Financial Advice Association Australia

What Financial Advice Association Australia does

Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) is a not-for-profit professional membership association — structured as a company limited by guarantee — that serves as the largest representative body for financial advisers in Australia. Formed in April 2023 through the merger of the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA, founded 1992) and the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA, tracing to 1946), FAAA is headquartered in Sydney with 11–50 employees and operates as the licensing authority in Australia for the globally recognized CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP) designation under agreement with the Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB). Its primary members are practicing financial advisers and planners, supported by tiered membership categories (CFP Professional at $1,045/yr, Practitioner at $630/yr, Affiliate at $97–$520/yr, and complimentary Academic/Student tiers), plus a practice-level Professional Practice Program priced $1,250–$3,500+ per year.

FAAA's product and technology portfolio centers on a member portal, the FAAA Learn online learning management system (CPD programs with integrated CPD tracking), FAAA SafeID (a digital client identity verification tool launched in 2025, built on FrankieOne technology with Vigilance AML and KordaMentha), Find a Planner (consumer-facing adviser directory), the Money & Life consumer content platform, the Advice Academy pipeline initiative, and the FAAA Career Centre job board. Revenue mechanics span four streams: recurring membership subscriptions (primary), recurring Professional Practice Program fees, transactional event registrations (Congress, Roadshow, Masterclass, webinars), and CFP certification program fees. The association also operates the Future2 Foundation charitable grants program, FAAA Wellbeing counselling service, FAAA Awards recognition program, and annual Value of Advice research, alongside an extensive community ecosystem (Gen Next, Inspire women-in-advice network, and state/metropolitan chapters across all Australian states and territories).

Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with member acquisition through the website (faaa.au) and member portal, CFP certification enrollment, CPD program participation, and community events including an annual Congress, a six-city Roadshow, and chapter meetings. Consumer awareness is driven by Money & Life content and the Find a Planner directory, while member retention is reinforced through advocacy, specialist designations (SMSF, Aged Care, Life Risk), scholarships (over $2.2 million administered to date), and partnerships including JAWG with FSC and the Licensee Leadership Forum on regulatory enforcement.

Name

Financial Advice Association Australia

Legal name

Financial Advice Association of Australia Limited

Website

https://faaa.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Financial Advice Association Australia is the largest professional membership association for financial advisers in Australia, formed in April 2023 through the merger of the Financial Planning Association and the Association of Financial Advisers, serving CFP professionals, practitioners, students, and consumers via certification, CPD, advocacy, and compliance tooling.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Fee-Based Advisory (FSAEAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Finance, Accounting & Risk (CFA/CPA/FRM) Certifications (EDAAANAD), Fraud Risk Management & Anti-Bribery/Anti-Corruption (ABAC) (BPAHAFAL), Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)

Keywords

• Professional association membership
• Financial planning certification
• Continuing professional development
• Professional standards advocacy
• Financial adviser education

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from financial advisers across multiple membership categories including CFP professionals, Practitioners, and Affiliate members. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Professional Practice Program Fees: Fees from the Professional Practice Program recognition scheme for financial planning practices, with tiered pricing based on practice size.
3. Event Registrations: Revenue from FAAA Congress, Roadshow events, webinars, and other professional development events with tiered pricing for members and non-members.
4. CFP Certification: Fees associated with the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER certification program, the only globally recognized CFP certification offered in Australia.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) is Australia's largest professional membership association for financial advisers and planners, formed in April 2023 through the merger of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) and the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA). It sells annual membership subscriptions (CFP Professional, Practitioner, and Affiliate tiers), the globally recognized CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP) designation, professional practice recognition, and a portfolio of digital member services (FAAA Learn LMS, FAAA SafeID identity verification tool, Find a Planner directory, Career Centre) along with professional development events (Congress, Roadshow, Masterclass) and consumer-facing content via the Money & Life platform.

Product overview

FAAA operates as a professional membership association rather than a traditional product company. Its core product portfolio centers on member-facing professional tools — including FAAA Learn (online CPD/LMS platform), FAAA SafeID (AML/CTF identity verification), Find a Planner (adviser directory), and CFP Certification (the only globally recognized CFP designation in Australia) — alongside consumer-facing sub-brands like Money & Life. Value-added offerings include professional development events (Masterclass, FAAA Congress, FAAA Roadshow), the FAAA Awards recognition program, FAAA Professional Practice Program, the Future2 Foundation charitable grants program, FAAA Wellbeing counselling support, Advice Academy pipeline initiatives, the FAAA Career Centre job board, and annual Value of Advice research. The portfolio functions as a suite of membership services rather than a unified platform with modular add-ons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Money & Life: Consumer-facing digital platform providing financial wellbeing content, tips, and articles to help Australians achieve better financial futures.
• FAAA Learn
• FAAA SafeID
• Advice Academy
• Future2 Foundation

Products and services

• FAAA Membership Annual membership subscriptions for Australian financial advisers across multiple tiers — CFP Professional (AUD $1,045/year FY27), Practitioner (AUD $630/year), Affiliate (AUD $97–$520/year depending on role) and complimentary Academic/Student memberships — providing use of professional designations, CPD access, policy advocacy, Find a Planner listing, networking communities, and member discounts.
• CFP Certification The globally recognized CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER designation, offered exclusively by FAAA in Australia through agreement with the Financial Planning Standards Board, with approximately 5,000 CFP professionals in the country.
• FAAA SafeID A digital client identity verification solution for financial advisers that performs online identity checks and securely stores verification documents to meet AML/CTF obligations, built on FrankieOne technology with Vigilance AML and KordaMentha.
• FAAA Learn

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of clients of financial advisers say their adviser has helped them manage financial risks in their lives (Value of Advice Index 2025)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Chant WestcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Joint launch of Adviser-Ready Fund accreditation framework to make it easier for financial advisers to work with superannuation funds, developed collaboratively by Chant West and FAAA.
• FrankieOnecoreTechnology or Integration · 18 December 2025FrankieOne provides the identity verification technology powering FAAA SafeID, enabling financial advisers to perform online identity checks and securely store verification documents to meet AML/CTF obligations.
• FPSB IndiastrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2024Memorandum of understanding signed to boost cross-border opportunities for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professionals, enabling credential recognition between Australia and India.
• Vigilance AMLcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartner in the FAAA SafeID solution providing AML compliance technology for client identity verification.
• KordaMenthacoreTechnology or IntegrationPartner in the FAAA SafeID solution providing AML compliance expertise and technology for client identity verification.
• Cancer CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPro Bono Program partner connecting members with cancer patients needing financial advice through the Cancer Council's probono program.
• Pro Bono Financial Advice Network (PFAN)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPro Bono Program partner connecting members with individuals needing financial advice in natural disaster situations and other circumstances.
• Future2 FoundationcoreOthersThe charitable foundation of the financial planning profession, mobilizing the energy and resources of FAAA members to help disadvantaged youth reach their true potential through Make the Difference grants program.
• Joint Associations Working Group (JAWG)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking group including FAAA, FSC, and Licensee Leadership Forum advocating for better regulatory enforcement and policy improvements for the financial advice profession.
• Stevie AwardsminorOthersInternational Business Awards organization that recognized FAAA website achievements.
• Titan AwardsminorOthersAwards organization that recognized FAAA website achievements.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CFA Institute: Global professional association awarding the CFA charter. Comparable to FAAA as a membership-based credentialing body for investment professionals, but operates at international scale and across the broader investment industry rather than financial advice specifically.
• Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI): UK-based professional body for those in securities, investment, and financial planning. Comparable as a credentialing and continuing-education body serving advisers and investment professionals.

Direct peers

• Financial Planning Association (US): The US counterpart professional association for CFP professionals. Closely comparable to FAAA in mission, membership model, certification licensing, advocacy, and CPD offerings; differs only by geography.
• Financial Services Council (Australia): Australia's peak industry body for the financial services industry. Co-advocates with FAAA through the Joint Associations Working Group; represents licensees and product issuers rather than individual advisers.
• SMSF Association: Australian professional association for self-managed superannuation fund specialists. Comparable as an adviser-focused membership body offering specialist designations, CPD, and advocacy in a niche of financial advice.
• National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA): US association for fee-only financial advisors. Comparable as a standards-driven membership association advocating for a specific segment of financial advisers.

Regional players

• Association of Investment Companies (AIC): UK trade association for the investment company sector. Comparable as an industry trade body advocating for member firms and providing CPD, research, and networking, though narrower in product scope than FAAA.
• Financial Advice New Zealand: Trans-Tasman counterpart professional body for financial advisers in New Zealand. Directly comparable membership model and mission, but operating in the smaller NZ market.
• Investment Advisers Association (IAA): US trade association for SEC-registered investment advisory firms. Comparable advocacy and membership-association structure, but serves firms in the US registered-investment-adviser segment.

Others

• Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB): Global owner of the CFP marks outside the US and FAAA's licensing counterpart in Australia. Ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor — sets standards FAAA administers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FinancialAdviceAssociationAustralia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/financial-advice-association-australia
• Instagraminstagram.com/faaa_au
• Xx.com/FAAA_Au

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Financial Advice Association Australia