Who We Are
About Our College
Over 50 years ago, the College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company introduced the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification, which is now the world’s most recognized and respected financial planning credential.* Years later, as an early adopter of online education, the College combines cutting-edge, flexible learning with a rich history in financial education to meet the needs of today’s financial services professionals. From graduate programs to professional designations to exam prep, our dedication to excellence, innovation, and student-centric learning underscores everything we do.
In July 2018, Kaplan acquired the College for Financial Planning®, bringing together two respected leaders in financial services education. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, the College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company remains an independent institution owned by Kaplan.
The 2023 - 2024 Fact Book
Our fact book contains important and frequently requested information about the College’s programs, students, faculty, staff, and operations.
Meet our Board of Directors
Karen Spero founded Spero-Smith Investment Advisors in 1972, a firm that specializes in personal financial planning and portfolio management for individuals and small business owners, with a special emphasis on retirement and succession planning. The firm manages in excess of $300 million. Karen sold her interest in the company and has no financial interest in the firm nor is she employed by the firm. She has the honorary title of Chairman Emeritus and is a member of the firm’s Advisory Board.
Karen maintains both the CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification and the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst (AIFA®) designation. She earned her B.S. degree in business administration from Lake Erie College, where she served as vice chair of the Lake Erie College Board of Trustees and is now an emeritus member of the Board. In 2002, Karen was inducted into the Hall of Excellence of the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges, Inc.
For more than 20 years, Karen was the Staff Financial Advisor for TV 5’s Morning Exchange. She also was a weekly commentator for public radio’s “Ohio Portfolio” for its 3-year tenure. Karen has been consistently quoted in financial publications, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, “Smart Money,” magazine, and others. She has done money makeovers for USA Today and Mutual Funds Magazine. For 7 years, Worth Magazine named Karen to its list of the ‘Best 250 Financial Advisors in USA.’
Dirk joined the College for Financial Planning in 2001 as Controller and served as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing before becoming President of the College. As a seasoned financial and operational leader, Dirk has an extensive knowledge of all aspects of the College and industry as well as being academically credentialed including the CFP® certification launched by the College in 1972.
In addition to his CPA and CFP® certifications, Dirk earned a BS in Business Administration from Columbia College (Columbia, MO) and an MS in finance and accounting from Regis University (Denver, CO).
Prior to joining the College, Dirk had 10 years in operations, finance, and accounting management. Dirk was operations manager for retail stores from 1991 through 1995. In this business development position, he was responsible for the growth and operations of multimillion dollar sales for retail operations in four states. Dirk subsequently became accounting manager for regulatory accounting and budgeting in the broadband industry in 1995 and became finance director for business development before joining the College in 2001.
Judy is the founder and president of Shine Investment Advisory Services, Inc., an independent financial planning and investment advisory firm founded in 1993. Judy received a BA in psychology from Ohio State University in 1979 and became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner in 1985.
She is proud to be a longstanding member of the Financial Planning Association, the largest organization of professionals dedicated to championing the financial planning process, and served as a board member of the Association for four years. From 1996‐2001, she chaired the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal for Financial Planning.
Judy speaks and writes frequently on all aspects of personal financial planning. She has been quoted in various financial publications and professional journals, including Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, Financial Advisor, Worth, Smart Money, US News & World Report, The New York Times and The Boston Globe. She is also a frequent contributor to Dow Jones MarketWatch.
Neal is Managing Director at WealthPro, LLC and a Registered Principal at The Strategic Financial Alliance, Inc. He began investing as a teenager and then following graduation from the State University of New York (Potsdam) in 1983, he took what he thought would be a temporary job in professional financial services. He fell in love with the power of helping people make wise financial decisions, and never looked back.
After earning his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation through the College for Financial Planning in 1989, he also earned the CLU, ChFC, and CASL designations through The American College of Financial Services. During 2019 he completed the Client Psychology Program an intensive program developed by The Wharton School in coordination with the CFP Board – Center for Financial Planning.
Neal embarked on what became a busy career with activities across the Financial Planning profession and universe, including serving as a Director at the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (“CFP Board”), and holding numerous leadership roles at the Financial Planning Association and its predecessor the Institute for Certified Financial Planners, including among others; Chairing FPA’s Government Relations Committee, serving as a Technical Expert representing the United States, before the International Standards Organization (ISO), Chairing FPA’s political action committee, FPA’s Public Issues Committee, development of strategy whitepapers on mechanisms for regulating the profession, and on appropriate fiduciary strategies. He spent 14 years as an Editorial Review Board Member at the Journal of Financial Planning, has served as an Expert Witness and Consultant to Attorneys, and has been widely quoted by major publications. Neal served as a corporate Director with SFA Holdings, Inc. and Atlanta based financial services firm that is parent to several broker dealers and investment advisory firms. He is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Eastern New York, and contributed a foreword to The Art of Investing & Portfolio Management — A Proven 6-Step Process to Meet Your Financial Goals, published in 2004 by McGraw-Hill. He is a charter member of the Nazrudin Project.
During 2008, Neal initiated, organized and served as Program Leader for an international ambassadorial program jointly coordinated between the FPA and The People-to-People organization. Neal brought 90 leading US financial planners to Russia for professional exchange with counterpart Russian financial professionals
The Financial Planning Association has awarded Neal the prestigious “Heart of Financial Planning Award”, in recognition of his distinguished service to the Financial Planning Profession (2012).
In the healthcare industry, Neal is Chief Financial Officer at Hearing Care Resources, LLC a professional practice of Audiology operated by his wife, Dr. Robin Solomon.
Neal and Robin are regularly engaged in various charitable activities and have traveled widely throughout the world (between the two of them they have visited approximately 80 countries). They live in Saratoga County, NY with their feline children.
Lauren is a Principal and Managing Director at Robertson Stephens in the Denver and Vail Valley area. She has over 35 years of experience in personal financial planning, divorce planning, finance and real estate. Prior to joining Robertson Stephens, she was a wealth manager and financial planner at All Season Financial Advisors with Sean Powers, working with people looking for individualized, creative ways to manage their financial fitness, no matter what shape they’re in.
Before moving to Colorado in the early ‘90s, Lauren spent 12 years in the financial industry in New York. She was an investment banker with Morgan Stanley & Co., a financial analyst with J.W. O’Connor & Co., and Vice President of Finance for Silverstein Properties, a Forbes 400 commercial real estate developer in New York City, where she was responsible for arranging over $1 billion in financing.
Lauren is also a Certified Financial Planner®️ She earned her undergraduate degree from the Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and her MBA from Harvard Business School. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the American Alpine Club, serving as the Chair of the Piolet Society since 2015.
Lauren and her wife Mimi live in the Vail Valley and are the parents of 2 furry dog children, Spike and Nibbles, and one human child, Kate Wilcox, who is a medical resident in internal medicine and pediatrics in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Lauren’s passions outside of personal financial planning include backcountry skiing, mountain biking and rock climbing.
James Williams founded J.F. Williams Co., Inc. in 1995 to help people manage their money to tend to their life. His prior experience includes an extensive career in personal and estate tax planning and compliance management with a national accounting firm; as well as providing income tax, property and excise tax compliance management and special finance planning for a variety of businesses.
He also has developed specialized expertise in managing retirement planning and other life transitions by participating in the Sudden Money Institute and similar professional networks.
Jim holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from University of Southern Colorado, and a master’s degree in accounting with emphasis in taxation from Colorado State University. He has held a CPA certification since 1978 and his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification since 1995. He is a member of the FPA, NAPFA, the Personal Financial Planning Division of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Rocky Mountain Estate Planning Council. He also has served on the Discipline and Ethics Commission of the Certified Financial Planner™ Board of Standards.
College Leadership
Dirk joined the College for Financial Planning in 2001 as Controller and served as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing before becoming President of the College. As a seasoned financial and operational leader, Dirk has an extensive knowledge of all aspects of the College and industry as well as being academically credentialed including the CFP® certification launched by the College in 1972.
In addition to his CPA and CFP® certifications, Dirk earned a BS in Business Administration from Columbia College (Columbia, MO) and an MS in finance and accounting from Regis University (Denver, CO).
Prior to joining the College, Dirk had 10 years in operations, finance, and accounting management. Dirk was operations manager for retail stores from 1991 through 1995. In this business development position, he was responsible for the growth and operations of multimillion dollar sales for retail operations in four states. Dirk subsequently became accounting manager for regulatory accounting and budgeting in the broadband industry in 1995 and became finance director for business development before joining the College in 2001.
Dr. Amy Rell is the Provost of the College for Financial Planning, where her role includes stewardship for the College’s academic programs, creation and implementation of the academic priorities for the College, and assuring the quality of the educational offerings. Amy has served in a variety of academic roles at UCLA, San Jose State University and the Colorado Community College System, in positions ranging from faculty to department chair to Dean. Prior to joining the College, Amy served as founding Dean for the Office of Global Education at Regis University.
Amy has an extensive background in higher education administration, which has made her a sought-after speaker at conferences and symposiums. Her research and writing on topics such as internationalization, cultural diversity, dual language programming, and globalization of curricula have been published in numerous journals and texts. In service to the profession, Amy has served as an executive board member for the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s Study Colorado, the Hispanic Chamber Education Foundation, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities International Education Board, and the Phi Beta Kappa and UCLA Alumni Association Scholarship Committees.
Inducted into Phi Beta Kapa, Amy was subsequently awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, and the Association of International Education Administrators’ Presidential Fellowship. Amy completed the Harvard University Women in Leadership certificate program as well as the Duke University Senior International Officer Academy. Amy earned both her Ph.D. and her Master of Arts in in Second Language Acquisition and Applied Linguistics from UCLA, and her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Literature from Tulane University.
David Mannaioni, CFP®, MPASSM is the Dean of Academic Programs and a professor at the College for Financial Planning. In the role of Dean he oversees the development and revision of course content and ensures that the requisite academic rigor is in place for each of the CFP® education courses and professional designations the College offers. David also is actively involved in the development of course content, including textbooks, assessment questions, live classes, and videos.
David joined the College in 2014 to develop the LUTCF® curriculum. He has also directed or contributed to the revision of several designation courses, CFP® education courses, and master’s courses. He also teaches several courses including the Financial Planning Process and Insurance course in the CFP® education program and CFP Board’s Code of Ethics continuing education course. David’s 2019 paper, “Financial Designations: Can they be Gateways to Financial Planning Education?,” has been presented at the 2019 annual meeting of the Academy of Financial Services and at the 2020 CFP® Board Registered Programs Conference. In addition to his work for the College, David maintains an independent financial planning practice, where his 30+ years of financial services industry experience benefit his clients in all areas of financial planning.
David earned his master’s in Personal Financial Planning from the College for Financial Planning and his bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Illinois State University. In addition to his CFP® certification, David holds life and health insurance licenses in several states, as well as the Series 6, Series 7, and Series 63 registrations with FINRA.
Dr. Aman Sunder is a professor, dean of the graduate school, and researcher at the College for Financial Planning. His role at the College includes administrative leadership of the graduate school that includes MS degrees in finance and financial planning. He leads the research initiatives at the College and serves on its Institutional Review Board and several other committees.
Aman has published research on sustainable and responsible investing (SRI), women in financial planning, the effectiveness of using advisers during the Great Recession, and time-use of retirees. His ongoing research includes topics such as diversity issues in financial planning, work-life balance and burnout among women in financial planning, the effectiveness of HECM on retirees, the performance of students in financial planning education programs, and measurement of the impact of financial certifications and designations on students’ careers.
Aman earned a doctorate in financial planning from the University of Georgia. He also has a master’s in business management (finance and marketing), and an undergraduate degree in production engineering from India. Aman brings more than 10 years of international work experience related to business partnerships, sales, marketing, and business development related to engineering and infrastructure.
Danielle Langworthy is the Dean of Faculty and Academic Resources at the College for Financial Planning. After earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in anthropology at the University of Colorado Denver, she taught as adjunct faculty and then assistant professor of anthropology and department chair for anthropology, sociology, and women’s studies at the Community College of Denver.
Jan brings to the College for Financial Planning more than 20 years of higher education administrative experience. As Vice President of Student Affairs Jan’s responsibilities include oversight of all elements of student services including enrollment, student support, and operations.
Jan has created countless long-term successful financial planning programs with large financial planning firms and universities. Her experience includes leading small and large teams alike with an emphasis on strategic planning, process improvement, and operations that improve the student experience.
Jan’s presentations and publications range from coauthoring the first and second editions of Personal Financial Planning: Theory and Practice to panel discussions at national conferences held by the Financial Planning Association and the Certified Financial Planning Board.
Jan holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and management from Loyola University (New Orleans, LA) and an MBA with a concentration in finance from the University of New Orleans.
Dr. Lw Hughes came to higher education 22 years ago after a career in industry. He has published in leadership, trust, and humor outlets such as the Leadership and Organization Development Journal and the Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies. He is currently the Director for Academic Assessment at the College for Financial Planning.
Ashley Moran is currently the Registrar for the College for Financial Planning. Ashley holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and American Literature from the University of South Florida and a Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Higher Education from the University of Arizona.
She has worked in both public and private colleges and universities, but prefers working with adult learners throughout their learning journey. After a handful of relocations from her home state of Florida, Ashley landed in Colorado and is working to innovate the higher education industry by offering educational options to students that more closely align with their needs.
Ashley presented at the 2020 American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) Conference on Microcredentials and Stackable Education, served as a 2021 National and Regional session evaluator for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), and is currently a member of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) workgroup on alternative credentials. Her focus for professional development and continuous improvement in higher education is to make college a better experience for students.
Our Academic Departments & Faculty
David Mannaioni, CFP®, MPASSM is the Dean of Academic Programs and a professor at the College for Financial Planning. In the role of Dean he oversees the development and revision of course content and ensures that the requisite academic rigor is in place for each of the CFP® education courses and professional designations the College offers. David also is actively involved in the development of course content, including textbooks, assessment questions, live classes, and videos.
David joined the College in 2014 to develop the LUTCF® curriculum. He has also directed or contributed to the revision of several designation courses, CFP® education courses, and master’s courses. He also teaches several courses including the Financial Planning Process and Insurance course in the CFP® education program and CFP Board’s Code of Ethics continuing education course. David’s 2019 paper, “Financial Designations: Can they be Gateways to Financial Planning Education?,” has been presented at the 2019 annual meeting of the Academy of Financial Services and at the 2020 CFP® Board Registered Programs Conference. In addition to his work for the College, David maintains an independent financial planning practice, where his 30+ years of financial services industry experience benefit his clients in all areas of financial planning.
David earned his master’s in Personal Financial Planning from the College for Financial Planning and his bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Illinois State University. In addition to his CFP® certification, David holds life and health insurance licenses in several states, as well as the Series 6, Series 7, and Series 63 registrations with FINRA.
Dr. Aman Sunder is a professor, dean of the graduate school, and researcher at the College for Financial Planning. His role at the College includes administrative leadership of the graduate school that includes MS degrees in finance and financial planning. He leads the research initiatives at the College and serves on its Institutional Review Board and several other committees.
Aman has published research on sustainable and responsible investing (SRI), women in financial planning, the effectiveness of using advisers during the Great Recession, and time-use of retirees. His ongoing research includes topics such as diversity issues in financial planning, work-life balance and burnout among women in financial planning, the effectiveness of HECM on retirees, the performance of students in financial planning education programs, and measurement of the impact of financial certifications and designations on students’ careers.
Aman earned a doctorate in financial planning from the University of Georgia. He also has a master’s in business management (finance and marketing), and an undergraduate degree in production engineering from India. Aman brings more than 10 years of international work experience related to business partnerships, sales, marketing, and business development related to engineering and infrastructure.
Department of Financial Literacy
The Department of Financial Literacy emphasizes early career programs that introduce students to the basics of financial planning and open up doors to the next stage in their financial services education. Programs include the Financial Paraplanning Qualified Practitioner (FPQP®), Accredited Account Management Specialist (AAMS®), and Wealth Management Specialist (WMSSM). Additionally, the department is building foundational precollege education in financial literacy.
Cindy Riecke, MS, CFP®, CRPC®, ChFC®, CLU® is Professor and Department Chair of Financial Literacy at the College for Financial Planning. In her role Cindy oversees the course development, design, and delivery of the Financial Paraplanning Qualified Practitioner (FPQP®), Accredited Account Management Specialist (AAMS®), and Wealth Management Specialist (WMSSM) programs. She chairs the College’s Curriculum Committee and Graduate Faculty Council, is the Secretary of the Faculty Senate, and serves on the Assessment Committee and Committee for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
Cindy began her career in financial planning education as a training manager for a leading provider of insurance and financial services throughout the Americas and served as Senior Director of Content Development for 14 years for Kaplan Professional before becoming part of the College’s academic team in 2018. She has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry.
Cindy earned her Master of Science in Finance from Purdue University Global and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Louisiana State University. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificant and holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designations. She serves as Chair of the CFP Board Council on Education. Cindy is also an active member of the Financial Planning Association and other professional groups.
Department of Financial Planning Education
The Department of Financial Planning Education maintains our graduate-level CFP Board Certified and accredited Financial Planning Education program, preparing students with the knowledge needed to navigate complicated insurance, investments, tax, retirement, and estate planning, in addition to qualifying them to sit for the CFP Board Exam. Our Exam Prep Review test prep courses prepare students to sit for the CFP Board Exam. The Financial Planning Education Department also oversees the development of the core courses in the Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning degree program.
Gary Clement, CFP®, CRPS®, CRPC®, ABFP®, MPAS® assistant professor and chair of the Financial Planning Education department at the College for Financial Planning, is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner in addition to holding a BA in mathematics, MS in Financial Services, and A.B.D. in UGA’s Financial Planning PhD program. He has a Financial Planning certificate from Oglethorpe University, and holds the CRPS®, CRPC®, ABFP®, AFC®, and MPASTM designations, as well as Series 65 and SIE.
Gary teaches CFP® certification education and behavioral finance courses with the College, and has also taught with Oglethorpe University, University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, and Clark Atlanta University. His industry experience is no less impressive, spanning Morgan Stanley, J.P. Turner, E*Trade Financial, and AIG. Gary is a member of the FPA, AFCPE, and QUAD-A, and writes questions for the CFP Board exam.
Mike A. Harris, MPAS™, CFP®, CRPC™, CRPS™, APMA™, AWMA™, AAMS™, CMFC™, is an associate professor at the College for Financial Planning. He is responsible for the retirement planning material in the CFP® program. He is also in charge of the CRPC® and CRPS® designations. Mike oversees the PFPL540, PFPL560, and PFPL600 courses in the College for Financial Planning’s Master’s degree program.
Mike served for seven years in the United States Air Force. Most of that time was spent as a navigator for F-111s. He was stationed in Idaho, England, and New Mexico. He was the 1987 Operations Security Officer of the Year for the 3rd Air Force (all United States Air Force personnel based in Great Britain). He also rose to the Nuclear Plans Office for the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing stationed in Upper Heyford, England. After leaving the Air Force, Mike became a financial advisor and began teaching the CFP® certification program as an adjunct faculty member for the College for Financial Planning in 1989. Prior to the merger of the College for Financial Planning and Kaplan Professional, Mike was Kaplan Professional’s subject matter expert for retirement planning and estate planning beginning in 2016. Before joining Kaplan, in addition to maintaining his financial planning practice, Mike pastored a church in Colorado Springs, CO, for 10 years and then served 13 years as a senior relationship manager for a major denominational pension board.
Mike earned his Master’s Degree in Personal Financial Planning (Master Planner Advanced Studies) from the College for Financial Planning and his BS in Management from the United States Air Force Academy. He also holds a Master of Divinity (MDiv) from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition to his designations, Mike has his Series 7, Series 66, and Group I life and health insurance licenses. He is a long-term member of the Financial Planning Association. Mike has been married to his wife Sharri since 1983. They have two children and three grandchildren. Mike and Sharri have lived in Forney, TX, since 2003.
Email Associate Professor Mike Harris
Meet Your Instructor Video
Department of Advisor Development
The Department of Advisor Development prepares students to provide the highest-quality financial planning services to clients through the mastery of client communication skills and drivers of financial decision making, via our CFP Board Certified Education program capstone, Accredited Behavioral Finance Professional (ABFPSM) program, Accredited Domestic Partnership Advisor (ADPA®), and client psychology and capstone courses in our Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning degree program. Additionally, the Department provides thought leadership programming on behavioral finance, real estate, and divorce, and develops innovative courses designed to keep advisors up-to-date on financial planning topics.
Dr. Sara Stolberg Berkowicz, CFP®, CDFA®, is chair of the Advisor Development department and an assistant professor at the College for Financial Planning, specializing in the areas of behavioral finance, retirement, divorce financial planning, and money psychology. In addition to teaching, research, and content management duties, Dr. Berkowicz serves on the College’s Faculty Senate, Research, and Faculty Honors Committees.
Dr. Berkowicz earned her PhD in personal financial planning from Kansas State University. Her doctoral dissertation “Does Gray Divorce Delay Retirement?” was nominated for the 2019 American Council on Consumer Interests dissertation award. She was selected for two honors societies, Phi Kappa Phi and Kappa Omicron Nu. She received her Master of Science in Financial Planning from the College for Financial Planning.
Dr. Berkowicz has been a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificant for 25 years. She holds licenses for securities, life and health insurance, annuities, and long-term care insurance. She is an IRS-registered tax preparer, a real estate broker, and a divorce and family mediator, and has earned the ABFP®, CDFA®, CRPC™, CRPS™, and CSRIC® designations. She maintains an independent private practice in financial planning and divorce financial consulting in the Chicago area.
Department of Advanced Programs and Designations
The Department of Advanced Programs and Designations oversees programs that provide students already in the financial services industry with deeper knowledge and greater expertise. These include the Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA®), Sports & Entertainment Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (SE-AWMA®), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®), and Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS®) programs. Additionally, the Department maintains courses in tax and estate planning for the Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning program and provides continuing education webinars and timely thought leadership programming on current tax and estate planning issues.
Dr. Aman Sunder is a professor, dean of the graduate school, and researcher at the College for Financial Planning. His role at the College includes administrative leadership of the graduate school that includes MS degrees in finance and financial planning. He leads the research initiatives at the College and serves on its Institutional Review Board and several other committees.
Aman has published research on sustainable and responsible investing (SRI), women in financial planning, the effectiveness of using advisers during the Great Recession, and time-use of retirees. His ongoing research includes topics such as diversity issues in financial planning, work-life balance and burnout among women in financial planning, the effectiveness of HECM on retirees, the performance of students in financial planning education programs, and measurement of the impact of financial certifications and designations on students’ careers.
Aman earned a doctorate in financial planning from the University of Georgia. He also has a master’s in business management (finance and marketing), and an undergraduate degree in production engineering from India. Aman brings more than 10 years of international work experience related to business partnerships, sales, marketing, and business development related to engineering and infrastructure.
Michael Angell, MS, CFP®, EA, is an associate professor at the College for Financial Planning, where he serves primarily as the in-house income tax planning subject matter expert.
Michael began his financial services career in banking more than 20 years ago and eventually migrated into investment management and insurance planning. He has served clients in various capacities with independent, boutique-style firms and learned directly from seasoned CFP® practitioners in the field. Michael has also been an income tax professional for several years.
Michael obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics at Creighton University, and his Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning degree from the College for Financial Planning. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and an Enrolled Agent authorized to practice before the IRS and is a proud member of the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA) and the Financial Planning Association (FPA).
Department of Financial Analysis
The Department of Financial Analysis cultivates advanced career programs and courses including the Accredited Portfolio Management Advisor (APMA®), Chartered SRI Counselor (CSRIC®), and Master of Science in Financial Analysis. The department also ensures graduate courses related to finance, investments, and portfolio management in our Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning degree program are of the highest caliber.
Before entering college-level teaching, Dr. James Falter began his business experience with two national corporations, Cigna and Aetna, specializing in financial analysis and underwriting of group benefits. Focusing his research on investor behavior in financial markets, stock market efficiency, and financial institutions, Dr. Falter has had several articles published in annual proceedings of the Academy of Accounting, Finance & Economics, the Institute for Business and Finance Research, the Midwest Finance Association, Southern Finance Association, and the Southwest Finance Association. Dr. Falter holds a Doctorate of Business Administration, a Master of Business Administration, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Economics.
In addition to teaching many areas of finance and management, Dr. Falter is active in academic program review and assessment. He has significant experience teaching and consulting abroad. In 2009, Dr. Falter became a Fulbright Scholar and lived/taught in Tirana, Albania. Additionally, he taught in Romania and spent a semester teaching/consulting for the American University of Kosovo. Further, Dr. Falter has experience teaching seminars to various international groups, including Brazil, Japan, and China.
While holding CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) and Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designations, Dr. Falter consults and conducts seminars on financial management, investment planning, and budgeting.
Dr. Feldman has been teaching and conducting research in finance since 2009. Dr. Feldman has taught at the CSU San Francisco teaching investments, corporate finance, and fintech. Dr. Feldman helped design the fintech initiative there. Dr. Feldman has done consulting activities for a hedge fund and valuation company. Dr. Feldman’s research interests lie in the areas of investments and fintech. Dr. Feldman earned his PhD in international economics and finance at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Dr. Feldman earned his CFA designation.
Dr. Barclay Roper is an assistant professor at the College for Financial Planning, specializing in financial analysis and investments. He teaches graduate courses in both the personal financial planning and financial analysis degrees, and is involved in developing and teaching designation courses. He has served as president of the Faculty Senate and as a member of the Research and Retention Committees.
Dr. Roper earned his DBA with an emphasis in financial management from California Southern University. His doctoral dissertation is titled “A Quantitative Study of Stock Market Price Trends Using Technical Analysis Through Moving Averages.” He received his Master of Science in Finance and certificates in financial analysis levels I and II from the College for Financial Planning. He also holds a certificate in personal financial planning from Utah State University.
Dr. Roper’s prior experience includes working as a financial advisor, a registered investment advisory firm manager, and an adjunct professor for the College for Financial Planning. His areas of research interest are equity asset valuation, technical and fundamental analysis, portfolio and risk management, cryptocurrency, and Python for financial analysts. Dr. Roper has spent time abroad and enjoys international humanitarian service.
Cindy Shnaider, MSF, is a professor and graduate coordinator at the College for Financial Planning, developing, overseeing, and teaching graduate courses in the Personal Financial Planning Degree program. She also serves as the primary liaison for the Graduate Program, ensuring communication and coordination with instructors, the registrar, the academic advisor, and the learning platform.
Cindy began teaching at the College for Financial Planning in 2013, initially in the Finance Degree Program and later in the Personal Financial Planning Degree Program. At the College, Cindy has developed several finance courses and ECON532 Economics for Financial Planning for the master’s degree program, while also previously being active in the revision and teaching of several of the College’s designation courses. Cindy developed a sports finance course and a fiscal management for leaders course as an adjunct professor for Columbia College, and continues to revise and teach those courses, as well.
Cindy believes students should learn critical thinking that will benefit them not only in a chosen career, but also in their personal lives. Education is achieved through empathetic and enthusiastic teaching, challenging students to better themselves while promoting continued learning after the class.
Cindy earned her Master of Science in Finance from the College for Financial Planning. She is first author on a research paper “Homeownership: Should Advisors Ignore the Elephant in the Room?” In addition, she is currently researching teamwork as a tool in professional education.
*In 1969, the International Association for Financial Planners (IAFP) and the College for Financial Planning were created to help meet the financial needs of Americans.
In 1985, the College entered an agreement to establish an independent, nonprofit certifying and standards-setting organization. Ownership of the CFP® marks and responsibility for continuing the CFP® certification program was transferred to the new organization, International Board of Standards and Practices for Certified Financial Planners, Inc. (IBCFP), now known as CFP Board. For more information, please visit https://www.cfp.net/about-cfp-board/history.