Finseca & IAQFP Announce Unification to Strengthen Financial Planning

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Finseca and the International Association of Qualified Financial Planners (IAQFP) announced their merger.

"I'm so grateful for Paul and the IAQFP's leadership for their efforts to unify the Financial Planning designations. We know that when consumers have a holistic financial plan, they get better outcomes. But we also know that many families are confused and not sure where to turn. As Finseca's ninth integration, this merger is another step in Finseca working to unify this profession so that we can help more families get the advice and products they need to be financially secure. It is only through a unified profession that we will have the scale to advance the cause of financial security for all," said Marc Cadin, CEO of Finseca.

"IAQFP was created to unite the profession and professionals in the specific field of Financial Planning under a readily ascertainable, proven standard of education, examination, experience, and ethics who are those IAQFP Certified—Financial Planners widely known as Qualified Financial Planners ("QFP"), which was introduced in 2003, to unify the profession of Financial Planning around a single, trusted standard ("One Profession-One Designation"). The heart of this unification merger is the people we serve. IAQFP has full confidence in Finseca to protect the integrity of the QFP designation and to significantly expand the number of QFPs for the benefit of a much-deserving public," said Paul League, Co-Founder, Chairperson & President of IAQFP. 

Central to this effort is the longstanding IAQFP commitment to preserving the integrity of the QFP designation and its online public QFP Registry resource — "The place to both find and verify Qualified Financial Planners (QFP)," a commitment Finseca fully embraces.

Finseca members, others in the broader financial services field, and those who have earned one or more of the herein listed, underlying qualifying designations of the Financial Planning profession, are eligible to use the QFP and to gain immediate inclusion in the free, online, 24/7, QFP Verification Registry of Qualified Financial Planners:

• Personal Financial Specialist^® (PFS)
• Certified Financial Planner (CFP^®)
• Chartered Financial Consultant^® (ChFC^®)
• Master of Science in Financial Planning (MS)*
• Master of Science in Financial Services with a Financial Planning concentration (MSFS)*
  *The latter two with a concentrated study in Financial Planning subject matter.

Uniting the above under the single unifying QFP identifier makes it easier for people to both find and verify Qualified Financial Planners offering either comprehensive or modular Financial Planning services.

Finseca is assuming responsibility for running and keeping IAQFP and the QFP Registry. Finseca & IAQFP are seamlessly moving forward in the best overall interests of their respective constituencies, members, credential holders, and especially the public.

The Finseca IAQFP merger reflects the shared belief that Americans want and need clarity, along with increased access, not less. Together, Finseca and IAQFP have united around their powerful shared missions of Financial Planning—Security for All.

About: 

Finseca stands for the broader financial services profession and works every day to help more Americans achieve financial security. Finseca believes it starts with a plan — and with professionals who are trained, trusted, and supported to do this work well. By helping professionals save time, grow their businesses, and advocate for smart public policy, Finseca expands access to financial guidance where it is needed most.

IAQFP stands for the Financial Planning Profession and its professionals and is dedicated to advancing the profession through the learned methodology and discipline of Financial Planning. IAQFP awards the QFP designation to those who continuously meet IAQFP Standards. IAQFP serves the public through its free, online, 24/7, QFP Verification Registry of Qualified Financial Planners resource (IAQFP.org) — "The Place to Verify & Find a QFP".

SOURCE Finseca