I’ll be spending the next few days in Dallas with nearly 500 advisors from across the country at the 2017 XY Planning Network Conference. We’ll be discussing how we can better serve our clients, specifically younger professionals. One of the cool things about this conference is while technically we are all “competitors”, you would not be able to tell by watching the interactions amongst the advisors. We are all here to learn and share what’s working for us with each other–the end goal is to create better financial planning experiences for the public. In addition to the networking and sharing of ideas, the agenda is full of breakout sessions geared toward building better businesses and service models for our clients. These sessions are led by other advisors, and unlike most conferences, there are no product pitches.
This is the third year for the conference (my first time attending) and the number of attendees continues to grow; it’s a good mix of XYPN members (including myself) and non-members. The attendance of the conference, especially the non-XYPN members, is encouraging for the future of financial planning because it represents a growing number of advisors shunning the old way of doing business, replacing it with a client-focused planning relationship. I wrote last year that I was bullish on the future of the industry after leaving the Evidence Based Investing, and I am certain the XYPN Conference will add to that feeling.
The XY Planning Network
The XY Planning Network is a group that I am extremely proud to be a part of. For those not familiar with the it, the XYPN is a network of 489 (as of today) financial advisors who are committed to the following:
- Being Fiduciaries
- Holding the CFP® designation, or working towards the designation
- Fee-Only
- Working with Generation X and Y clients
- Offering a monthly subscription model not based on assets under management
- Offering virtual planning
In their welcoming remarks, the founders Alan Moore and Michael Kitces, shared the long term vision for the network: in 10 years, they hope to have 1,000 members, which will lead to an impact on 300,000 consumers–300,000 family’s lives changed for the better. That’s a huge goal, but one that I’m excited to help reach!
Check back as I’ll be writing more to share my thoughts on conference as the week goes on.
Disclaimer: Nothing on this blog should be considered advice, or recommendations. If you have questions pertaining your individual situation you should consult your financial advisor. For all of the disclaimers, please see my disclaimers page.
