About Us
The New Orleans Estate Planning Council was established in 1965 and now consists of about 200 active members. Until 2000 the membership included Attorneys, Certified Public Accountants, Insurance Professionals and Bank Trust Officers who had been working in various aspects of estate planning for a minimum of three years. In 2000, Certified Financial Planners then Planned Giving Officers were added to our membership. In 2008, an Associate Member category was added for those practicing in these disciplines for less than three years.
The Council has five dinner meetings each year at a restaurant on Monday evenings of September, November, January, March and May. The dues of $200 cover all dinner meetings. There is an Initiation Fee of $100.
In 2006, NOEPC was scheduled to host the NAEPC Conference November 1-3 in New Orleans, but due to hurricane Katrina, alternate plans were made and the conference was held at Amelia Island, FL. We successfully hosted the conference November 14-16, 2007 followed by a work day with Habitat for Humanity at Musician's Village in the 9th Ward.
According to the Council’s By-Laws (As revised May 12, 2008)
I NAME. The name of this corporation is the New Orleans Estate Planning Council(the “NOEPC”).
II PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES.
The purpose and objectives for which the NOEPC is organized are as follows:
To promote education and the interests of its members in the fields of Estate and Trust planning.
To promote cooperation, friendship and understanding among the participating professions with the ultimate purpose of rendering better service to clients and to the community.
To participate in and to organize meetings, lectures, programs, panel
discussions and similarly oriented projects, to promote interest in the fields of Estate and Trust Planning.
III MEMBERSHIP.
A. Regular Membership:
1. The Regular Membership of the NOEPC - shall be chosen from among the following Professions:
a. Members of the Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants (“CPAs”).
b. Members of the Louisiana State Bar Association (“Attorneys”).
c. Trust Officers or Bank Executives (“Trust Professionals”).
d. Members of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors – Greater New Orleans Chapter, or Society of Financial Service Professionals – New Orleans Chapter (“Insurance Professionals”).
e. Members of the Financial Planning Association – Greater New Orleans Chapter, or Society of Financial Service Professionals – New Orleans Chapter (“Financial Planners”).
f. Members of the Greater New Orleans Council of the National Committee on Planned Giving (NCPG) (“Planned Giving Professionals”).
2. To qualify for Regular Membership a person:
a. Must conduct his or her professional activities primarily in the greater New Orleans area, and
b. Must have been actively engaged in estate planning in his or her profession for at least three years prior to membership, and
c. In the case of an Insurance Professional, must possess the designation of Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) or Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), and
d. In the case of a Financial Planner, must possess the designation of Certified Financial Planner (CFP) or Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), and
e. In the case of a Trust Officer and/or Bank Executive, must be an officer of a local bank or trust company, and engaged in trust department duties as a full-time trust officer or bank executive.
B. Associate Membership.
1. Associate Members shall be chosen from among persons employed at a law firm, charitable organization, bank, trust company, insurance company, accounting firm, financial services firm, and be engaged in the field of estate planning for not more than three years. A proposed Associate Member need not be in the process of attaining a license, degree or certification in his or her chosen field in order to be eligible, but shall have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
2. An Associate Member shall be entitled to all benefits of Regular Members, except for voting rights.
3. No one may remain an Associate Member for more than three (3) business years (consecutive or otherwise). An Associate Member who wishes to become a Regular Member must meet the qualifications for Regular Membership.
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