Mayor Gray Declares This Saturday, October 15 Metro Washington Financial Planning day

Free Event Features Scholarship Giveaway and Professional Advice on Budgeting, Retirement Planning, Income Taxes, Investment Strategies, and More

Washington, DC, October 14, 2011 – Metro Washington Financial Planning Day is this Saturday, October 15, and in addition to getting free "no strings attached" financial advice, attendees have the chance of being awarded a scholarship to a 529 college savings plan.

The Metro Washington Financial Planning Day will be held from 10:30 am – 4:00 pm on Saturday, October 15, 2011, at the Columbia Heights Educational Campus (Bell Multicultural High School), at 3101 16th Street NW, Washington, DC.

During the event, two $500 scholarships in the form of contributions to 529 college savings plans will be given away as door prizes. To enter the drawing, participants must be present and 18 years or older (or accompanied by a legal guardian). The funds must go into a 529 plan of the state of residency of the beneficiary of the plan – D.C., Virginia or Maryland.

Metro Washington Financial Planning Day is organized by the Government of the District of Columbia, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and the Financial Planning Association of the National Capital Area, and is part of a national Financial Planning Days initiative created by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Financial Planning Association, Foundation for Financial Planning and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray, who was recently appointed as Vice Chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Children, Health and Human Services Standing Committee, issued a proclamation declaring Saturday, October 15, 2011, as Metro Washington Financial Planning Day. The proclamation signified the city’s ongoing commitment to inspiring residents to improve their knowledge about effective financial planning by using the opportunity to participate in several no-cost, one-on-one, no-strings-attached workshops.

At Metro Washington Financial Planning Day, attendees will have an opportunity to receive free, personalized, confidential answers from professional financial planners. The advice will be provided by experts from the Financial Planning Association and highly qualified CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals. Volunteering planners will be stationed at tables and will meet with you one-on-one to offer advice and information tailored to your situation.

The event will also feature a series of free classroom-style workshop presentations addressing key financial topics, such as budgeting basics, planning for the cost of higher education, taking charge of your credit rating, and estate planning for everyone.

Mary Beth Franklin will be the keynote speaker. Mary Beth Franklin is a senior editor of Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine and editor of the Kiplinger’s annual Retirement Planning Guide. An award-winning journalist, Franklin covers retirement planning, tax planning, Social Security issues and long-term-care insurance.

TO PARTICIPATE: Metro Washington Financial Planning Day is free and open to the public. Free online registration is available at www.FinancialPlanningDays.org/DC, or by calling toll free at 877-861-7826. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Note to the Media: Members of the news media are invited to attend the event and interview the organizers. We will also have attendees available for interviews. The event will be held on October 15 at the Columbia Heights Educational Campus (Bell Multicultural High School) in Washington, DC. Events will begin at 10:30 am and will run until 4:00 pm. The venue is conveniently located just one block west from the Columbia Heights Metro Station on the Green and Yellow Lines. Paid parking is available at the nearby DC USA Shopping Center.

Media Contacts for National Financial Planning Days Initiative:
CFP Board: Daniel F. Drummond – 202-379-2252 or ddrummond@CFPBoard.org
FPA: Lynn Brackpool – 303-867-7173 or Lynn.Brackpool@FPAnet.org
Foundation for Financial Planning: Jim Peniston – 770-938-1110 or Jim.Peniston@foundation-finplan.org
U.S. Conference of Mayors: Elena Temple – 202-861-6719 or etemple@usmayors.org

About CFP Board
The mission of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) is to benefit the public by granting the CFP® certification and upholding it as the recognized standard of excellence for personal financial planning. The Board of Directors, in furthering CFP Board's mission, acts on behalf of the public, CFP® professionals and other stakeholders. CFP Board owns the certification marks CFP® , CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements. CFP Board currently authorizes more than 63,000 individuals to use these marks in the U.S. For more information about CFP Board, visit www.CFP.net or call 800-487-1497.

About FPA
The Financial Planning Association® (FPA® ) is the leadership and advocacy organization connecting those who need, support and deliver professional financial planning. FPA is the largest membership organization for personal financial planning experts in the U.S. and includes professionals from all backgrounds and business models. FPA members adhere to the highest standards of professional competence, ethical conduct and clear, complete disclosure to those they serve. Based in Denver, Colo., FPA works in alliance with academic leaders, legislative and regulatory bodies, financial services firms and consumer interest organizations. For more information about FPA, visit www.FPA.net or call 800-322-4237.

About Foundation for Financial Planning
The mission of the Foundation for Financial Planning is to help people take control of their financial lives by connecting the financial planning community with people in need. The Foundation funds programs that provide pro bono financial planning, and connect volunteers through the involvement of the financial planning and services community. The Foundation strives to help people who are underserved by the market, in need of financial guidance, or in a financial crisis. The Foundation aims to improve the lives of all Americans through access to pro bono financial planning and financial life skills education to provide those at all socio-economic levels with the knowledge to control their financial lives and opportunities to obtain unbiased financial advice in time of crisis and disaster. For more information about the Foundation for Financial Planning, visit www.foundation-finplan.org.

About Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) was founded in 1957, as an independent, nonprofit organization comprised of elected officials from 21 local governments, members of Maryland and Virginia state legislatures and members of the U.S. Congress. COG helps develop regional solutions to such issues as the environment, affordable housing, growth and development, public health, child welfare, public safety, homeland security and transportation. For more information about Metro Washington Council of Governments, visit www.mwcog.org.

About The U.S. Conference of Mayors
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,204 such cities in the country today. Each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. More information about the Conference is available at www.usmayors.org.

LOCAL EVENT CONTACTS:
Dan Drummond, CFP Board: 202-379-2252 or ddrummond@CFPBoard.org
Tacy Paul Roby, FPA of the National Capital Area: 301-951-4837 or Tacy.Paul.Roby@calvert.com

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