The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) recently marked several milestones in its effort to increase the diversity of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM professionals. From 2019 to 2020, the number of Black and Latino CFP® professionals increased by 12.6 percent - nearly five times the growth rate of all CFP® professionals. The number of female CFP® professionals also increased in 2020 and now totals 20,633, reflecting a growth rate of 3.1 percent over 2019.

The total number of CFP® professionals continued to rise as well, reaching an all-time high of more than 88,700. The strong and consistent growth underscores the attractiveness of financial planning careers and how CFP® certification has become the must-have designation for professionals providing financial advice.

One way in which the financial planning profession has increased the diversity of its ranks is through scholarship programs that support aspiring advisors from different backgrounds. The CFP Board Center for Financial Planning, for example, offers six scholarship programs that help to cover the costs of the coursework required to become a CFP® professional. Five of those programs were created specifically to assist individuals from underrepresented populations within the financial planning profession in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, disability or sexual preference.

The Center announced 48 new scholarship awards at the end of 2020, bringing the total number of scholarships granted through its programs to 100, with a value of roughly $500,000. Of the nearly 50 awards granted in 2020, 32 were given to female students, 32 to Black students, 2 to Latino students, and 4 to members of other underrepresented populations in terms of disability or sexual orientation. These scholarships play a critical role in building the profession's talent pipeline and advancing workforce diversity. To date, 11 scholarship recipients have become CFP® professionals, while 37 others are in the final stages of their CFP® certification process.

To learn more about the Center scholarship programs and other resources for diverse candidates for CFP® certification, visit CFP.net/get-certified/tools-and-resources.

"Grounds for Murder"
by Tara Lush

When Lana Lewis' best -- and most difficult -- employee abruptly quits and joins the competition days before the Sunshine State Barista Championship, her café's chances of winning are creamed. Lana's normally calm demeanor heats to a boil when she runs into the arrogant java slinger. But when he's found dead the next morning behind Lana's café, she becomes the prime suspect.

With her stoned, hippie dad, a Shih Tzu named Stanley, and a new barista sporting a punk rock aesthetic at her side, Lana's prepared to catch the real killer. As scandal hangs over her beachside café, can Lana clear her name and win the championship -- or will she come to a bitter end? Purchase at https://amzn.to/32D1mqS.

"Franklin Rock"
by Mark Klein

Sometimes heroes come when we least expect them.

Just when we need him most, Franklin Rock has arrived. While in college, a series of unexplained visions and events reveal a future he could never have imagined. In one extraordinary moment, Franklin learns that his life is to be an adventure unlike any other. Professor Charles Niemeyer, a Gandalf-like mentor, guides Franklin along his journey to complete his mission: to fix the world.

Like a modern-day Siddhartha who meets Forrest Gump, Franklin encounters one fascinating character after another. Along the way, he visits with some of the greatest minds of history -- Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Jr., Carl Jung -- who assist him in his quest. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3oSomvt.

"Snowflake"
by Arthur Jeon

A scholarship student at a private high school decides he must kill the president as an act of environmental protection.

Ben Wallace didn't set out to become an environmental activist. But he becomes outraged by the president's climate-change lies, attacks on climate science, and destruction of the natural world. He decides there is only one solution-a desperate but necessary act of environmental activism and social justice to protect his generation -- Ben must kill POTUS.

The events in this historical fiction tighten into a gripping suspense thriller racing to a shocking conclusion -- equal parts climate thriller, think piece, and spiritual journey. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3m8DyTH.

"Life Is a Ride"
by Chris Joseph

In 2016, 59-year-old Chris Joseph learned he had third-stage pancreatic cancer. In the midst of panic and fear, Joseph followed the doctor's orders and underwent chemotherapy -- a choice that was almost a fatal mistake.

Months of chemotherapy poisoned his body and nearly destroyed his spirit. With no immediate plan, Joseph fired his oncologist and embarked on an alternative path of recovery, including both natural and Western medicine immunotherapy -- one which opened his eyes and healed him, both physically and spiritually.

Life is a Ride documents Joseph's journey from terror and doubt to independence, redemption, love and hope. Joseph's spirit, determination and courage will inspire anyone who's struggled with illness or any other seemingly hopeless situation. Purchase at https://amzn.to/31sCa6y.

NOTE: BookBites is a continuing series bringing readers information and ideas for their next read. For more reading ideas, visit BookTrib.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

"The best way to conduct a home safety check is to get down on all fours and look up at the world from the point of view of a crawling child," says Carolyn Ziegler, co-founder and product development director for Dreambaby.®

"It's amazing the hidden dangers you will identify," she adds.

The right child safety products are designed to make life easier for parents while keeping children safer at home and on the go.

Dreambaby® is a family-owned company with more than 20 years of experience in developing affordable, easy-to-use safety products.

With more young children at home (and more parents still working from home), safety products such as the Lever Door Lock from Dreambaby® provides peace of mind for parents by preventing curious children from exploring potentially dangerous areas of the house, such as laundry rooms, basements, or garages. The lock fits most lever-door handles, and can easily be engaged and disengaged by adults without the need for a key.

The arrival and increased distribution of coronavirus vaccines means that more people are venturing out of the house, and taking their babies with them. But child safety doesn't stop at the front door.

The Dreambaby® Non-Contact Rapid Response Infrared Forehead Thermometer provides a reliable reading within seconds of holding the device approximately one inch from the skin, so parents and caregivers can determine immediately whether fever is present.

Once you are out and about, the Dreambaby® Oxford Baby Carrier keeps your baby more secure, comfortable, and close to you. The carrier is designed to be worn three ways, with baby in front facing inward, in front facing outward, or riding backpack style with the carrier strapped on the parent or caregiver's back. Special features include an ergonomic design, easily adjustable and removable headrest, padded shoulder straps, lumbar support, and breathable mesh lining.

Visit dream-baby.com for more information about ways to keep your children safer, healthier, and happier.

A new ingestible oral spray from established oral care company TheraBreath gives you a combination of vitamins and minerals designed to boost your immune system and help protect you and your family against colds, flu, and other airborne viruses. The spray is packaged in a small bottle that is easy to take anywhere and use on the go.

"The immunity spray fills an untapped niche of oral products that provide an overall health benefit," says CEO and founder, Dr. Harold Katz, a dentist with an additional degree in bacteriology.

"For many years, folks have overlooked the fact that their mouth and throat are the doorways to the rest of their body," he explains.

"TheraBreath Immunity Support Spray is an easy way for everyone to improve their body's natural immunity."

The spray is based on solid science, and is designed to be a simple and efficient way to improve oral and overall health. Just spray and swallow, and you can enjoy the benefits of a traditional vitamin supplement in a Cherry Lemonade flavor that appeals to all ages.

TheraBreath contains no artificial colors or dyes, but contains natural Acerola and Elderberry extracts, which have strong antioxidant properties and are often used in immunity-boosting products.

Other key ingredients include Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc, and Copper, all of which can help strengthen your body's immune system and natural defenses against illness.

The spray is certified vegan and gluten-free, as well as NSF-certified to ensure that it contains the ingredients listed on the supplemental facts label.

TheraBreath Immunity Support Spray is safe for young and old, and it is easy to carry in a backpack or purse for periodic use throughout the day.

The spray works with any of the other items in the TheraBreath product line, which includes mouthwash, toothpaste, lozenges, and vitamins to promote oral health and tackle the challenging conditions of chronic bad breath and dry mouth. And all products comes with a money-back guarantee.

For more information, visit therabreath.com

When it comes to supplements, more bioavailability is better because the ingredients in the supplement products can be more rapidly absorbed by the body. Pure Craft CBD has demonstrated almost 90 percent absorbability because of the nanoparticles used in production, according to the company. Nanoparticles help keep CBD stable as it is consumed, so it is absorbed at a consistent concentration rate.

"What sets Pure Craft CBD apart from other companies is its dedication to purity," says founder and CEO Jason Navarrete.

"Pure Craft products are 90 percent bioavailable, where most [similar] companies offer products that are no more than 18 percent bioavailable. That's why Pure Craft's slogan is 'Pure Till The Last Drop,'" he says.

Pure Craft follows a "seed to sale," model.

The company's business starts in partnership with informed and educated cannabis farmers, and includes warehouses for the high-tech cultivation of cannabis, as well as manufacturing sites, distribution facilities, and retail outlets.

Pure Craft CBD is derived from a single strain of cannabis and all the oil is processed in a single facility to help ensure consistent, predictable, effective products. Each batch of oil undergoes in-house and third party testing to ensure purity. In addition, all Pure Craft products come with third-party lab COAs (Certificates of Analysis) so consumers know exactly what they are getting.

Pure Craft products contain no binders, fillers, dyes, or unknown substances. The current product line features 16 items including nanotized water-soluble soft gels and nanotized CBD-infused vegan gummies. In addition, a water-soluble nanotized CBD with melatonin is designed to help with sleep. Other products in the pipeline include a full line of nanotized water-soluble tinctures from 600 to 3,000 mg in flavors of peppermint, tropical, strawberry mojito, orange cream, blueberry, and vanilla.

Visit purecraftcbd.com for more company details and product information.

The benefits of understanding finances at a young age will contribute to children's economic success at all stages of life, so it is never too early to start teaching them about smart money management.

"By providing our children with firsthand experience in earning, saving, and spending money, they are more likely to develop a savvy sensibility and the framework necessary to manage their personal finances as adults," says Marguerita Cheng, CFP®, a certified financial planner professional and mom of three.

The CFP Board, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting professional standards in personal financial planning, offers four important tips to help you teach kids about money:

- Make money management a family affair. Get the whole family involved in financial planning. Talk to your kids about how they think money should be spent, such as saving for college, taking vacations, or dining out, and how to balance short-term indulgences and long-term financial planning goals.

- Model smart spending. Let your kids know how you spend and save on a daily basis. Take them to the grocery store and explain saving money with coupons and sales, and how monthly expenses such as Internet and phone bills, as well as water and electricity, are part of a household budget. Explain how turning off lights saves money, as does making turkey soup for dinner with leftovers after Thanksgiving.

- Let kids earn money. While not all parents approve of allowances, consider giving your child the opportunity to handle his or her own money, whether it is a regular allowance, small stipend, or money gifts from relatives for a birthday or special occasion.

- Establish a savings plan. Open a savings account for children. Show them statements and explain how money grows. Older children can have access to accounts to make deposits and withdrawals for food, clothes, games, and activities with friends. Kids may make some mistakes, but avoid the urge to rescue them. One experience with an overdraft charge on an account can be a valuable lesson for a lifetime of smart money management.

Visit letsmakeaplan.org today for more financial planning tips and guidance for your children or yourself, and to locate a certified financial planner in your area.