FPA

What FPA does

The Financial Planning Association (FPA) is a U.S. nonprofit professional membership association serving certified financial planners and allied practitioners. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, FPA operates through a national organization and a network of state and regional chapters, including the FPA of Illinois chapter in Orland Park. Its membership community, branded FPA Connect, exceeds 20,000 financial planning professionals; the Illinois chapter alone reports 580+ members. FPA's primary customer segments are practicing financial planners (primary), students and career changers (secondary), and consumers seeking qualified advisors via FPA PlannerSearch (tertiary).

FPA delivers its value through an integrated ecosystem of platforms, programs, publications, and events. Core digital assets include the FPA Connect online community (forums, Knowledge Circles, membership directory), the FPA Business Hub content platform, the FPA Learning Center (an LMS offering live webinars, on-demand CE, and the FPA Competency Model), and FPA PlannerSearch (a consumer-to-advisor matching tool). Supporting offerings include the Journal of Financial Planning and Next Generation Planner publications, the YAFPNW podcast, FPA SmartBrief newsletter, FPA Residency and Financial Planning Challenge programs, NexGen student/young-professional communities, the Pro Bono Program (delivered in partnership with the Foundation for Financial Planning), MediaSource press engagement, and recurring events such as the FPA Annual Conference and the FPA of Illinois CAP conference. Revenue is generated through individual membership dues, continuing-education and learning fees, conference registrations, publication subscriptions and advertising, and tiered chapter sponsorships (flagship, leading, connecting, impact) from financial-services firms including Morningstar, Chubb, Vanguard, Betterment, Dimensional, Raymond James, and BCU Risk Advisors. Pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Strategically, FPA positions itself as the professional home for the CFP community, combining member services with advocacy (including joint work with the CFP Board on SEC RIA definition reform), pro bono service, and career-pipeline development. It maintains no external investors and operates as a member-governed nonprofit with an elected board; its 2026 Illinois board is led by President Lizbeth Menjivar (ex-Fidelity) and Chair Ted Yeo (GQG Partners). The organization holds no disclosed patents, no AI/ML products, and no third-party APIs, and it does not publish revenue, headcount, or membership growth figures.

Name

FPA

Legal name

Financial Planning Association

Website

https://fpaillinois.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Financial Planning Association is a U.S. nonprofit professional membership association serving 20,000+ certified financial planners and allied practitioners through chapters, online community, continuing education, publications, advocacy, and pro bono programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Orland Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FPA is a professional membership association that sells memberships and related services to financial planning practitioners. Its core deliverables include access to the FPA Connect online community of more than 20,000 professionals, continuing education and CE credits via the FPA Learning Center, the Journal of Financial Planning and other publications, the FPA PlannerSearch consumer referral directory, and member-only events such as the FPA Annual Conference and FPA Residency.

Product overview

FPA (Financial Planning Association) is a professional membership organization offering a unified ecosystem of platforms, publications, programs, and services for financial planning practitioners. The core offerings include the FPA Business Hub (content platform), FPA Connect (community of 20,000+ professionals), FPA Learning Center (continuing education), and FPA PlannerSearch (consumer-matching). Supporting offerings include publications (Journal of Financial Planning, Next Generation Planner, YAFPNW Podcast), professional development programs (FPA Residency, Financial Planning Challenge, FPA NexGen), advocacy services (Pro Bono Program, MediaSource), and events (Annual Conference, Conference for Advanced Planning). The organization also supports state chapters like FPA of Illinois with regional programs including mentorship and career centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FPA Connect
• FPA Learning Center
• Journal of Financial Planning
• FPA PlannerSearch
• FPA Annual Conference
• FPA Residency
• FPA Pro Bono Program
• FPA NexGen
• FPA Business Hub
• FPA Membership

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and supporting.

• BCU Risk AdvisorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading Partner for FPA of Illinois in 2026. BCU Risk Advisors provides partnership visibility through chapter sponsorship, connecting with 580+ financial professionals at chapter events and the annual CAP Conference.
• ChubbcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading Partner for FPA of Illinois in 2026. Chubb offers insurance programs as a member benefit, with visibility through chapter sponsorship and access to elite financial professionals.
• MorningstarflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading Partner for FPA of Illinois in 2026. Morningstar provides investment research and data resources, with prominent visibility through chapter sponsorship and events.
• College SolutionssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerConnecting Partner for FPA of Illinois in 2026. College Solutions provides college savings planning resources and connects with chapter members through event sponsorship.
• Dimensional Fund AdvisorssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerConnecting Partner for FPA of Illinois in 2026. Dimensional Fund Advisors offers investment management expertise and connects with members through chapter events and sponsorship.
• Longbridge Financial, LLCsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerConnecting Partner for FPA of Illinois in 2026. Longbridge Financial provides reverse mortgage services and connects with chapter members through partnership and sponsorship.
• Raymond James Investment ManagementsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerConnecting Partner for FPA of Illinois in 2026. Raymond James Investment Management connects with chapter members through event sponsorship and partnership visibility.
• Betterment Advisor SolutionssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerImpact Partner for FPA of Illinois in 2026. Betterment Advisor Solutions provides robo-advisory technology for advisors and connects with members through chapter sponsorship.
• Bright Directions College Savings ProgramsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerImpact Partner for FPA of Illinois in 2026. Bright Directions offers 529 college savings programs and connects with members through partnership visibility.
• Vanguard Financial Advisor ServicessupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerImpact Partner for FPA of Illinois in 2026. Vanguard Financial Advisor Services provides advisor-focused investment solutions and connects with chapter members through sponsorship.
• FFP (Foundation for Financial Planning)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPro Bono Strategic Partner for FPA's pro bono financial planning program. FFP supports FPA's initiatives to provide free financial planning to underserved populations, particularly low-income individuals and families.
• CFP BoardflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoth FPA and CFP Board are advocating together for the SEC to update its definition of 'small' Registered Investment Advisers, supporting an employee-based standard rather than the current asset-based measure.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP) Section: AICPA's PFP Section serves CPA financial planners, offering education, publications, and practice support comparable to FPA's Learning Center and Journal of Financial Planning. It competes for the dual-credentialed CPA/PFS planner demographic that overlaps with FPA members.
• National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA): NAIFA is a longstanding U.S. association for insurance and financial advisors, comparable to FPA in advocating for the profession and providing member benefits. NAIFA's membership includes commission-based advisors, distinguishing it from FPA's broader planner-focused model.
• Society of Financial Service Professionals (SFSP): SFSP is a professional association for financial services practitioners across insurance, planning, and wealth management, comparable to FPA in serving multi-disciplinary advisors with CE and advocacy. It is broader than FPA in scope but directly overlapping in target audience.

Others

• Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP): FFP is FPA's named strategic partner for pro bono financial planning services, operating in the same profession. While not a dues-collecting competitor, it shares mission overlap with FPA's Pro Bono Program and is a key ecosystem player for pro bono delivery.
• CFP Board: CFP Board is the certifying body for the CFP mark and a direct advocacy partner of FPA. While not a membership organization competing for dues, it is the credentialing anchor around which FPA's competency model, CE programs, and pro bono training are built.
• Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB): FPSB owns and administers the international CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER certification outside the U.S., paralleling CFP Board's U.S. role. It is comparable to FPA in serving as an ecosystem backbone for financial planning education and standards globally.

Direct peers

• National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA): NAPFA is a leading U.S. association for fee-only financial advisors, directly comparable to FPA in serving practicing financial planners with advocacy, education, and a consumer-facing advisor search. NAPFA focuses on the fee-only niche, whereas FPA is broader across compensation models.
• Garrett Planning Network: Garrett Planning Network is a membership network of fee-only hourly financial planners, directly comparable to FPA in serving practicing advisors with referral directories, member support, and continuing education. It overlaps with FPA PlannerSearch and FPA's fee-only member base.
• International Association for Registered Financial Consultants (IARFC): IARFC is a membership association for Registered Financial Consultants, comparable to FPA in offering certification-adjacent credentials, ethics standards, and member resources for practicing financial advisors. It serves a smaller, niche demographic within the same profession.

Emerging players

• XY Planning Network: XY Planning Network is a membership organization specifically serving next-generation financial planners, comparable to FPA's NexGen and Student Communities programs. It overlaps with FPA on member services, CE, and advisor search but targets a younger, fee-only demographic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FPAofIllinois
• Xx.com/FPAIllinois
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fpa-of-illinois

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about FPA