanley

To begin the Commission’s work of gathering input from the public and financial planning profession, CFP Board is hosting two virtual forums on February 18. Information and registration for the virtual forums is available at: https://www.cfp.net/events/2021/02/webinar-sanction-guidelines-and-fitness-standards.