Embracing Innovation To Meet The Needs of Financial Planners
From February 5-6, I was thrilled to join nearly 140 FPA chapter leaders and executives for FPA LEAD 2026. Formerly known as the FPA Chapter Leaders Conference, this event brings volunteer leaders together for two days of training, conversation, and community to help them prepare for their important roles in the year ahead.
As a former chapter leader, I always found this as one of my favorite events each year, as it allows networking with fellow chapter leaders and national staff, leading to strong community building and idea sharing. Not only was FPA LEAD 2026 a terrific opportunity to have robust conversations about how we can better serve our members and profession at every level, but it also provided incredible insight into how we can innovate for the future of our association and membership.
I was struck by our closing keynote speaker, Carla Johnson, who talked about “applied curiosity” and how organizations should always strive to think differently about what they do—then put that thinking into action. Innovation starts with being curious about what you’re doing and being willing to amplify what’s working and what can be better—and more impactful.
At the Financial Planning Association, we are embracing innovation and assisting our members in doing so to the betterment of themselves, their practices, and ultimately their clients. In this ever-changing profession, we are your partner in planning and innovatively evolving our many programs and benefits to meet the needs of our members and modern financial planners.
Innovative Approaches to Education
As you have already heard, FPA has raised a bold flag with the FPA® Competency Model™, a powerful framework that supports every planner, at every career stage. It’s intentionally focused on the behaviors and interpersonal skills that define excellence in financial planning—the traits that drive connection, leadership, and real-world impact. This model doesn’t just acknowledge technical proficiency; it emphasizes the human side of financial planning…how we show up, how we lead, how we think, and how we care for our clients and communities.
This brings me to one of the truly amazing programs FPA has offered for many years, which has made many aspiring financial planners more impactful in their work: FPA Residency.
FPA is the only organization to offer an immersive, experiential education opportunity for budding CFP® professionals. Those who are either planning to sit for the CFP® exam or have recently passed it can take part in one of our twice-a-year, one-week-long FPA Residency programs, where new or aspiring financial planners receive real-time feedback as they discuss case studies with experienced financial planners.
Offered in both the spring and fall, with up to 35 participants each, this program provides new professionals with an opportunity to learn to interact with clients in a safe space and explore best practices. If you're interested in participating, our spring program runs June 12-17. If you’re a firm owner, this could be an opportune time to help develop your next-generation planners.
It has been heartwarming to receive so much positive feedback about how this experience has set CFP® professionals on the right path. It’s one of the many special programs offered through FPA, and we look forward to welcoming many future “residents”.
Discussing the Practical Use of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) has gone from a technology financial planners feared would take their jobs to an understanding that it will be part of their future, and it’s all a matter of how and where.
To address the ongoing opportunities and challenges of AI in the financial planning profession, we were pleased to launch the FPAi Authority in January 2026. Developed in partnership with Matt Reiner, CFP®, CFA, managing partner at Capital Investment Advisors and The FutureProof Advisor, the curated platform features regularly updated content, including demos, podcasts, research reports, blog posts, and more.
In addition to developing the FPAi Authority, FPA has partnered with several financial technology companies to offer their AI-based tools available to members at a discount. In fact, you can find many of them in the FPA Marketplace, which is exclusively available to you as a valued FPA member. We also host a variety of educational webinars through our online learning platform and publish articles about AI in the award-winning, peer-reviewed Journal of Financial Planning.
We want to keep you on the cutting edge of what’s happening technologically in financial planning, so you can always be thinking about how to innovate for your firm. These are just a few of the opportunities we are providing today, with much more coming in the months and years ahead.
More To Come
We are excited about all we are doing today to serve our members, but we are not resting. In the coming weeks, we will make announcements about the future of other FPA programs and benefits, including our plans for a completely revamped and reengineered FPA PlannerSearch, in partnership with a leading innovator in financial services marketing.
Great things are in store for FPA—and you. Stay tuned and, as always, thank you for the privilege of your membership.
In Case You Missed It
- If you’re a next-generation financial planner, consider joining us at FPA GATHER 2026, formerly FPA NexGen Gathering, which brings the energy of connection. To be held in Dallas, TX, from August 18-20, this event brings together early-career planners and career changers to learn, share, and build a sense of community. From the moment you arrive, everything is designed to help you settle in, lean in, and start building relationships that last well beyond the event. Early bird registration is open!
- Registration is now open for the FPA Spring Residency 2026 program taking place June 12–17, at the Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center in Aurora, Colorado. This highly acclaimed experiential learning program immerses new and soon-to-be CFP® professionals in the real-world practice of financial planning through case-based role-playing, individualized mentorship, and peer collaboration. Plus, you can earn 28 CFP® continuing education credits or three months of CFP Board experience toward your certification requirement.
- In case you missed the announcement last month, we are excited to announce a multi-year strategic partnership with marketing technology leader Snappy Kraken. Together, we are reengineering FPA PlannerSearch to make it more impactful for you, consumers, and the profession. By partnering with Snappy Kraken, FPA PlannerSearch will evolve from a simple directory into a data-driven platform that matches consumers with financial planners based on their needs, expertise, and shared values. At the same time, we will better clarify what financial planning is in the marketplace while shining a bright light on what makes financial planners, particularly CFP® professional members of FPA, uniquely qualified to deliver these important services.
Thank you for the privilege of your membership.
Sincerely,
