The global Financial Planning Standards Board wants to see 250,000 CFP professionals in 40 countries across the world within the next decade.
The organisation has set the target after a global member meeting in Paris yesterday, which included European member bodies such as the IFP.

Since the FPSB was formed over 10 years ago, the number of CFP professionals has grown to almost 160,000 in over 26 countries and territories worldwide.

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In a statement, the FPSB said: "At the Paris meeting, the FPSB Board and member organisations agreed on the need to grow the footprint of competent and ethical Financial Planners in existing and new FPSB territories to better address the global community's need for competent and ethical Financial Planners.

"The group set a provisional target of 250,000 CFP professionals in 40 territories by the year 2025, and agreed to finalise the target by year-end after assessing territory-specific growth opportunities and challenges."

It was also announced that the FPSB has become an affiliate member of the OECD International Network on Financial Education.

Steve Helmich, FPSB board chairperson, said: "In addition to establishing rigorous standards and CFP certification requirements for the global Financial Planning profession, FPSB and its member bodies are committed to educating consumers so that they can take control of their financial futures.

"While many of FPSB's member organizations already conduct financial literary efforts, our membership in OECD-INFE will help connect those efforts to others promoting national financial literacy strategies. It will also allow the global Financial Planning community to shape the OECD's development of financial literacy initiatives."

At the same meeting, FPSB's network of CFP certification bodies endorsed OECD-INFE's guidelines for private and not-for-profit stakeholders in financial education.

These define a framework and criteria for a nonprofit body involved in national financial education strategies and programmes.

INFE Executive Secretary, Flore-Anne Messy, welcomed FPSB, saying: "I am more than ever convinced that there are many possible avenues for future cooperation between OECD-INFE and FPSB, and I look forward to our next steps."

At the meeting, Verena Ross, executive director of the European Securities and Markets Authorities, addressed the FPSB Board and leaders of its European member bodies on:

• Europe's regulatory environment
• the implications of MiFID II for the financial advice/planning community
• opportunities for participation by CFP professionals and other financial advisers in ensuring appropriate levels of care and protection for those seeking financial advice in Europe.