AMP Financial Planning adviser Erica Cummins has been awarded the Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award for being the highest performing student in the final unit of the CFP® Certification Program and for her dedication to providing quality financial advice.
Ms Cummins (pictured below), from Graham Wealth in Swan Hill, Victoria, received the award from The Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA).
The late Gwen Fletcher AM, known as the “First lady of Financial Planning”, was a pioneer in the profession, receiving one of the first licenses to practice financial planning in Australia.
Ms Cummins, who has been advising for over five years, said: “It’s an honour to receive this award as Gwen Fletcher was an inspiration. She did so much towards developing and nurturing the financial planning profession – I hope that I can live up to the example set by this amazing woman."
As a mother of three children, Ms Cummins values a career in financial planning as it offers flexible work hours. “Having the flexibility while I’m raising a family has been incredibly important to me. You have the ability to determine how you want to combine work and structure your life.”
Ms Cummins concluded by saying that she sees a bright future for women in financial planning. “Women are still under represented in the profession, so I think it’s fantastic that more women are studying to achieve the CFP® designation. Hopefully it’s a sign that there are an increasing number of us are stepping up into those leading financial planning advising roles and bringing to the table a different skill set.”
