Full Control with Scalable Support

XYPN members agree to the following standards to qualify for membership:

Fee-Only: Members must operate on a fee-only basis. We follow the CFP Board’s definition of Fee-Only: “A certificant may describe his or her practice as “fee-only” if, and only if, all of the certificant’s compensation from all of his or her client work comes exclusively from the clients in the form of fixed, flat, hourly, percentage or performance-based fees.”

Provide Services Virtually As Needed: Members must be able to accommodate clients with mobility/accessibility considerations. Physical location should not limit one’s access to financial planning.

Fee-for-Service (Retainer, Subscription, Hourly, Flat-Fee offering): XYPN members must offer financial planning services to clients without requiring a certain asset level as part of their fee model. Note: Advisors may offset planning fees with AUM.

Good standing with BrokerCheck: Each member is screened via BrokerCheck for approval into the Network. No member is approved if they have a regulatory fine, arbitration or settlement in excess of $10k. Please review this article for more information.

Note: The CFP® designation is required to be listed in the Find-an-Advisor search tool

XYPN now offers two ways to join membership: as an Emerald member, for those who prefer more flexibility and control over their firm and its operations, and as a Sapphire member, for those who prefer an RIA affiliation model with more plug-and-play support or who experience complexities that impede them from having the firm of their dreams.

Those who currently enjoy all of the benefits Emerald offers are also welcome to apply to transition their membership to Sapphire.

No, you do not! XYPN believes in the CFP® designation and views it as a certification that all financial planners should obtain. However, the only member benefit that requires CFP® certification is the ability to be listed on our Find-An-Advisor profile.

Yes! All XYPN members sign a fiduciary oath. Members also sign a compliance terms of service and an agreement regarding their fee-only transition; specifically, this agreement states that as an XYPN member, the advisor:

• Must not sell any new products immediately as of joining
• Must eliminate all trails within 12 months
• Must not hold out as fee-only at any point, including during the 12-month period, while still receiving trails (and also acknowledges no member can be listed on the XYPN website while receiving any trails)

Our relationship with Schwab allows financial advisors who are members of XYPN to access Schwab’s custodial platform—without the pressure or obligation to meet asset targets.

XYPN members instantly receive access to the platform and are under no commitment to increase their assets under management while with the custodian. Schwab will also provide dedicated service and business development support to XYPN’s membership of more than 1,500 independent advisors who employ the innovative monthly retainer model and offer services that cater to the needs of younger investors. XYPN members can use their own 1-800-number to reach support staff.

THESE MATERIALS HAVE BEEN INDEPENDENTLY PRODUCED BY XY PLANNING NETWORK. XY PLANNING NETWORK IS INDEPENDENT OF, AND HAS NO AFFILIATION WITH, CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC. OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES (“SCHWAB”). SCHWAB IS A REGISTERED BROKER-DEALER AND MEMBER SIPC. SCHWAB HAS NOT CREATED, SUPPLIED, LICENSED, ENDORSED, OR OTHERWISE SANCTIONED THESE MATERIALS NOR HAS SCHWAB INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED ANY OF THE INFORMATION IN THEM. XY PLANNING NETWORK MEMBERS PROVIDE INVESTMENT ADVICE, WHILE SCHWAB MAINTAINS CUSTODY OF ASSETS IN A BROKERAGE ACCOUNT AND WILL EFFECT TRANSACTIONS FOR YOUR CLIENTS’ ACCOUNT ON YOUR INSTRUCTION.

Absolutely! Two or more advisors at the same firm may save by signing up for a Add-On Firm Membership. Full benefits are available for each additional member added to one Standard Membership.

Some membership benefits are available to advisors residing outside the US who meet regulatory criteria. Membership grants listing on the Find-an-Advisor portal with CFP® designation and access to member-exclusive forums, educational materials, and resources. At this time we do not accept applications for advisors in the European Union. 

Questions? Contact our Success Strategists