Financial Planning Standards Board Ireland

What Financial Planning Standards Board Ireland does

FPSB Ireland DAC is a private professional standards and certification body for financial planning in the Republic of Ireland, established in 2009 and headquartered at 185a Kimmage Road West, Dublin 12. It operates as the Irish affiliate of FPSB Ltd, the international standards-setting body that owns the CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ trademarks outside the United States, and serves as the sole licensing authority for those marks in Ireland by agreement with FPSB.

The organization administers CFP certification through a four-pillar process (Education, Examination, Experience, Ethics) and requires re-certification every three years along with annual Continuing Professional Development (30 hours, with formal/informal/QFA components subject to audit). Its product portfolio includes the CFP Certification Program, the annual Managing Wealth conference (run for 15 years with LIA and ITI), a six-part 2026 Webinar Series, the Psychology in Practice e-book and video program, a Knowledge Hub of research publications and regulatory submissions, and a public-facing Find a CFP Professional directory of 435+ listed practitioners. There is no proprietary technology platform — distribution runs through the fpsb.ie website, Zoom-hosted CPD events, and a ReadyMembership-based login.

FPSB Ireland generates revenue from CFP certification and re-certification fees (recurring on a three-year cycle) and from CPD event, conference, webinar, and e-book sales (€30 per webinar, €110 per Managing Wealth ticket, $40/$100 for Psychology in Practice). It serves two primary segments: financial planning professionals seeking certification or CPD credits, and individuals/families seeking qualified financial planning advice via the public directory. It is governed by a Council chaired by Anthony Walsh, with membership drawn from senior figures at the Central Bank of Ireland, Permanent TSB, Irish Life, LIA, IOB, Bank of Ireland, PwC, and the Irish actuarial profession, and is part of a 28-territory global network encompassing more than 230,000 CFP professionals.

Name

Financial Planning Standards Board Ireland

Legal name

Financial Planning Standards Board Ireland DAC

Website

https://fpsb.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FPSB Ireland DAC is Ireland's designated standards and certification body for financial planning, administering CFP certification, licensing the CFP marks, and delivering CPD events and professional resources to over 1,060 certified financial planners nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Financial Planning Certification

akta.pro primary industry

Finance, Accounting & Risk (CFA/CPA/FRM) Certifications (EDAAANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Services & Insurance (FINRA, CFP, IAR, Insurance CE) (EDAAALAJ), Financial Services Regulators (Banking, Securities, Insurance) (BPAIAOAK)

Keywords

• Financial planning certification
• Professional standards body
• Continuing professional development
• CFP certification program
• Financial planning education

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CFP Certification Fees: FPSB Ireland generates revenue through certification and re-certification fees for CFP professionals. The certification process requires candidates to complete education, examination, experience, and ethics requirements. Re-certification is required every three years.
2. CPD Event Fees: The organization offers Continuing Professional Development (CPD) events, webinars, and educational programs for CFP professionals, generating revenue through event registration fees. Individual webinar sessions are priced at €30, with bundle discounts available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FPSB Ireland administers the CFP® (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™) certification program for financial planning professionals in Ireland through a four-pillar process of Education, Examination, Experience, and Ethics. It also delivers structured continuing professional development (CPD) through webinars, conferences, and publications, enforces a professional code and ethics standards, and maintains a public directory connecting consumers with certified financial planners. The organization is the Irish licensing authority for the CFP trademarks and an affiliate of international FPSB Ltd.

Product overview

FPSB Ireland operates as a professional standards and certification body for financial planning in Ireland, not a traditional software product company. The organization offers a portfolio of certification programs, professional development services, and knowledge resources centered around the CFP® (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™) designation. The core offering consists of the CFP® Certification Program (governed by the four pillars of Education, Examination, Experience, and Ethics), supplemented by continuing professional development through the 2026 Webinar Series and Managing Wealth Conference, professional guidance resources including the Psychology in Practice e-book/video series and Knowledge Hub publications, and the Find a CFP Professional Directory for public access to certified practitioners. FPSB Ireland is an affiliate of FPSB Ltd and part of a global network spanning 28 territories and over 230,000 CFP professionals worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CFP® Certification Program The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification for financial planners in Ireland, governed by FPSB Ireland. Candidates must hold the Qualified Financial Adviser (QFA) designation, complete an approved financial planning programme (IOB or LIA), pass the twice-yearly CFP exam, accrue three years of relevant experience including one year as an Approved Practitioner, and agree to the Code of Ethics. Re-certification is required every three years.
• Psychology in Practice: Financial Planner Essentials A research-based e-book and companion video series for CFP practitioners that teaches practical tools for integrating psychology into the financial planning process, covering the Transtheoretical Model of Change, psychology-based coaching, client risk tolerance management, and solution-focused brief therapy. The e-book plus videos package awards 4 formal CPD hours.
• 2026 Webinar Series A six-part online CPD webinar series for CFP professionals and those on the CFP certification pathway. Sessions cover pensions, investments, tax, professional standards, and AI in financial advice, with each session priced at €30 individually or available at a discount when booked as a bundle. Delivered by industry experts including Paul McCarville, Dr. Paul Moran CFP®, Paul Coady, and Colin Slabach.
• Managing Wealth Conference Annual flagship financial planning conference run for 15 years in collaboration with LIA and ITI, providing practitioner-led insights into tax implications for retirees, auto-enrolment, investment strategies, and current market trends. Offered as a hybrid event at Camden Court Hotel, Dublin 2, and online, with 3 formal CPD hours.
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program Ongoing professional development program requiring CFP professionals to complete 30 CPD hours annually, comprising a minimum of 5 formal hours from FPSB Ireland approved listings, a minimum of 15 informal hours, and 15 QFA hours through LIA/IOB. Compliance is monitored through annual review and detailed audit.
• FPSB Global Financial Planning Standards Comprehensive framework published by FPSB Ltd and adopted locally by FPSB Ireland that defines what great financial planning looks like globally, setting clear expectations across education, professional practice, and ethics. The framework is anchored on three core pillars: Knowing (Education Standards), Doing (Competency & Professional Practice Standards), and Being (Ethics Standards).
• Find a CFP Professional Directory Online public directory on fpsb.ie listing more than 435 CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals across Ireland, searchable by county. Each entry includes contact details, organization, and counties served, enabling consumers to find qualified advisers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 79% of people in Ireland feel unprepared for retirement despite managing day-to-day finances well (74%), highlighting the need for professional financial planning guidance
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• LIA (Life Insurance Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLIA is a key collaborator with FPSB Ireland on the annual 'Managing Wealth' conference, one of the flagship events in the financial planning calendar. The partnership brings together industry expertise for practitioner education.
• ITI (Insurance Training Ireland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerITI collaborates with FPSB Ireland on the 'Managing Wealth' conference, providing insurance and training expertise to the financial planning profession.
• Compliance InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFPSB Ireland partnered with the Compliance Institute's Ethics Committee for Webinar 3 on Professional Conduct in Practice, exploring ethics, standards, and the Consumer Protection Code for CFP professionals.
• IOB (Institute of Banking)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIOB partnered with FPSB Ireland on the New Retirement Reality Report along with LIA and RPCI. IOB also delivers the Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning, a pathway to CFP certification.
• RPCI (Retirement Planning Council of Ireland)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRPCI collaborated with FPSB Ireland, IOB, and LIA on the New Retirement Reality Report, a comprehensive study of retirement readiness in Ireland.
• Amárach ResearchmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmárach Research conducted the New Retirement Reality Report in partnership with FPSB Ireland, IOB, LIA, and RPCI, providing research data on retirement preparedness in Ireland.
• FPSB Ltd (Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd)coreOthersFPSB Ireland is an affiliate of FPSB Ltd, the international standards-setting body for the financial planning profession. FPSB Ltd owns the global CFP trademarks and sets the Global Financial Planning Standards that FPSB Ireland applies locally in Ireland.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Life Insurance Association (LIA): Irish industry body co-hosting the Managing Wealth conference with FPSB Ireland and delivering the Postgraduate Diploma pathway for CFP candidates. Closely aligned ecosystem partner.
• Institute of Banking (IOB): Ireland's Recognised College of UCD delivering the Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning — a core education pathway for CFP candidates. Strategic partner and adjacent standards/education provider in the same professional ecosystem.
• Insurance Institute of Ireland: Ireland's professional body for insurance practitioners, co-organiser of the Managing Wealth conference with FPSB Ireland. Adjacent in the wider financial services professional standards landscape.
• Society of Actuaries in Ireland: Irish actuarial professional body whose leadership overlaps with FPSB Ireland's Council (Bill Hannan is Past President). Comparable high-prestige professional standards body in an adjacent financial discipline.

Regional players

• Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA): Australian professional body for financial planners running the CFP program locally as part of the global FPSB network. Comparable affiliate model to FPSB Ireland in a different geography.

Direct peers

• Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI): UK-rooted professional body that provides certifications and CPD for financial services professionals, including wealth planning credentials. Operates in the same regulatory and professional development niche in Ireland and the UK.
• CFP Board of Standards Inc. (US): US-based organization that owns the CFP marks inside the United States and administers CFP certification. Operates the same core function as FPSB Ireland in the largest market for the designation.
• Personal Finance Society (UK): UK-based professional body for financial planners that sets standards, awards certifications (including a Chartered Financial Planner route), and provides CPD. Closest geographic peer to FPSB Ireland in function and structure.
• Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd (FPSB Ltd): The global parent standards body for the CFP designation across 28 territories. FPSB Ireland operates as an Irish affiliate under FPSB Ltd, applying the same global standards and trademark framework locally.

Broad incumbents

• CFA Institute: Global professional body awarding the CFA charter, an alternative high-prestige finance designation. Competes with CFP for mindshare among financial professionals pursuing top credentials in Ireland and globally.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fpsb-ireland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Financial Planning Standards Board Ireland