The Closing Bell
ON THE COVER Simone Lee The 100,000th CFP® professiona l
On May 29, 2024, CFP Board announced Simone Lee of Merrill as the 100,000th CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ® professional in the U.S. — a historic milestone that marks the highest number of CFP ® professionals ever serving the public’s need for competent and ethical financial planning. CFP ® professionals represent about one-third of retail financial advisors. Simone, a 32-year-old financial advisor based in Bedminster, New Jersey, is a first-generation American and a University of Maryland graduate who transitioned from a career in IT to pursue financial planning. She was fortunate to have a CFP ® professional in her family, who inspired her to change careers and join the profession. Her mother, Judith Lee, CFP ® , who immigrated from Jamaica, is an award- winning advisor who leads a Merrill financial planning practice focused on comprehensive wealth management. In 2019, Simone joined her mother’s practice as a financial advisor. “We are honored to welcome Simone Leeasthe100,000thCFP ® professional,” said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. “Her path to CFP ® certification reflects the evolving financial planning profession, as younger people pursue financial planning careers and diversity within the CFP ® professional community grows.” Simone’s journey to becoming the 100,000th CFP ® professional underscores the rigorous training and unwavering commitment required to achieve CFP ® certification. Simone prepared for and passed the March 2024 CFP ® exam in her second attempt while pregnant with her second child. She credits the support of her colleagues and family in achieving certification. “I am thrilled to be the 100,000th CFP ® professional in the United
States. I can’t wait to share my story and show others that there are many paths to starting a rewarding career as a financial advisor and earning CFP ® certification,” said Simone Lee, CFP ® . “I’ve seen the financial challenges faced by important people in my life, and I chose this career because of my desire to help others succeed.” “Simone Lee’s inspirational story demonstrates the power of perseverance,” said Keller. “Her achievement helps underscore the growing value and recognition of CFP ® certification as the standard in financial planning. And it brings us closer to CFP Board’s vision of a future when all Americans have access to competent and ethical financial advice.”
Nearly 100 CFP ® professionals and students joined CFP Board on the New York Stock Exchange trading floor when Simone Lee, CFP ® , the 100,000th CFP ® , rang the Closing Bell on December 13, 2024.
From Left James Katsaounis, CFP Board Managing Director, Marketing & Communications; Michael Donnelly, CFP ® , CFP Board Account Director, Corporate Growth; Judith Lee, CFP ® , Senior Vice President, Resident Director, The Lee Casey Group, Merrill, A Bank of America Company; Peter Rohr, CFP ® , Managing Director, Private Wealth Advisor Group, Merrill, A Bank of America Company; Kevin R. Keller, CAE, CFP Board CEO; Simone Lee, CFP ® , Financial
Advisor, The Lee Casey Group, Merrill, A Bank of America Company; Matt Boersen, CFP ® , CFA ® , CFP Board Chair; Chris Taylor, Vice President, NYSE Global Head of Listings; Richard Shaw, CFP ® , Principal, Bessemer Trust; Liz Miller, CFP ® , CFA ® , CFP Board 2024 Board Chair-Elect; Terri Kallsen, CFP ® , CFP Board 2025 Board Chair-Elect; K. Dane Snowden, CFP Board Chief Operating Officer.
Find her hidden in the crowd on the cover!
Photos with permission of NYSE Group, Inc . © 2025
Cover Illustration by Peter Arkle
THE STANDARD
A LOOK AT 2024
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