Letters to the editor: Sept. 24

I have been meaning to congratulate you on the addition of Mary Beth Franklin to your staff.

I am a retirement planner specializing in long-term care, and I know that your readers will get reliable information and advice from her.

That hasn’t always been the case, as for years, I have noticed the tendency at InvestmentNews to rely on commentary from general practitioners (wealth managers and others) who frequently give inaccurate information or bad advice when it comes to long-term care.

Strangely, LTC insurance specialists are rarely, if ever, quoted. A little balance, please.

I know you wouldn’t want to have to rely on your physician for dental advice.

In addition, I was glad to see Harley Gordon’s participation in your retirement conference.

He is very knowledgeable on LTC issues, but even he isn’t an LTC insurance specialist; he is an attorney.

George Holmes Braddock II

Principal

LTC Financial Partners LLC

Cutler Bay, Fla.

I read “Welcome to the job: American College CEO blasts new FPA boss” (InvestmentNews.com, Aug. 23) and appreciated that it was a balanced piece.

As the holder of many designations, including the certified financial planner mark, I really have to side with The American College and the many other conferring institutions and professional associations in thinking that the “one designation” notion is a bad idea.

The “planning” profession is extremely diverse — from bank tellers and property-and-casualty insurance agents selling retirement plans, to high-end tax attorneys doing extremely complicated multigenerational planning.

Trying to fit this complex industry, which actually encompasses many industries and is more heterogeneous than health care (which itself easily has hundreds of harmonious “designations”) into one simple, one-size-fits-all box just doesn’t seem realistic.

Although one may respect the Financial Planning Association’s intent, one must really question the logic and motivation of the premise.

Jeffrey Camarda

Chairman

and chief investment officer

Camarda Wealth Advisory Group

Fleming Island, Fla.