Kathy Longo, CFP®, and Michael Kothakota, Ph.D., CFP®, were named the latest volunteer practitioner and academic editors, respectively.
DENVER (January 27, 2026) – The Financial Planning Association® (FPA®), the leading membership organization and trade association for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professionals, announced today the distinguished volunteer professionals advising the long-running Journal of Financial Planning – Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP, CDFA, assumes the volunteer practitioner editor role and Michael Kothakota, Ph.D., CFP®, becomes the new volunteer academic editor. These roles are both two-year terms and were effective January 1, 2026.
A monthly publication that focuses on expanding the body of knowledge in the financial planning profession, the Journal has been imparting wisdom and new research for more than 45 years. Thanks to its high editorial standards and peer-reviewed technical contributions, the Journal has become a gold-standard publication. The roles of practitioner and academic editor involve being a valuable part of the publication’s advisory team, reviewing and discussing what’s most pertinent to CFP® professionals. These volunteers can also help recruit new contributors.
“The volunteer editors provide immense value to the Journal and the financial planning profession,” said Danielle Andrus, editor of the Journal. “By collaborating directly with practitioners and academics in financial planning, we’re better able to connect with the issues that planners face in their practices. We’re looking forward to working with Kathy and Michael and the insights they bring to our readers.”
President and Founder of Flourish Wealth Management®, a fee-only registered investment advisory firm, Longo brings her three decades of financial planning experience to the role as well as her passion for increasing financial literacy. Longo has been a devoted FPA member and will also serve as the dean of the FPA Spring 2026 Residency, where new or soon-to-be CFP® professionals receive intensive educational and practice training. She was previously the president of the Financial Planning Association of Minnesota and has served on the national FPA Board of Directors. Longo is the author of Flourish Financially: Values, Transitions, and Big Conversations.
“It’s an honor to serve as a Practitioner Editor for the Journal of Financial Planning,” Longo said. I vividly remember the pride and connection I felt for the profession when I first read the Journal. That feeling has only deepened over time. I value the Journal’s role in elevating the profession through rigorous, practice-relevant insights, and I look forward to contributing a practitioner’s lens that reflects how financial planning is delivered in real client relationships.”
Kothakota is the chief executive officer of WolfBridge Wealth, a lecturer at Columbia University, and a professor at New York University. As both a practitioner and researcher, Kothakota uses evidence-based approaches and is committed to applying the science of financial planning to help his clients accomplish their goals. He was the inaugural head of research at the CFP Board of Standards and previously taught doctoral-level statistics and statistical programming at Kansas State University.
“I’m excited to be the academic editor for the Journal of Financial Planning,” Kothakota said. “JFP and the Financial Planning Association have a strong history of connecting research ideas to the practice of financial planning. As both a practitioner and researcher, I look forward to continuing that tradition to help elevate our profession."
For more information about the Journal, visit fpajournal.org.
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About the Financial Planning Association
The Financial Planning Association® (FPA®) is the leading membership organization and trade association for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professionals and those engaged in the financial planning process. FPA is the CFP® professional’s partner in planning by helping them realize their vision of professional fulfillment through practice support, learning, advocacy, and networking. Learn more about FPA at financialplanningassociation.org.
About the Journal of Financial Planning
First published in 1979, the mission of the Journal of Financial Planning is to expand the body of knowledge in the financial planning profession. With monthly feature articles, interviews, columns, and peer-reviewed technical contributions, the Journal's content is dynamic, innovative, thought-provoking, and directly beneficial to financial planners in their work. Learn more at fpajournal.org.