Directories are the most underused growth channel in financial advice. In Kitces’ 2026 study of 506 advisors, online directories cost $0.28 for every $1 of new annual revenue, the lowest of any tactic, ahead of client referrals ($0.34) and SEO ($0.45). Yet only 18% of firms used one. The study called the CFP Board, NAPFA, Fee-Only Network and XYPN directories the most cost-effective.
Wellspent is one of the services compared here. Every price comes from the provider’s own pages, listed in the sources below.
The directories at a glance
| Directory | Who’s listed | Price | Credential rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAPFA Find an Advisor | Fee-only members | $695/year + $150 one-time; $125 to add a website link | CFP required for the consumer search |
| XY Planning Network | Fee-only members | $544/month (Emerald, includes NAPFA) | CFP required for the listing |
| Advice-Only Network | Advice-only planners (no asset-based fees) | $89/month, 30-day money-back | None stated |
| Fee-Only Network | Members of affiliated fee-only organizations | Not published | Affiliation required |
| Garrett Planning Network | Hourly, no-minimum fee-only planners | Not published | Network membership |
| Alliance of Comprehensive Planners | Tax-focused retainer planners | $9,900 initial + $2,700/year (2018) | Network membership |
| CFP Board, Let’s Make a Plan | All CFP professionals | Included with certification | CFP |
| FPA PlannerSearch | FPA members | Included with FPA membership | FPA membership |
| Wealthtender | Any advisor | $59, $79 or $99/month | None |
| Wellspent | Fee-only advisors, checked against SEC data | $89 a month ($890 billed yearly) | None; fee-only by SEC data |
| FP Canada, Find a Planner | Canadian CFP and QAFP professionals | Included with certification | CFP or QAFP |
| FPAC adviceonlyplanners.ca | Canadian advice-only planners | FPAC membership, not published | CFP or QAFP |
| Globe and Mail, Find an Advisor | Canadian registered advisors | Free basic; paid premium | Registration checked |
Prices are from each provider’s own pages in 2026 unless dated.
The fee-only associations
NAPFA is the brand consumers know. People search for it by name, and consumer finance sites send readers there. The trade-off is that its consumer search shows only members with the CFP. See Wellspent vs NAPFA.
XY Planning Network is a back office as much as a directory: compliance, technology and community for new fee-only firms. Its listing is a benefit of a $544 a month membership.
The Advice-Only Network suits planners who never charge on assets, at $89 a month with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Fee-Only Network and Garrett Planning Network don’t publish prices. One advisor on r/CFP called Fee-Only Network their “best ROI. Multiple leads and at least a couple clients.” (thread)
The credential directories
CFP Board’s Let’s Make a Plan lists every CFP professional and shows certification and disciplinary history. It isn’t filtered to fee-only by default, so fee-only planners appear next to commission-based ones.
FPA PlannerSearch relaunched on October 1, 2026, rebuilt with Snappy Kraken. It moved about 4,800 profiles over, added a 12-question quiz and automated follow-up, and says its profiles are built to be read by AI engines. It’s new, so results are unproven.
The open directories
Wealthtender combines a directory with compliant client reviews and content written for AI answers. It accepts any advisor, which helps advisors who aren’t fee-only and dilutes the signal for those who are. See Wellspent vs Wealthtender.
Wellspent keeps a verified record of each fee-only advisor in the public graph: fees, specialties, clients served, credentials and SEC registration, with sources. The graph covers 24,501 fee-only advisors and 9,148 firms across 61 US and Canadian regions, and AI assistants made 38,670 verified reads of its pages in the 28 days to October 30, 2026. Lists rank on fit, with no paid placement. Membership includes introductions straight to you, a monthly AI visibility report and quarterly press placement.
Canada
FP Canada’s Find a Planner shows certification status but lists contact details as self-reported. The Globe and Mail’s Find an Advisor fact-checks listings, but its FAQ says paid profiles get priority placement. FPAC’s adviceonlyplanners.ca serves the advice-only niche.
How to get results from any directory
- Fill in everything. Specialties, the clients you serve, fees and service area. Thin profiles lose to complete ones in both search and AI answers.
- Use the same facts everywhere. Matching names, fees and specialties across directories, your website and your Wellspent record make each one more believable.
- Publish your fees. Prospects look for price early, and AI answers quote it when it’s there.
- Reply the same day. A prospect who writes from a directory is usually comparing a few advisors.
- Ask new clients where they found you. Kitces’ figures are averages. Your own sources tell you which listing to keep.
Which to choose
- Fee-only CFP: NAPFA first. Add a record built for AI answers alongside it.
- Fee-only without the CFP: Wellspent or Wealthtender, since NAPFA’s and XYPN’s consumer searches require it.
- New firm that needs a back office: XY Planning Network.
- Advice-only, no asset fees: the Advice-Only Network.
- You want client reviews: Wealthtender.
- Any CFP: keep your Let’s Make a Plan profile complete. It’s free with certification.
Bottom line
Directories are cheap clients hiding in plain sight. Pick one or two that match how you’re paid and who you serve, keep every profile consistent, and put the same verified facts wherever prospects and AI assistants look. Read more in do financial advisor directories work? and SmartAsset alternatives.