Once again, in 2020, for the third year in a row, CFP programs around the country will compete for dominance in RIA technology development. The annual competition brings a mix of CFP and IT programming students together to work with well-known technology firms.

Last year’s sponsors were Orion, Riskalyze, Robust Wealth and TradePMR. 2019’s participating schools included Utah Valley University (sent two teams), BYU Idaho and University of South Florida.

This year, as in the past, each team will be comprised of a mix of information technology and financial planning students that have been paired with one of the mentoring tech firms. Teams that have formed so far include:

1. Orion + Utah Valley University
2. Robust wealth + Winthrop University
3. TD Ameritrade Institutional + San Diego State University
4. eMoney + University of Georgia

Each student team will build their project specific to the mentor’s platform. The project must be completed by and presented by the students.

This year we will have some big names as judges, including Dani Fava, Andy Putterman and Edmond Walters. Other judges’ names will be announced soon.

So you can get a feeling for how exciting this competition is, here are links to the 2019 news release and a corresponding video produced by Medici Studios:

• T3 Student Competition 2019 – News Release
• T3 Student Competition 2019 – Video Highlights

SHAPING THE FUTURE

Don’t miss this chance to help shape the future of the financial planning profession. At the very least, be in the room to help cheer them on!

Part One: The teams will on February 17, 2020 from 9:00 am – Noon present what they have done to develop a new technology (or expand on existing) that provides a solution to a financial planning problem or issue advisors are facing today.

Part Two: The judges will on January 31, 2019 from 10:05 – 10:35 am comment on the presentations and reveal the winning results.

FOUR WIN OPPORTUNITY

Whichever student team wins, this competition will be a “four win” opportunity:

1. The students win because the project is providing a unique opportunity for the Financial Planning and Management Information Systems (MIS) students to interact – something that is limited in most Colleges of Business to just the core business courses. It is exposing the Financial Planning students to the technology needs of firms while it is exposing the MIS students to a fast-growing industry that needs people to fill the technical support roles. They are learning about topics that they will be able to use in the future that may have a positive impact on their careers (and within the financial services industry).
   
2. The universities win because they get to form a new collaboration between departments and disciplines that didn’t exist before. It allows the universities to grow through new combinations of degree majors and minors. And it helps to build a relationship with the mentor/sponsor that didn’t exist before.
   
3. The mentors/sponsors win because the competition gives the mentor/sponsor firm an opportunity to help the next generation entering the industry while also creating a relationship between the mentor/sponsor firm and the two education disciplines and their departments.
   
4. The industry wins because there is more exposure of the great professions and opportunities in the industry.
   
   Don’t miss the opportunity to see history unfold right before your very eyes!
   
   To make a donation to the Student Scholarship fund and/or to register for the T3 Advisor conference, click here: https://www.technologytoolsfortoday.com/registration—2020-advisor-conference.html
   
   Learn more at: https://t3mashup.com