In Episode #36 of NAPFA Nation, host Marie Swift speaks with NAPFA CEO Kathryn Dattomo to unpack the association's new strategic framework for 2026 and what it means for fee-only fiduciary advisors.

Dattomo shares how the framework grew out of a full year of listening sessions, surveys, and focus groups with NAPFA members and volunteer leaders, ultimately coalescing into three core pillars that are designed to be practical, member-driven, and tightly aligned with NAPFA's mission. The conversation explores how NAPFA plans to elevate the fiduciary standard by clarifying what fiduciary conduct looks like within the association, strengthening its advocacy voice around consumer protection, and helping advisors better communicate the value of fee-only advice to the public. Dattomo also explains how NAPFA will ignite connections through a redesigned website, a more robust member engagement hub, and an enhanced 'Find an Advisor' tool that makes it easier for consumers to locate fiduciary planners and understand why the fee-only model matters. Rounding out the framework, she highlights NAPFA's commitment to deepening professional education with more advanced, technical, and expert-driven content, expanded learning pathways from early career to advanced practice, and new online and on-demand opportunities rolling out as early as the first quarter of the new year.

As the year-end episode, Marie Swift closes the episode by noting that NAPFA Nation will go on sabbatical following this release, thanking listeners for their support, and encouraging advisors to watch for upcoming announcements as NAPFA brings its new strategic vision to life in 2026.

In a nutshell:

• NAPFA's new strategic framework for 2026 was shaped by a year-long process of member surveys, focus groups, and board and volunteer input to ensure it is practical and member-driven.
• The plan is organized into three pillars: elevating the fiduciary standard, igniting connections through community and engagement, and deepening professional education and learning.
• Elevating the fiduciary standard focuses on clarifying what fiduciary conduct means for NAPFA members, strengthening advocacy around consumer protection, and helping advisors clearly communicate the value of fee-only fiduciary advice.
• Igniting connections centers on enhancing the member experience through a redesigned website, a more robust member engagement hub, and an improved Find an Advisor tool that makes it easier for consumers to find and understand fee-only fiduciary planners.
• Deepening professional education emphasizes more advanced and technical programming, expert-driven content, new formats and tracks at conferences, and expanded online and on-demand learning opportunities beginning as early as the first quarter of 2026.

Special Note: In 2023, we rebranded the NAPFA podcast with a new album cover and series title: NAPFA Nation. We are shifting our monthly episodes to bring you inspiring conversations and key insights from leaders in the Fee-Only financial planning profession. Marie Swift, Founder and CEO of Impact Communications, will continue on as host, interviewing a variety of NAPFA members and professionals. You will still be able to find on this channel the 32 Mindset Mastery episodes with respected fiduciary financial planners and allied advocates who are committed to accomplishing great things as they master their own mindset and continue to serve their clients in the best ways possible.

Brought to you by NAPFA - the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors - the country's leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors. Learn more about NAPFA at www.NAPFA.org.

In Episode #35 of NAPFA Nation, host Marie Swift speaks with renowned industry commentator Bob Veres to discuss his newest book, A Behind-the-Scenes History of the Financial Planning Profession, a sweeping history of the profession through Veres' 45-year career.

Veres explores pivotal moments that have shaped the profession, from the collapse of limited partnerships in the 1990s and the tech wreck to the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. He unpacks how each crisis forced the profession to reflect, adapt, and re-center on genuine financial planning as the foundation for client trust and long-term success. He delves into the ongoing regulatory challenges and the outsized influence of brokerage lobbies, highlighting the uphill battle that fee-only advisors faced, and continue to face, in raising standards and earning the public's confidence.

Veres also reflects on what drives some practitioners to continually raise the bar for professionalism and education, leading the evolution of standards not just to comply with regulations, but to inspire greater consumer trust. He shares enduring lessons and keys to long-term success for advisors, emphasizing the importance of curiosity, adaptability, and staying engaged with new ideas, qualities that have defined the true leaders of the profession.

In a nutshell:

• The profession has faced repeated crises that have repeatedly tested advisor-client relationships, causing shifts back toward authentic financial planning over pure asset management.
• Regulatory dynamics have been challenging, with the SEC's increasing oversight, starting in 2004, disproportionately burdening fee-only fiduciary advisors, who have been influenced by lobbying from brokerage firms. This regulatory capture shaped the profession's standards and challenges.
• Despite early financial sacrifices, fee-only pioneers raised standards in education, practice, and ethics, gaining consumer trust and eventually building large, successful firms. Voluntary higher standards have been a key driver toward professionalism.
• The essential qualities for future success in the profession include flexibility, curiosity, continuous learning, and early adoption of innovations such as AI. These are the traits that distinguish enduring leaders from laggards as the profession continues to evolve and adapt.

Special Note: In 2023, we rebranded the NAPFA podcast with a new album cover and series title: NAPFA Nation. We are shifting our monthly episodes to bring you inspiring conversations and key insights from leaders in the Fee-Only financial planning profession. Marie Swift, Founder and CEO of Impact Communications, will continue on as host, interviewing a variety of NAPFA members and professionals. You will still be able to find on this channel the 32 Mindset Mastery episodes with respected fiduciary financial planners and allied advocates who are committed to accomplishing great things as they master their own mindset and continue to serve their clients in the best ways possible.

Brought to you by NAPFA - the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors - the country's leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors. Learn more about NAPFA at www.NAPFA.org.

In Episode #34 of NAPFA Nation, host Marie Swift speaks with Jennifer Gray, LPC, LMHC, EMDR, founder of Jennifer Gray Counseling, a renowned mentor, mental health therapist, and entrepreneurial well-being expert, about the challenges of maintaining work/life harmony for financial advisors and entrepreneurs, exploring why true balance is less about perfectly portioning time and more about aligning energy, values, and emotional boundaries.

Gray challenges the conventional wisdom that work-life balance is all about time management, emphasizing instead the importance of aligning personal energy, values, and emotional boundaries. She shares practical strategies for recognizing warning signs of burnout, tracking natural energy fluctuations to inform daily tasks, and developing "shutdown rituals" that aid smooth transitions between professional and personal life. Gray advocates for the power of saying no and the need to redefine productivity, urging listeners to let go of rigid expectations and focus on blending work and life, rather than compartmentalizing them.

The duo also explores the risks of overachieving, tying self-worth to output, and the common experience of isolation among solo entrepreneurs. Gray offers guidance on building resilience, maintaining identity beyond professional achievements, and the importance of community – reminding NAPFA members and others listening to the podcast to engage with resources and peer groups for both support and inspiration. The conversation is filled with actionable insights and candid anecdotes, delivering a masterclass in navigating the unique challenges faced by financial advisors as they strive for authentic success and well-being.

In a Nutshell:

• Work-life balance is less about dividing time and more about aligning energy, values, and emotional boundaries
• Tracking energy patterns and building shutdown rituals to mark the end of each workday helps prevent burnout
• Beware of the risks of tying self-worth too closely to productivity and aim instead to loosen rigid expectations and focus on holistic well-being
• Community connections, personal interests, and emotional self-care play a vital role in fostering long-term resilience and overcoming professional isolation

Special Note: In 2023, we rebranded the NAPFA podcast with a new album cover and series title: NAPFA Nation. We are shifting our monthly episodes to bring you inspiring conversations and key insights from leaders in the Fee-Only financial planning profession. Marie Swift, Founder and CEO of Impact Communications, will continue on as host, interviewing a variety of NAPFA members and professionals. You will still be able to find on this channel the 32 Mindset Mastery episodes with respected fiduciary financial planners and allied advocates who are committed to accomplishing great things as they master their own mindset and continue to serve their clients in the best ways possible.

Brought to you by NAPFA - the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors - the country's leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors. Learn more about NAPFA at www.NAPFA.org.