Financial Planning Association of MA Pro Bono Military Program Receives National Award

BOSTON - Aug. 23, 2013 - PRLog -- The Pro Bono Military Program of the Financial Planning Association™ of Massachusetts (FPA MA) is the proud recipient of the Team Pro Bono Award from Financial Planning Magazine for its service to members of the military and their families.

The prestigious publication, in partnership with the Foundation for Financial Planning, jointly presented the Pro Bono Awards to recognize individual advisors and teams of planners who provide exceptional free planning assistance to those who could otherwise not afford it.  

The team award honored volunteers of the FPA MA Pro Bono Military Program for donating their time and expertise to service members and their families.  The program, founded by FPA MA member John “Dick” Power and presently headed by FPA MA member Hal Estabrook, was lauded by Financial Planning Magazine for assisting an estimated 1,900 members of the service since its inception.  
“Before and after a deployment, U.S. National Guard members and other military reservists attend "yellow ribbon" events hosted by the Defense Department aimed at supporting the service members,” reads an excerpt from Financial Planning Magazine.  “In Massachusetts, for the past decade, these service members have been met by local FPA volunteers, who make themselves available to answer any financial questions they can on the spot; service members can also sign up for free one-on-one planning sessions later.”
The Massachusetts National Guard Free Income Tax program offers free income tax assistance and asset building opportunities for military members, veterans, retirees and their families at many locations throughout the Commonwealth.  During the time that the FPA of MA has been involved with the program, its members have comprised 50% of the total volunteer force.
Over that 15 month period the Massachusetts National Guard Free Income Tax program saved service members $337,000 in tax-prep fees and generated more than $2.5 million in refunds.
Twenty volunteers comprise the FPA MA Pro Bono Military Program, with 16 from this group participating in the Massachusetts National Guard’s Free Income Tax Program.

“We applaud members of our Pro Bono Military Program not only for being singled out by Financial Planning Magazine, but for consistently offering their time and knowledge to service members and their families,” said Peter Jaworski, CFP, President of the FPA of MA.



About the Financial Planning Association™ of Massachusetts


Since the year 2000, the FPA™ MA has sought to foster the value of financial planning and advance the financial planning profession in the Bay State. Our 900 members are dedicated to the financial planning process, which entails establishing personal and financial goals and creating a way to reach them. FPA™MA believes that everyone needs objective advice to make smart financial decisions and that when seeking the advice of a financial planner, the planner should be a CFP® certificant.
Many FPA™ MA members engage in philanthropic pro bono work in their communities. They also recommend legislation, elevate public awareness, promote financial literacy, and advocate for sound economic and tax policies. We welcome all those who advance the financial planning process and promote the CFP® mark as the cornerstone of the financial planning profession. For more information please call 855-54-FPAMA (37262) or visit www.fpama.org.

PHOTO:  (Left to right): Ted Gelsthorpe, Major Shannon McLaughlin, David Welch, Hal Estabrook, Dick Power, Jonathan Harrington, Mike Hourigan, Kristin Beane, Sergeant John Shaughnessy.  Missing from photo are Jennifer Simes, Erica Feldblum, Austin Poirier, Peter Cornell, Larry Cohen, Brendan Sheehan, Alan Melanson, David Santoro, Steve Hibbard, Michelle Harrison, William McGovern, Ken Der, Judith Henry, Lisa Cunningham, Chris Petrik, Charlie Curtis and Beth Rogers.