This is Financial Planning's 40th year of publication, and that's something to celebrate. Who would have thought, 40 years ago, that this industry would have evolved into what it is today — a thriving community of independent advisors who have successfully built wealth for their clients and themselves? Congratulations, everyone.

To mark this special year, we have added a new column, "The Influencers." In it we will profile remarkable individuals who have shaped the world of planning. Our first Influencer is author, speaker and all- around practice management guru Mark Tibergien, who now heads up Pershing Advisor Solutions. You'll read about other luminaries in the coming months-and if there are particular people who influenced you, please email me and nominate them for a profile. Throughout the year, you will find various special features in the magazine and on our website.

January is also our issue for Movers and Shakers, our annual list of the people who are shaping the future of this industry. This year, we found a fascinating group of innovators. Crushing market conditions seem to have spurred creativity. You may recognize several faces, but others will surprise you.

One pick that may shock some readers is Rick Ketchum of FINRA. We have printed many articles and op-ed essays about the fiduciary standard on our pages. But we have heard nothing before from Ketchum, who has played a central role in developing compliance standards for broker-dealers and reps. When harmonization finally becomes real, he will be one of the people who determines what it will mean, and how new standards will be enforced. It's about time we interviewed him!

I am very glad to have the opportunity to share 2010 with you. Last year was very tough for advisors, and for media companies too. Please accept my warm wishes for a productive and satisfying New Year.

Marion Asnes became the editor of Financial Planning magazine in 2005. Financial Planning is the leading professional magazine for independent financial planners and has a circulation of 115,000. The topics covered on its pages range from industry news and trends to sophisticated discussions of portfolio management, estate planning and philanthropy. Asnes is the first female editor in chief of Financial Planning in the magazine's 38-year history.

Before joining Financial Planning, Asnes was a senior editor at Money, participating in the magazine’s coverage of personal finance, retirement, investment and health care issues. Her areas of expertise included retirement and 401(k) planning, asset allocation, estate planning and the particular financial challenges faced by women. In addition to her regular editorial duties at Money, Asnes co-edited Money for Women, an annual special issue that was featured exclusively on “The Today Show” on NBC.

A 27-year service journalism veteran, Asnes has contributed to a long list of national publications including Vogue, Elle, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, More, Mirabella, Working Woman and Lear's. She has spoken at conferences and symposia ranging from the National Endowment for Financial Education’s Retirement Summit to the National Football League’s Rookie Symposium. In addition, Asnes has appeared on national television programs as an expert on financial and economic topics including CNN, CNN Headline News, NBC's Today, ABC's 20/20, PBS's NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor.

Asnes graduated with a B.A. from Cornell University.