Yes, directories work, and on the numbers they work better than anything else advisors pay for. In Kitces’ 2026 survey of 506 advisors, online directories had a marketing cost of $0.28 for every $1 of new yearly revenue, the lowest of any channel. Only 18% of firms in the study used them. That’s a cheap channel most firms aren’t using.
The numbers
Kitces Research compared marketing tactics on what they return, not just what they cost. Directories came first:
The study called out the CFP Board, NAPFA, Fee-Only Network and XYPN directories as the most cost-effective. All four are tied to a credential or a fee-only standard, which tells the person searching something they care about.
The typical firm in the same study spent $2,551 to win a client. A directory listing that brings even one client a year usually pays for itself many times over. For context, the median ongoing planning fee among fee-only firms that publish prices is $4,500 a year.
Why directories beat other channels
Most marketing tries to reach people before they’re ready. Directories reach people at the moment they’re choosing. The person browsing a fee-only directory has already decided to hire an advisor, often already decided they want fee-only, and is now comparing names. That’s the most likely reason directories return so much for each dollar spent.
Directories also do something your own website can’t: they’re an independent source that confirms who you are. Search engines and AI assistants weigh independent sources when deciding which firms to show and name. A listing that verifies your registration, credentials and fee-only status backs up what your site says.
Why many listings disappoint
Advisors who’ve tried directories often report little traffic. Three reasons come up most:
- The directory isn’t where clients look. Some directories are built for advisors more than for consumers and get little search traffic of their own.
- The profile is thin. A name, a city and a logo give a browsing client nothing to choose on. Fees, specialties and the clients you serve are what people compare.
- The directory can’t be read by AI or search engines. If listings sit behind search forms or scripts, they don’t turn up in Google or in AI answers, only on the directory’s own site.
One advisor on r/CFP summed up the upside: “Fee only network is my best ROI. Multiple leads and at least a couple clients” (thread).
The directories fee-only advisors use
Prices are as published by each directory, checked October 2026.
| Directory | Who can list | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAPFA Find an Advisor | Fee-only NAPFA members; the consumer search requires the CFP | $695 a year plus $150 one-time processing; $125 one-time to add a website link | The best-known fee-only brand, with a strict standard |
| XYPN Find an Advisor | XYPN members; listing requires the CFP | $544 a month (Emerald, includes NAPFA membership) | A full back office and community, not just a listing |
| Advice-Only Network | Advice-only planners (no AUM fees) | $89 a month, cancel any time, 30-day money-back | Strict advice-only standard; excludes AUM firms |
| Fee-Only Network | Members of affiliated fee-only organizations | Not published | Named by Kitces among the most cost-effective |
| Garrett Planning Network | Hourly and project fee-only planners | Not published | Network with a set practice model |
| CFP Board Let’s Make a Plan | All CFP professionals | Included with certification | Lists fee-only and commissioned planners together |
| FPA PlannerSearch | FPA members | Included in FPA membership | Relaunched October 1, 2026 with Snappy Kraken; about 4,800 profiles |
| Wealthtender | Advisors of any compensation model | $59, $79 or $99 a month | Reviews and a directory; Wealthtender describes inquiries as episodic |
| Wellspent | Fee-only advisors, verified against SEC data | $89 a month ($890 billed yearly) | Public graph read by search engines and AI assistants; introductions with no lead fees; quarterly press |
For a side-by-side look at each one, see Best financial advisor directories, compared honestly.
Directories in Canada
Canada has fewer fee-only directories, and no single aggregator dominates the searches for fee-only or advice-only planners.
- FP Canada Find a Planner lists every CFP and QAFP professional in Canada, with certification and discipline status. It doesn’t filter by how planners are paid, and contact details are self-reported.
- adviceonlyplanners.ca, run by the Financial Planning Association of Canada, lists advice-only planners: those paid only for planning.
- The Globe and Mail’s Find an Advisor lists registered advisors for free and sells premium profiles. Its FAQ says paid profiles get priority placement.
For Canadian fee-only firms, the gap is the opportunity: there’s little competition for clients who search for fee-only or advice-only help by city.
What a profile that gets contacted includes
Whatever directory you choose, the same facts do the work:
- Your fees, with real numbers: ongoing fee, one-time plan, hourly rate, AUM schedule, minimum.
- The two or three kinds of clients you serve best, named the way they’d describe themselves.
- The planning problems you solve, in plain words.
- Credentials, spelled out once.
- Where you work, and whether you work virtually.
- A real photo and a short paragraph in your own voice.
How to choose
Ask five questions of any directory before you pay:
- Do consumers actually use it? Search for “fee-only financial advisor” plus your city and see whether the directory’s pages show up.
- Does it verify the standard it advertises? A fee-only label means more when the directory checks it against SEC data.
- Can you show fees, specialties and the clients you serve? Those are the facts people choose on, and the ones AI assistants quote.
- Can search engines and AI assistants read the listings? Open a listing and check that it has its own web address and plain text, not just a search form.
- Does it charge per lead or share your revenue? A flat listing fee keeps the cost fixed. Per-lead pricing and revenue shares grow with your success. See How much financial advisor leads cost.
Directories versus lead services
Directories and lead services look similar but work differently. A directory shows you to people who are choosing, and they contact you directly. A lead service collects a consumer’s details and sells them to advisors, often to several at once, for a fee per lead or a share of revenue. Directories had the best return in Kitces’ study. Lead services weren’t priced in it, but their published fees run from a few dollars to over $1,000 per lead, or 15% to 35% of a client’s fees for life. See Financial advisor lead generation companies compared.
Getting the most from a listing
- Fill in every field, especially fees, specialties, minimums and the clients you serve.
- Use the same facts you use on your website and SEC record. Inconsistent facts confuse search engines and AI assistants.
- Link to the listing from your site. It helps people verify you and helps the listing get found.
- Answer inquiries within a day. Prospects from directories are often contacting two or three firms.
- Ask new clients how they found you, so you know which listings earn their fee.
Where Wellspent fits
Wellspent is a directory built for how clients search now. Every fee-only advisor in the public graph at find.wellspent.co has a record checked against SEC data, organized by specialty, location and the clients they serve, and written so search engines and AI assistants can read it. Commission-based advisors aren’t eligible. Lists and matches rank on fit, with no sponsored slots. Membership adds introductions straight to your inbox with no lead fees, a monthly report on what AI assistants recommend, and quarterly press placement. See How it works.