Consumers have more access to information than ever before, yet many still struggle to clearly understand what holistic financial planning truly means — and how to find the right professional to deliver it.
That gap between expertise and discoverability is exactly what the Financial Planning Association (FPA®) and Snappy Kraken aim to close through a new multi-year initiative to reimagine FPA PlannerSearch and elevate public awareness of comprehensive financial planning.
This partnership is not about refreshing a directory. It is about modernizing how financial planning is positioned, discovered, and connected to real consumer intent in a digital-first environment.
Read the Press Release here.
The Visibility Problem Facing Holistic Financial Planners
Over the past two decades, online directories have helped consumers find financial professionals based on location and credentials. That model served its purpose in an earlier era of search.
Today, however, consumers research differently. They rely on search engines and AI-driven tools to compare professionals long before initiating contact. They evaluate specialization, philosophy, and values alignment. They want to understand whether a planner offers holistic financial guidance or transactional product advice.
Meanwhile, many CFP® professionals who provide comprehensive planning services face slower organic growth and increased competition for attention. The issue is rarely capability. It is clarity and discoverability.
In 2026, visibility alone does not drive growth. Positioning does. Trust does. Systems that convert discovery into engagement do.
Reimagining FPA PlannerSearch for the Modern Search Environment
FPA PlannerSearch has served as a visibility platform for CFP® professionals for more than 20 years. The new initiative transforms it into something far more intentional: a high-trust, measurable lead-generation engine designed to connect consumers with holistic financial planners through smarter matching and integrated engagement pathways.
The redevelopment centers on four strategic priorities.
1. Clearly Defining Financial Planning
Financial planning is not synonymous with investment management, insurance sales, or one-time advice. It is an ongoing, relationship-driven discipline that integrates financial strategy with life goals, behavior, and long-term decision-making.
The enhanced platform will position FPA members — particularly CFP® professionals committed to comprehensive planning — as holistic experts. Clarifying that distinction strengthens category awareness and helps consumers make informed decisions about the type of guidance they truly need.
2. Building Trust-Based Connections
Modern consumers look for fit as much as proximity. Specialization, niche focus, communication style, and planning philosophy increasingly shape advisor selection.
The redesigned PlannerSearch experience will emphasize these factors, allowing consumers to identify planners whose expertise and approach align with their personal circumstances. By surfacing differentiation more clearly, the platform supports stronger trust before the first conversation takes place.
3. Generating Qualified Leads, Not Just Visibility
Traditional directories provide exposure. Exposure does not automatically translate into growth.
Through the integration of Snappy Kraken’s marketing automation platform, the evolved PlannerSearch platform will help convert consumer interest into measurable inquiries for participating planners. Engagement pathways will be structured, trackable, and intentional, bridging the gap between being found and being chosen.
For financial planners seeking sustainable growth, this shift from passive visibility to active demand generation is meaningful.
4. Encouraging Active Profile Management
In an environment shaped by AI indexing and real-time search behavior, static profiles lose relevance quickly.
The new system will encourage ongoing profile optimization, ensuring that planners’ expertise, niche focus, and differentiators remain current and clearly articulated. Active engagement strengthens both search performance and consumer confidence.
Why This Initiative Matters Now
Consumer discovery is increasingly influenced by AI tools, intent signals, and digital evaluation long before a direct inquiry occurs. Platforms that fail to evolve risk becoming invisible in that process.
By combining FPA’s leadership in advancing the financial planning profession with Snappy Kraken’s expertise in measurable marketing systems, this partnership aligns category awareness with modern growth infrastructure. The result is a clearer pathway from search to discovery to engagement to relationship.
Powered by Snappy Kraken, the redevelopment modernizes the platform’s technology and user experience. A go-to-market rollout is planned for late summer 2026, and CFP® Professional members currently opted into PlannerSearch will transition automatically once the new platform launches.
A Stronger Foundation for the Profession
Financial planning deserves clearer positioning in the marketplace. Consumers deserve tools that help them understand and access comprehensive guidance. CFP® professionals deserve digital infrastructure that reflects the depth of their expertise and supports measurable growth.
This partnership is designed to strengthen all three.
The reimagined FPA PlannerSearch platform is expected to launch in late summer 2026.
FPA members who want early access to preview features, provide feedback, and help shape the future of the platform are invited to join the beta program ahead of the full rollout.
If you are interested in joining the PlannerSearch Beta Group, click here.
