K-State seniors showcase their financial planning know-how during a hands-on contest
Topeka, Kansas, November 1, 2021 – Megan Klug, Britta Beesley and Ana Sanko, seniors in Kansas State University’s Personal Financial Planning program, recently received second place in the national Financial Planning Competition hosted each year by the Financial Planning Association.
With their second-place finish, the team secured a $5,000 scholarship for the Personal Financial Planning (PFP) department. Since 2014, K-State has been named a top-three team five times and is consistently rated as one of the top five PFP programs in the country.
“Megan, Britta and Ana represent the first all-female team to compete from K-State and one of the first to compete nationally,” said Personal Financial Planning Department Head Martin Seay. “The team’s accomplishment is a strong testament to the success of females in the financial planning field. Though the number of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals nationally has seen large growth, women continue to make up only 23% of the workforce.”
Each year, the Financial Planning Competition engages students in a holistic financial planning learning experience and expands awareness of the professional community and organizations that support the profession. The challenge is done in three phases. In phase one, students are given profiles for two hypothetical clients and prepare a comprehensive financial plan. Eight teams are then selected to move to phase two, which is an oral presentation of a case study. The final phase is the “How Do You Know?” jeopardy style challenge.
“This is truly a feather in K-State’s hat for the PFP program,” said Mike Miller, PFP Advisory Board Member and Advisors Excel Chief Operating Officer. “We work with independent financial professionals from all over the country, and we see first-hand the shortage of minorities and women in the profession. Because of this, we’ve invested in PFP scholarships to address this issue specifically.”
In 2020, Advisors Excel created three $5,000 scholarships to encourage women and minorities from Shawnee County to pursue a degree in K-State’s PFP program. The scholarships can be renewed annually, and award recipients will have the opportunity to gain real-world experience with an internship at Advisors Excel.
The Financial Planning Association (FPA®) is the premier professional organization for Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) professionals, educators, financial services providers and students who seek advancement in a growing, dynamic profession.
About K-State’s Personal Financial Planning Program:
Consistently rated as a top program nationally, the Department of Personal Financial Planning at Kansas State University is renowned for its education, research, and thought leadership in financial planning. Faculty specialize in the behavioral elements of financial planning, providing insight into how advisors can shape client behavior to promote well-being. The department offers a bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree along with several professional certificates both on-campus and online.
About Advisors Excel:
Advisors Excel, founded in 2005, has redefined the role a marketing organization can play in supporting independent financial advisors. Its growth has been unparalleled in the industry and is achieved by working with a smaller group of select advisors. With a focus on making good advisors great business owners, Advisors Excel has revolutionized how financial professionals build and operate their businesses.
In 2020, the 500 advisors working with Advisors Excel did over $8.2 billion in annuity, Medicare, and life insurance production. Their affiliated Registered Investment Advisory Firm, AE Wealth Management, currently manages over $12.5 billion and has been named one of the fastest-growing RIAs in the country.