CFP Board Imposes Interim Suspension on Timothy A. Hanna

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) announced that it has imposed an automatic interim suspension of the CFP® certification on Timothy A. Hanna of Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, which was effective on November 11, 2020.

CFP Board imposed an automatic interim suspension after receiving evidence that Mr. Hanna was convicted of the violent felony of Aggravated Assault on February 23, 2018, as defined in Article 7.1 of the Procedural Rules. Mr. Hanna’s conviction for Aggravated Assault was based on his assault of the wife of the coach of the hockey team for his 16-year old son. Angered by his son’s playing time, Mr. Hanna got into a confrontation with the coach’s wife and punched her with a closed fist on the left side of her head, knocking her to the ice. She went to the hospital for treatment and evaluation and was diagnosed with a significant concussion and neck and back injuries. The court found that Mr. Hanna recklessly committed Aggravated Assault and caused serious bodily harm to the coach’s wife. Mr. Hanna was initially sentenced to 11½ months to 23 months of imprisonment, but the sentence was modified to 18 months of house arrest following Mr. Hanna’s release on bond pending appeal. Mr. Hanna ultimately appealed his conviction to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and on June 2, 2020, Mr. Hanna’s appeal was denied.

Under the automatic interim suspension order, Mr. Hanna’s right to use the CFP® certification marks is suspended pending CFP Board’s completed investigation and possible further disciplinary proceedings. This discipline followed because under Article 2.1.b of the Procedural Rules, Mr. Hanna was convicted of Aggravated Assault, a violent felony.

CFP Board’s enforcement process is a critical consumer protection. CFP® professionals agree to abide by CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct (Code and Standards). The Code and Standards sets forth the ethical standards for financial planners who hold the CFP® certification.

CFP Board enforces its ethical standards by investigating incidents of alleged violations and, where there is probable cause to believe there are grounds for sanction, presenting a Complaint containing the alleged violations to the CFP Board’s Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission) pursuant to CFP Board’s Procedural Rules. If the Commission determines there are grounds for sanction, it may impose a sanction ranging from a private censure or public censure to the suspension or revocation of the right to use the CFP® marks. CFP Board’s Procedural Rules set forth the process for investigating matters and imposing discipline where violations have been found.