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FP CAREER RESOURCES — JOB SEARCH

Updated September 13, 2025

I. GUIDE TO FINDING FEE-ONLY POSITIONS

  1. Familiarize yourself with the different types of financial planning roles in the industry and how to find an ideal firm:

  2. If you're looking for entry-level positions doing comprehensive financial planning instead of selling products (aka "fee-only"), search for job titles like "associate financial advisor," "associate financial planner," and "paraplanner."

    • Pro tip #1: Some job boards, like LinkedIn Jobs, allow you to filter out specific firms you're not interested in (maybe because they post dozens of jobs that you want to skip). For example, if you are looking for "associate financial advisor" roles but want to exclude two (fictional) firms named "ABCDEFG Financial Planning" and "UVWXYZ Wealth Management", use this search term on LinkedIn:
      associate financial advisor NOT "ABCDEFG Financial Planning" NOT "UVWXYZ Wealth Management"

    • ​Pro tip #2: Most job boards allow you to use search filters. For example, on LinkedIn Jobs, start a job search using the steps above to view all jobs. If you find too many jobs and want to be more specific in your search, click All filters, where you can view jobs with a specific experience level, location, salary, benefits, etc.

  3. Look for smaller firms under 100 employees, as most larger companies are commercial banks, investment banks, broker-dealers, or wirehouses that mainly sell products for commission or fees (aka "fee-based"). Or they are larger companies like insurance companies that mainly sell life insurance and annuities for commissions (also "fee-based").

  4. If you see 3+ job posts from the same company, that's probably a larger company, as it's unlikely that a small firm has more than 1 or 2 job openings at a time.

  5. You may want to skip jobs that mention "unlimited income potential" because that implies they're all commission-based, and skip any jobs that mention the word "commission" entirely.

  6. You might also skip jobs with income ranges where the upper range is 2x or 5x the starting salary (like "$50,000 to $250,000 a year") because salaried jobs tend to be fee-only and have much narrower salary ranges (like "$60,000 to $70,000 a year").

  7. Remember to look at the whole compensation package, not just the salary. Firms that really care about their employees may reimburse CFP® exam prep, have generous vacation policies, 401(k) with a match, explicitly mention "mentorship," and offer other paid benefits.

  8. Check out the II. FINANCIAL PLANNING JOB BOARDS section below to start your job search.

  9. Find a job by networking: Some positions aren't posted on traditional job boards. Firms may not even know they need to hire someone like you until they meet you, and you're not competing against the dozens (or hundreds) of other applicants. Ask for informational interviews with folks in the industry (without explicitly asking for a job), and you may be amazed at what happens. Like the saying goes: "Ask for a job and you'll get advice. Ask for advice and you'll get a job."

    • Check out the III. FINANCIAL PLANNING FIRM DIRECTORIES section below to find interesting firms to ask for informational interviews and look for job openings on their website.​

    • See additional Networking resources here.

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II. FINANCIAL PLANNING JOB BOARDS

  1. LinkedIn Jobs — One of the larger job boards where you can find financial planning positions across the country.

  2. CFP Board Career Center — Official career site for the CFP Board — Virtual events: Career fairs and diversity summits where you can find financial planning jobs — Get a free basic resume review from TopResume when you post your resume on the job board

  3. Financial Planning Association Job Board — Search for financial planning positions across the country

  4. New Planner Recruiting — "Our recruiting firm was founded with one goal in mind. We want to positively shape the financial planning profession by supplying top-level talent to high-growth firms so more consumers will ultimately have access to financial planning services... Caleb Brown and Michael Kitces, our two co-founders, have been long standing contributors to and advocates of the financial planning profession."

  5. Lead Advisor Job Board — "Salaried Roles in Wealth Management & Planning. Lead-Advisor's Job Board - Accelerating Firm Building and Career Advancement for the Wealth Management Community"

  6. National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) Job Board — Search for employment and internship opportunities

  7. Simply Paraplanner — Search for virtual planner and paraplanner positions for free — With a Paraplanner Academy (subscription required) for financial planning software training, mastermind groups, and continuing education

  8. Financial Planner Recruiting — "Meet  Ali Staton, who is on a mission to boost the financial planning industry by connecting top-notch talent with boutique firms. As a top financial advisor recruiter, she understands the unique needs of independent boutique wealth management firms."

  9. Schwab RIAConnect Talent Advantage™ — "If you are interested in a career in the RIA industry, you're in the right place. RIAConnect Talent Advantage is a professional networking platform that helps connect you with RIA firms and job opportunities that align with your career goals. Get started today by creating your profile."

  10. XY Planning Network VIP Facebook group — A supportive financial planning community — Free to  join for anyone (just request access) — Job postings are allowed on Mondays (it's where I found my associate advisor position)

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III. FINANCIAL PLANNING FIRM DIRECTORIES

  1. Fee-Only Network — "You Need a Trusted Financial Advisor, Not A Sales Professional. Fee-Only is the Difference.™ Fee-Only financial advisors never sell investments or make commission. They work only for you - not a broker, bank, or insurance company."

  2. The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) — "For nearly 40 years, NAPFA has been the standard bearer for fee-only, fiduciary financial advisors advocating for high professional and ethical standards"

  3. All Financial Advisors — "Find a Financial Advisor. There are thousands of advisors and advisory firms across the states. We help you understand their practice and assist you in finding vetted advisors near you."

  4. Schwab RIAConnect Talent Advantage™ — "If you are interested in a career in the RIA industry, you're in the right place. RIAConnect Talent Advantage is a professional networking platform that helps connect you with RIA firms and job opportunities that align with your career goals. Get started today by creating your profile."

  5. Kinder Institute of Life Planning — "Kinder Institute’s mission is to advance the practice of “whole-life” life planning as the most fiduciary, most comprehensive, and most client-centered form of financial planning. We deliver a core set of training programs to professionals around the world, and provide ongoing support and education to our community of Registered Life Planner® (RLP®) designees."

  6. Dimensional — Find an Advisor  — "A culture of academic inquiry has been Dimensional’s bedrock from the start. Our firm is driven by an evidence-based approach, Nobel Prize-winning insights, and decades of expertise pursuing higher returns while maintaining low costs and diversification. Our investment process reflects years of innovation and refinement, and this has translated into better returns for investors."

  7. BrokerCheck by FINRA — "BrokerCheck is a free tool created by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)to research the background and experience of financial advisers and firms."

  8. SEC.gov — Investment Adviser Public Disclosure — If you're tech-savvy, you can download all the data for firms registered with the Securities Exchange Commission in an XML format.

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IV. OTHER JOB SEARCH RESOURCES

  1. Amplified Planning: How to Find Your Career in Financial Planning — "So, you’ve decided you want to be a financial planner. But what does that actually look like?"

  2. Amplified Planning: How to Choose a Financial Planning Firm as a CFP® Professional — "Looking for a new job may always feel a bit intimidating, but it can be especially overwhelming when you’re just starting your career as a financial planner. You want to choose an employer that will give you the job satisfaction and work/life balance you’re looking for. But you also want to make sure your new managers are going to support your unique approach to financial planning."

  3. Herbers & Company: Insights on How to Find a Job in A Financial Advisory Firm — "Learn the most effective strategies for landing a job at an RIA, from targeting the right firms to acing the interview process. Whether you’re new to the industry or looking to make a move, you’ll gain practice insights on how to get hired."

  4. Compounding Careers: Finding Your Fit as a New Financial Planner — I had the opportunity to help Matt Fizell, CFP® and Jared Machen, CFP® with their course, Compounding Careers. I was super excited because I knew this was something that would have helped me on my journey as a Financial Planner. Instead of taking the heavily-traveled path of selling products for commissions or starting as a client service associate, this course will show you a shortcut to your dream job in Financial Planning at your ideal firm.

  5. Simplicity Operations Job Resources — "Looking for a Job? Find new opportunities in the finance industry with these job boards and networks."​​

  6. BLX Internship — "The Internship Program for Aspiring Black and Latinx Financial Planners. Our mission is to make the demographics of the financial planning profession more representative of the population of our country."

  7. UCLA Alumni Association YouTube channel

    • "Résumé Writing for Career Changers" from 2022 — "The average professional changes their career 5-7 times over the course of their lifetime. While changing careers can seem daunting, armed with the foundational knowledge of the hiring process and the right résumé strategies, you can transition to a new role with ease." — (Also see previous 2021 webinar)

    • "Building a Quality Résumé: Translating Your Transferrable Skills & Tailoring Your Résumé" from 2023 — "Join career coach Markell Morris to learn a step-by-step process to help you design a career on your own terms."

    • "How to Polish Your Online Presence" from 2023 — "Clean up your online profiles during this webinar to help you refine your UCLA ONE and LinkedIn presence. Learn how to best showcase your skills and experience to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers."

    • "Career Conversations: Acing the Virtual Interview" — "...a discussion on interview preparation and tips for success. Vickers will share “do’s and don’ts” of online interviewing and what makes candidates stand out"

    • "Bruin Career Insights: Your Best Interview" — "...explores the critical elements you need to know to make a great first impression. Learn the do’s and don’ts of how to present yourself, reduce the risk of rejection and increase the odds of getting an offer."

    • "Bruin Career Insights: Inside the Hiring Process" — "...executive recruiter Katya Daniel ’08 arms you with the inside scoop on how to win the hiring process. Katya shares the characteristics that recruiters look for, offers tips on how to tell your authentic story and gives some practical advice on becoming the best candidate for the job."

  8. "How people get the good jobs | Taylor Doe | TEDxOklahomaCity​" — "His recent work invites listeners to unpack what he calls ‘And Then Moments’ – the seemingly overlooked moments in life that actually help people succeed."

  • LinkedIn

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