The Institute of Advanced Financial Planners (IAFP) has opened its 2026 membership renewal cycle with a mandatory fiduciary attestation for registered financial planner (RFP) designation holders. The association announced its plan to do so in a letter to members in July 2024.
IAFP, which oversees the RFP designation, confirmed the move in a media release Monday. “The change reflects the work completed this year by the IAFP, which clarified how a fiduciary duty should be clearly defined and consistently applied,” it reads.
Aaron Hector, the association’s president, confirmed this was coming in an address to attendees at the 2025 IAFP Symposium in September.
“It’s a statement of who we are,” he said. “It tells our clients, our peers and the public that the IAFP stands for the highest level of professionalism, ethics and client-first practice standards.”
The attestation confirms that advisors “act as a fiduciary and have a fiduciary duty …” as laid out by the association.
IAFP is also revising its compensation disclosure requirements. Previously, RFP holders were required to share the sources of their compensation with clients. Going forward, advisors must also share the amounts of that compensation.
“The updates reinforce the IAFP’s longstanding belief that ethical financial planning requires not only client-first conduct, but also clear, accessible disclosure that enables clients to evaluate the context in which advice is delivered,” according to the release.