What is NAPFA®?

The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is the largest professional association of Fee-Only® financial planners. Although there are more than 48,000 Certified Financial Planners™ (CFP®) in the United States, there are approximately 1,000 who have chosen to meet NAPFA’s tough membership qualifications. Member advisors provide consumers and institutions with coordinated and objective financial advice on a “fee-only” basis. Neither advisors nor any related party, receive compensation contingent on the purchase or sale of a financial product.

Qualified member advisors must be primarily engaged as financial advisors and must meet:

  • Extensive credentialing and educational requirements.
  • Rigorous continuing education requirements twice the CFP® requirement.

NAPFA members must also submit:

  • To outside professional review to ensure that they don’t have commission-related conflicts of interests.
  • A financial plan for review by peers, before they can be admitted.






NAPFA – Fiduciary Oath
“The advisor shall exercise his/her best efforts to act in good faith and in the best interests of the client. The advisor shall provide written disclosure to the client prior to the engagement of the advisor, and thereafter throughout the term of the engagement, of any conflicts of interest, which will or reasonably may compromise the impartiality or independence of the advisor.

The advisor, or any party in which the advisor has a financial interest, does not receive any compensation or other remuneration that is contingent on any client's purchase or sale of a financial product. The advisor does not receive a fee or other compensation from another party based on the referral of a client or the client's business.”