April 2026: Ethics and the Profession
COVER STORY
Beyond Privacy: Three Ethics Challenges Advisers Will Confront in the Next Era of AI
By Azish Filabi, J.D.
Emerging AI technologies are reshaping adviser responsibilities, exposing fresh challenges around transparency, conflicts of interest, and maintaining sound professional judgment.
Click HERE for the latest DIGITAL EDITION
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
Beyond Referrals: From Advice to Application Through Adviser–CPA Collaboration
By Tony Rich, ChFC, and Abed G. Rabbani, Ph.D., CFP®
Planners are often counseled to consult a tax professional before making certain recommendations. Here’s a structured approach to building relationships that facilitate that kind of advice.
FPA NEXT GENERATION PLANNER
Forward Thinking
Let Clarity and Focus Drive Marketing
By Landon Warmund, CFP®, CSLP
Lead Article
What It Really Means for a Financial Adviser to Be Authentic
By Jeff Feazell
My Career Path
John Fisher, CFP®, CPFA, on Starting Over and Staying Consistent
Planner Poll
The FPA Community Weighs in on Focusing Their Marketing Efforts
Planning a STUDY GROUP? Check out suggested questions and other resources to make your study group a success!
COLUMNS
Estate Planning
The Three-Body Problem: Ethical Pitfalls for a Planner Working with a Client and a Lawyer
By Anne Rhodes
Clear roles, legal privilege, and thoughtful communication matter when advisers and attorneys team up on a client’s estate plan.
Money and Widowhood
Ethics Under Pressure: Widowhood Exposes the Limits of Our Advisory Model
By Christopher D. Bentley, CLU, BFA, CRPC
Are you prepared to address the ethical risks that arise when a client’s grief alters their capacity?
RESEARCH
The Unseen Adviser: How Cultural Dimensions Silently Shape Client Financial Goals and Behaviors
By Mo Buckner; Matthew S., CFP®, RICP; Jack M. McAulay; Marja Sweet, CFP®, MSFP;
and Meghaan R. Lurtz, Ph.D.
This paper, informed by Generational Cohort theory, combines the LEARN model with the Culture Tree to posit a new framework for cross-cultural communication and relationship development.
VIDEO: BEHIND THE RESEARCH
Now Open—We're accepting extended abstracts for the 2026 Call for Papers. Click here to learn more about how to submit and be considered to present your research at FPA SUMMIT in National Harbor, Maryland, Nov. 9–11!
DEPARTMENTS
STARTING THOUGHTS
Advice Without Accountability
By Danielle Andrus
Q&A
Kathy Longo, CFP®, on Nurturing the Next Generation
OBSERVER
COIs for New Clients, Retirement Savings and the Economy, Insufficient RMD Withdrawals
Stat Bank
JFP ACADEMICS
Behind the Research | Upcoming Research
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Closing the Advice Gap: Technology Interactions in the Financial Capability–Wellness Relationship
By Lena Gan Ph.D., CFP®, CIMA; Karleah Harris, Ph.D., and Sara Kay
As technology keeps advancing and becoming more integrated, knowing your clients’ initial disposition to AI is key to ensuring they get the most utility out of it and not adversely affecting their financial results if they’re disinclined to use AI.
Click HERE to access Journal of Financial Planning ARCHIVES
