Essentials of Personal Financial Planning

ESSENTIALS OF PERSONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING

Essentials of Personal Financial Planning was written to challenge the status quo by promoting personal financial planning (PFP) as a profession, not as a sales tool to gather assets under management or facilitate sales of insurance products. The book takes a comprehensive and integrated approach to PFP for accounting students, allowing them to view the profession through the lens of a CPA - with integrity and objectivity. This book systematically introduces the essentials of all the major PFP topics (estate, retirement, investments, insurance, and tax), as well as:

• The PFP process, concepts and regulatory environment.
• Professional responsibilities of a CPA personal financial planner and the requirements of the Statement on Standards in PFP Services.
• Time value of money concepts.

The book then builds on these foundational concepts, showing their interconnectivity and professional opportunities, to provide a deeper understanding of PFP and its application. After reading this book, students will be able to apply the knowledge and skills gained from this course to have an immediate and long-term positive impact for themselves and for the clients they serve.

Susan M. Tillery, CPA/PFS, is President and CEO of Paraklete Financial Inc. Paraklete provides integrated fee-for-service financial planning without asset management or product sales. The firm acts as an Advocate in Financial Services for its clients with a disciplined focus on independence and objectivity. Susan is also a co-founder and president of Financial Planning Advocate LLC, a provider of continuing education for CPAs, financial advisers, universities and colleges.

Ms. Tillery’s experience at Harris myCFO, a multi-family office where she was responsible for the development and delivery of comprehensive family office solutions to affluent families, together with her work at Arthur Andersen, Ronald Blue & Co and other financial firms, provides the framework for Paraklete.

Susan earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from the University of Georgia. Susan is a member of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Georgia Society of CPAs (GSCPA). In addition, she is chair of the AICPA Personal Financial Planning Credential Committee. Susan also serves on the Board for The National Center for Stewardship and Generosity.

Susan has over 30 years of experience in tax, philanthropy and financial planning, as well as in the administrative and compliance areas encountered by affluent individuals and families. Ms. Tillery speaks on the topics of: Financial Planning, CPAs and Financial Planning, Financial Issues Facing Women, Responsibilities of Wealth, Charitable Giving and Stewardship.

Thomas Neal Tillery, CFP, AEP, CLU, ChFC, CRPC, LUTCF is Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of Paraklete Financial Inc. Tom also is a co-founder and Vice President of Financial Planning Advocate LLC, a provider of continuing education for CPAs, financial advisers, universities and colleges.

Tom earned a M.S. in financial services from The American College and an M.A. in education from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is an active member of AICPA (Non-CPA Associate), the Atlanta Estate Planning Council and the Society of Financial Service Professionals. He also serves on the Board for The National Center for Stewardship and Generosity.

With more than 30 years of experience in personal financial planning, Tom is a frequent speaker and writer on all topics relating to personal financial planning. He has written personal financial planning curriculum for several universities and online providers. Tom has been a provider of continuing education for attorneys, CPAs and investment and insurance professionals for over 30 years.

Susan, Tom and their family reside in Kennesaw, GA.