One of the features is that FPA National plans to increase the amount they return to the Chapter.  As in the past, whenever you start/renew your membership a portion of that is returned to the chapter to support our activities and initiatives.

Several years ago we decided to have a Chapter Membership to defray the costs of continuing education, Symposium, breakfasts and other activities. This is a cost to our members in addition the FPA membership and an issue with which we deal with great sensitivity. 

Last Fall your Board of Directors voted to increase our local chapter dues to provide the resources we felt necessary to keep ourselves on track financially and in view of the activities to which we are committed.  We felt the increase of $10 was more than justified and reasonable as we saw the coming year(s).

So here is the problem, we locally have just raised our local, Chapter dues to take effect in the renewal process and National is also going to increase our credits with their change to put us in an apparent “double dip” situation that was (1) not our intention and (2) would provide a level of resources that we cannot justify.  

So we are going to put our heads together to come up with the best plan to adjust our local dues in light of the National decision.  We have to do this correctly, fairly, appropriately and transparently.  So….  We are working on it.

Mark O. Flaherty, CFP®