acp lanners

What acp lanners does

The Alliance of Comprehensive Planners (ACP) is a U.S. non-profit professional membership association founded in 1995 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It serves fee-only, fiduciary financial planners — primarily independent RIAs and tax-focused advisors — through a membership model that bundles training, peer community, vendor discounts, and an annual conference. Its core technology surface is the ACP Connect community platform (built on Higher Logic), which hosts the member directory, discussion forums, and resource libraries; member-facing content includes the Practical Wisdom Podcast (32+ episodes hosted by Kenneth Robinson, CFP, JD), whitepapers such as Tax Alpha and the Retainer Model, and the structured ACP Success Program training curriculum (self-study modules, virtual classrooms, and the Advisor Desk Reference).

ACP generates revenue through annual membership dues (recurring subscription model; not publicly priced) from advisors, with conference fees as an ancillary stream. Distribution is community-led: prospective members complete an inquiry form, meet with ACP leaders, and proceed through a structured application and onboarding process. The organization maintains a vendor partner ecosystem of more than 25 integrations spanning financial planning software (MoneyGuidePro, RightCapital, Income Lab), CRM (Wealthbox), tax planning (Holistiplan, TaxStatus), portfolio analytics (Kwanti, Capitect), payment processing (AdvicePay), compliance (Advisor Armor, Buckler), insurance (Markel), lending (Live Oak Bank), and AI tooling (FastTrackr AI, Zocks, Investipal) — all offered to members at negotiated discounts. Governance is provided by a member-elected Board of Directors; Bert Whitehead is the founder, and Chris Wentzien (CFP, CPA/PFS; founder of Natural Bridges Financial Advisors) currently serves as President.

ACP's customer base is highly distributed across independent advisory firms with no concentrated revenue dependency; the consumer-facing "Find an ACP Advisor" search tool extends brand reach to individual investors seeking fee-only fiduciary planners. Founded in 1995 and independently governed with no disclosed outside capital, ACP operates as a stable, member-funded community rather than a venture-backed growth entity.

Name

acp lanners

Legal name

Alliance of Comprehensive Planners

Website

https://acplanners.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Alliance of Comprehensive Planners is a U.S. non-profit membership association, founded in 1995, that serves fee-only fiduciary financial planners through training, peer community, vendor discounts, and an annual conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: ACP generates revenue through annual membership dues from fee-only financial advisors who join the organization. Members pay fees in exchange for access to training resources, peer community, vendor partner discounts, conferences, and professional development programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ACP is a national, non-profit membership organization for tax-focused, fee-only fiduciary financial planners founded in 1995. It sells annual membership subscriptions to advisors and their practices, granting access to the proprietary ACP System/Methodology, peer community, structured training (ACP Success Program), the Practical Wisdom podcast, vendor partner discounts, and an annual conference. Members use these resources to build and run client-centered, comprehensive (tax-integrated) advisory practices.

Product overview

ACP (Alliance of Comprehensive Planners) is a professional membership organization, not a single software product. It offers a unified community platform (ACP Connect) supplemented by structured training (ACP Success Program), educational content (Practical Wisdom Podcast, whitepapers), annual conferences, and a vendor partner ecosystem with 25+ technology integrations including financial planning software (MoneyGuidePro, RightCapital), CRM systems (Wealthbox), tax planning tools (Holistiplan, TaxStatus), and portfolio analytics (Kwanti, Capitect). Members access these resources, training, and technology partnerships to build and manage fee-only fiduciary financial planning practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACP Membership Annual membership in the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners, providing fee-only financial advisors with peer community access, training resources, vendor partner discounts, conference participation, and use of the proprietary ACP System/Methodology to build comprehensive, tax-focused client practices.
• ACP Success Program A structured training program that teaches financial advisors the ACP System through self-study modules, virtual classrooms, and the Advisor Desk Reference. Designed for member advisors seeking to implement the comprehensive, tax-focused ACP Methodology in their practices.
• Practical Wisdom Podcast A podcast series featuring Certified ACP advisors sharing strategies, tips, and tools they used to build fee-only comprehensive financial planning practices. Available on SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, TuneIn, Deezer, Castro, and Pocket Casts.
• ACPConnect Online Community Platform Online member community platform providing member directory, profile management, discussion forums, communities, file sharing, and self-service access to training materials and member benefits. Built and hosted on Higher Logic.
• ACP Annual Conference Annual multi-day national conference offering networking, community building, and high-quality sessions that may qualify for continuing education credits. Open to ACP members and non-member participants.
• Tax Alpha Whitepaper A whitepaper exploring ACP's tax-focused financial planning model and its benefits to clients, tax preparers, and financial advisors, articulating how tax planning integrates with holistic financial planning.
• ACP Membership Inquiry and Onboarding Process A structured, personalized 5-step membership journey in which prospective advisors complete an inquiry form, meet with ACP leaders, receive an appropriate application pathway, and onboard into the ACP community.

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration30 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AdvicePaycoreTechnology or IntegrationAdvicePay is a payment processing platform for financial advisors designed to help users bill hourly, retainer, subscription, and other financial planning fees while complying with custody regulations. ACP members receive discounted monthly fee of $40/month (retail: $50/month), discounted credit card processing (2.9% + $0.30), and 1% ACH fee (discounted from 1.5%).
• Asset DedicationcoreTechnology or IntegrationAsset Dedication partners with planning-centric advisors by lifting the burden of investment management and back-office administration. Provides fixed income and equity strategies compatible with ACP's dedicated portfolio model, plus back-office services including reconciliation, reporting, and fee calculation.
• CapitectcoreTechnology or IntegrationCapitect offers modern performance reporting, client billing, and portfolio rebalancing software customized for ACP members. Features integration with ACP Pyramid for easy data updates. Offers free plan for up to 10 clients, 10% discount on Starter plan and all other plans.
• Dimensional Fund AdvisorscoreTechnology or IntegrationDimensional Fund Advisors LP is a leading global investment firm translating academic research into practical investment solutions since 1981. ACP members enjoy fast track access to join DFA.
• HolistiplancoreTechnology or IntegrationHolistiplan is a tax planning software solution that helps financial planners be more comprehensive and efficient. Advisors upload client tax returns to generate white-labeled reports within minutes with data flowing into a tax projection tool. ACP members receive 10% discount with code 2019acp10.
• HublycoreTechnology or IntegrationHubly is a workflow tool for financial advisors to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Helps track processes to serve more clients and increase firm efficiency. ACP members receive 20% discount for first 12 months.
• Income LabcoreTechnology or IntegrationIncome Lab provides software for dynamic retirement planning, building and monitoring retirement income plans that adapt to economic conditions, taxes, and spending changes. ACP discounted rate: $129/month (regular: $159/month); special new user pricing: $20 for first 3 months.
• Kitces EducationcoreTechnology or IntegrationKitces.com Members Section provides continuing education for CFP, IWI, American College designations, and IAR CE. ACP members receive 15% discount off Premier Membership initiated or renewed during 2024 calendar year (base cost $189/year) with code ACP15.
• KwanticoreTechnology or IntegrationKwanti is an award-winning portfolio analytics solution for prospect conversion, client retention, and model management. Winner of Portfolio Analytics award in WealthManagement.com 2024 Industry Awards. ACP members get 10% off license for full year.
• MoneyGuideProcoreTechnology or IntegrationMoneyGuidePro is the financial planning software of choice for eight years running per Financial Planning's RIA survey. Collaborative, goal-based planning with Social Security maximizer and account aggregation. ACP pricing: $995 ($300 discount from $1295 retail).
• RightCapitalcoreTechnology or IntegrationRightCapital's modern, interactive financial planning software includes retirement scenarios, tax-efficient distributions, insurance evaluation, and estate planning. ACP members receive exclusive permanent 25% discount plus exclusive partner webinars.
• WealthboxcoreTechnology or IntegrationWealthbox is a web-and-mobile CRM application for financial professionals. Offers custom ACP Advisor Desk Reference (ADR) templates for members. ACP members receive 10% discount off subscription for one year with code ACP-10pct.
• MarkelcoreOthersMarkel provides E&O insurance for RIAs and financial planners since 1988. ACP members receive 5% discount on E&O premiums (stackable), automatic execution error coverage, customized cyber coverage options, and favorable terms. Contact Bridget Reardon for details.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NAPFA (National Association of Personal Financial Advisors): The largest US association dedicated exclusively to fee-only financial advisors. Directly comparable to ACP in mission (fee-only fiduciary advisor community), member benefits structure, and education/training offerings, though NAPFA serves a broader fee-only segment beyond ACP's tax-focused niche.
• XY Planning Network: A fast-growing community of fee-only financial advisors, particularly younger and growth-stage firms. Comparable to ACP in fee-only focus and community-led model, with overlapping vendor partner discounts and conference programming, but with stronger emphasis on practice-building and next-gen advisors.
• Garrett Planning Network: A national network of fee-only hourly financial advisors. Directly comparable to ACP on the fee-only fiduciary dimension, with similar community, training, and consumer-referral models, though smaller and centered on hourly-fee engagement models.
• Fee-Only Network: An invitation-only membership organization for fee-only financial advisors. Highly comparable to ACP in mission and member selection criteria, offering peer networking, continuing education, and a public advisor directory for consumer referrals.

Broad incumbents

• Financial Planning Association (FPA): The largest membership organization for financial planners in the US, serving CFP® professionals across compensation models. Comparable to ACP as a peer community and CE provider, though FPA's scope is much broader than ACP's fee-only tax-focused niche.
• AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP) Section: The AICPA's membership section for CPAs practicing in personal financial planning. Comparable to ACP for the CPA/PFS contingent within fee-only planning, providing similar training, community, and resources at significantly larger scale within the broader CPA profession.
• Society of Financial Service Professionals (SFSP): A multidisciplinary professional association for financial services practitioners across planning, insurance, and accounting. Comparable to ACP as a community, education, and credentialing body, though it serves a broader cross-discipline membership beyond fee-only planning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/acp_planners
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYvjD6d7D0MI720LHYyUpEg
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Alliance-of-Comprehensive-Planners/66299810866
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alliance-of-comprehensive-planners

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 acp lanners