The Financial Planning Association has launched the FPA Competency Model, a new training and education framework designed to help industry professionals develop the behavioral skills that drive success in financial planning.
“The FPA Competency Model is about clarity, intention and giving financial planners the tools to lead with purpose,” Paul Brahim, 2025 FPA president, said in a statement. “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.”
The program, designed for planning professionals of all backgrounds and career stages, according to the announcement, is organized according to six core behavioral domains. These include interpersonal impact, client communication and care, critical thinking, leadership, professionalism and advancing the profession.
Each domain is further organized across three levels of proficiency — foundational, intermediate and advanced. This tiered structure, according to the FPA, enables planners to map their development over time and experience.
“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,” added Dennis Moore, FPA’s chief operating officer and interim CEO.
Planning professionals can engage with the FPA Competency Model via an evolving suite of tools and resources to support adoption, including a centralized digital hub and self-guided assessments to help planners evaluate where they stand in each domain. In addition, curated educational content is mapped directly to the model and tailored to the individual planner’s identified learning level.
More of the thinking behind the training and education program is detailed in a recent article published in the FPA’s Journal of Financial Planning, including an overview from Hannah Moore, a certified financial planner and creator of Amplified Planning who served as the competency task force chair.
Pictured: Hannah Moore
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.