The Financial Planning Association has launched a new framework defining behavioral skills that contribute to success in financial planning and establishing a structured path for continuing professional development
The FPA developed the initiative, called the FPA Competency Model, in collaboration with academic leaders, practitioners and subject matter experts, the organization said in a news release. The behavior-based Competency Model goes beyond technical knowledge and focuses on skills that distinguish financial planners, including how they communicate, think, lead and show up for their clients and teams, according to the release.
“The FPA Competency Model is about clarity, intention, and giving financial planners the tools to lead with purpose,” 2025 FPA President Paul Brahim, CFP, CEPA, said in the release. “We’re not just introducing a framework, we’re elevating the behavioral competencies that shape how planners build relationships, inspire teams, and advocate for the profession.”
Six Key Behavioral Domains
FPA Competency Model is intended for financial planning professionals of every background and career stage and focuses on six key domains that are essential for today’s financial planners:
Interpersonal Impact: Building effective relationships through empathy and collaboration
Client Communication and Care: Nurturing client understanding, trust and experience
Critical Thinking: Monitoring, adapting and directing one’s thoughts to solve problems
Leadership: Effecting positive change for clients, the profession, and society
Professionalism: Promoting integrity and accountability
Advancing the Profession: Supporting the reach, capability, and impact of financial planning
Each domain is based not just on abstract ideas, but includes specific, observable behaviors and is divided into three levels of proficiency: foundational, intermediate and advanced. This layered system is designed to help planners identify where they are and plan their future development.
“Whether you’re a student, a new planner, or a seasoned firm owner, this model helps you assess your strengths, uncover growth opportunities, and pursue the skills that matter most to your clients and your career,” Chief Operating Officer and Interim CEO Dennis J. Moore, MBA, CFP, FPA, said in the release.
The FPA Competency Model includes a range of tools and resources:
A digital hub with breakdowns of each competency
Self-guided assessments for planners to evaluate where they are in each domain
Curated educational content keyed to the model and tailored to the individual planner’s learning plan, including live and on-demand webinars to national conferences and events and the Journal of Financial Planning
The FPA Competency Model also creates a shared language for firms, employers, educators, and mentors to support the holistic development of financial planners throughout their careers, according to the release.
FPA cited the members of the volunteer task force that conceptualized and designed the model.:
Hannah Moore, CFP (chair): Guiding Wealth in Richardson, Texas
Stephen Brody, Ph.D., CFP, ChFC: MML Investors Services in Greenville, North Carolina
Dan Heibert, Ph.D., CFP: Minnesota State University—Mankato in Mankato, Minnesota
Kimberly Bridges, Ph.D., CFP, CPWA, CDFA: BOK Financial in Mesa, Ariz.
Jamie Hopkins, JD, CFP®, ChFC, CLU, RICP: Bryn Mawr Capital Mgmt in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
JD Bruce, CPA, PFS: Abacus Wealth partners in Santa Monica, California
Ajamu Loving, Ph.D., CFP: University of North Texas at Dallas in Dallas, Texas
Swarn Chatterjee, Ph.D.: University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia
Nick Nicolette, CFP: Sterling Financial Group in Sparta, New Jersey
Destre Downing (FPA staff lead): Financial Planning Association in Denver, Colorado
“The members of the task force played a vital role in envisioning how we can continue to elevate the profession,” Brahim said. “By focusing on the behaviors that define great planning and supporting our members in developing them, we’re lighting the path for the next generation.”
The FPA Competency Model is available here and is being updated frequently with additional content and resources.
