The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is the country’s leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors—highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve. NAPFA was founded in 1983 when a group of advisors simply wanted to serve their clients without muddling the relationship with commissions.
NAPFA members cannot accept compensation in any form from any source other than their clients. There are no exceptions. NAPFA believes that this minimizes potential conflict of interest between a financial planner and their clients. They believe that this method of compensation is the most transparent and objective method available. All NAPFA members are required to work only within the Fee-Only structure, accepting no commissions for their work.
The Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) certification identifies to the public that those holding this certification have met rigorous professional standards and have agreed to adhere to the principles of integrity, objectivity, competence, fairness, confidentiality, professionalism and diligence when dealing with clients. They represent the value of professional, competent and ethical financial planning services.
The Financial Planning Association (FPA) is a professional organization that helps members of the public find an ethical, objective, client-focused financial planner. FPA members must follow the organization’s code of ethics, which requires financial planners to provide their services with integrity, objectivity, competence, confidentiality, fairness, professionalism and diligence. Members must be honest and unbiased with their clients, and they must provide financial advice that is in the client’s, not the advisor’s, best interest.