The purpose of the Financial Frontiers Awards is to promote serious research and innovative thinking on wealth management and financial planning topics that will contribute to knowledge and dialogue in the financial services industry. We encourage the best thinkers in the financial services industry to share their expertise with the community.

Please Note: This is a deadline-sensitive competition. Deadlines will be added to this page as they are determined.

Who's Eligible to Enter

All individuals with a professional interest in financial planning and wealth management, including financial planners, accountants, attorneys, bankers, investment consultants, registered representatives, registered investment advisers, academics and professionals from the insurance business and trust and estate planning. Neither employees of the Financial Planning Association and Janus Capital Group nor their family members are eligible to enter.

Categories for Entry

Techniques in Financial Planning

Entries in this category take a technical, research-based approach to all facets of financial planning.  While any topic may be addressed from a technical standpoint, common examples are portfolio management, asset allocation, insurance, college planning, retirement planning and estate planning.

Concepts in Financial Planning

Entries in this category are advanced "think pieces" that examine financial planning from a conceptual and thought-provoking perspective, addressing all facets of financial planning. While any topic may be addressed from a conceptual standpoint, common examples are client psychology, client-planner relationships, trends in financial planning and fiduciary issues.

Awards

Award recipients may be asked to present their papers at the Financial Planning Association's Annual Conference. Additional presentations of winning papers may be scheduled. Award-winning papers in Techniques in Financial Planning and Concepts in Financial Planning will be published in the Journal of Financial Planning.

Techniques in Financial Planning

$10,000 per award, with a minimum of 1 award and a maximum of 3 being named

Concepts in Financial Planning

$10,000 per award, with a minimum of 1 award and a maximum of 3 being named

Editor's Choice Award

The Editor's Choice award recognizes particularly outstanding work published in the Journal of Financial Planning. All articles published in the Journal's Contributions section within the previous calendar year are automatically eligible for this award. It is $10,000 per award, with a minimum of 1 award and a maximum of 3 being named.

Ovation Award

The Selection Committee may determine that an entry has scored extremely high through the judging process and is exceptionally outstanding in its overall composition, thus qualifying it for the Ovation Award, which includes a cash prize of up to $20,000. The Ovation Award is not necessarily given every year.

Original Work

Only papers that have not already been published or accepted for publication will be considered for both categories. Prior Call for Papers or Financial Frontiers Awards entries that did not receive an award may be re-submitted for this year's competition. Papers that have previously been submitted to the Journal of Financial Planning, but not accepted for publication, are also eligible for consideration.

Cover Page

Include the following information on your cover page:

• Your Name (For purposes of blind review, this should appear only on the cover page)
• Mailing address
• E-mail Address
• Daytime Phone Number
• Biography (20 to 30 words long)

Entry Description

On a separate page, provide the following information:

• Category of Entry (1. Techniques in Financial Planning or 2. Concepts in Financial Planning)
• Title of Manuscript
• An Executive Summary

Length

Approximately 5,000 words

Visual Support Material

Graphs, charts and tables that illustrate points in your paper are welcome; however, avoid excessive use of visual support material, including only as much as is necessary (a maximum of five infographics is suggested).

Guidelines for Writing Your Paper

Executive Summary

In approximately 200 words, in a bulleted list (but not in outline form), tell readers what they will find in your paper: the paper's premise, concepts or dilemmas explored, rationale and methods used, and conclusions reached. Highlight any specific opportunities for practical application of your data.

Content

State the paper's purpose, the material it will cover and why that material is important and useful. Provide
timely, practical material that applies to, or will directly benefit, financial services professionals and their clients.

Research

Any research used for your paper should have a direct and demonstrable application or benefit for the financial services industry. Methodology must be replicable and sufficiently explained. Assume that your audience has a fundamental but not esoteric knowledge.

Style

Always keep the reader in mind—present information in a way that is easy to read and comprehend. Be clear, concise and organized. Examples that illustrate key points are encouraged.

Organization

Use subheads to divide your paper into sections. Make sure the flow from one section to the next is smooth and logical.

Endnotes

Endnotes and references are welcome but should not be excessive. Please list them as they appear in the text, and place them at the end of the article.

Considerations for Judging Entries

Papers will be evaluated based on outstanding demonstration of these qualities:

1. Originality of Ideas and Concepts—A Fresh Approach
2. Quality of Writing Style, Grammar and Punctuation
3. Organization
4. Appropriate Length
5. Objectivity
6. Advanced Level of Discussion
7. Applicability to Financial Services Professionals
8. Benefit to Financial Services Professionals
9. Usefulness of Fraphics, Charts and Tables
10. Technical Accuracy

Review & Selection Process

All entries will be considered and subject to a blind peer-review process, passing through as many as three stages of judging: (1) selection of semifinalists, (2) selection of finalists, and (3) selection of award recipients.

• A volunteer Selection Committee will name award recipients.
• All entrants will be notified of competition results. (All nonwinning entries are considered for publication in the Journal of Financial Planning.)

Submission Instructions

Your entry will consist of a manuscript submitted as a Word document. (Upon notification, authors of winning entries will prepare an accompanying PowerPoint slide program to be used in a future presentation.) The receipt of all papers will be acknowledged. Any paper not following the above criteria will be disqualified without notification or return of entry fee.

1. Be sure you have read the criteria and guidelines for submission.
2. Complete the entry form.
3. You may submit your entry by e-mail. Send manuscripts to at frontiers@fpanet.org. If you do not have an Internet connection, you may send your entry, on CD, by U.S. mail: Financial Frontiers Awards, Financial Planning Association, 4100 E. Mississippi Avenue, Suite 400, Denver, CO 80246.
4. Entry fee: $25 for  FPA members, $50 for nonmembers.