About MFAA

About the Military Financial Advisors Association

 

The Military Financial Advisors Association is organized to achieve these objectives:

  1. Expanding the financial planning opportunities of active duty and reserve service members of the armed forces of the United States, veterans of the armed forces of the United States, and their families.
  2. Fostering community growth and business development of the members.
  3. Encouraging the proliferation of the association’s objectives by providing leadership, mentorship, and educational opportunities to transitioning military family members considering a career in financial planning.
  4. Promoting civic and social programs that advance the financial literacy of military service members, veterans, and their families.
  5. Supporting pro bono financial planning opportunities for military and veteran families in need.

Military Veterans and Spouses serving Military and Veteran Families

The Military Financial Advisors Association is a nonprofit professional association of independent financial planning experts specializing in financial advice and planning services for military and veteran families. Our qualifications and standards exceed those of most financial professionals but more importantly, we know the life. You don’t need to explain what SBP and BAH mean to us. We already know.

We operate separate businesses, so you might assume we are competitors. We are not! We realize the military community has long been ignored by real financial planners. There is now a greater need than any of us can possibly satisfy on our own. Only by working together can we accomplish our objective of providing military and veteran families with the highest quality financial advice. 

All our members must meet these standards:

  • Signed a fiduciary oath to act in the best interests of our clients at all times
  • Operate as a fee-only financial advisor, meaning that we don’t collect any kinds of commissions or kickbacks for the recommendations we make to clients
  • Have no derogatory marks on our records as financial professionals
  • Primary focus is on providing comprehensive financial planning, not just investment management
  • Prior service as a military member or a military spouse
  • Committed to continually furthering our education in order to better serve clients
  • Own or work at an independent Registered Investment Advisory (RIA), avoiding the conflicts that exist among advisors at large broker-dealers or insurance companies
  • Have a positive reputation among local professionals in our industry, as membership in MFAA is by invitation only
  • Maintain their status as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional (CFP®), or be recognized as a CFP® candidate currently pursuing the designation. (Some members also maintain additional certifications related to financial planning)
  • Currently accepting new clients

 

 

Choosing from our trusted network of Military Financial Advisors Association ensures that you will always be in good hands. You can be sure to find the right financial advisor to help answer questions about your financial life and feel confident about your future. 

 

Interested in Becoming a Member of MFAA?

Any person wishing to become a member of the Military Financial Advisors Association must meet the following minimum criteria or request an exception to policy (ETP):

  1.  Must be a CFP® Professional or a Candidate
  2. Must sign a fiduciary oath
  3. Must have a fee-only compensation model as defined by the CFP Board of Standards that includes at least one of the following options:
    a. Hourly
    b. Project
    c. Retainer
    d. Subscription
  4. Have no derogatory reports with FINRA or State regulators
  5. Must be a military veteran or military spouse
  6. Must exhibit a focus on military members and veteran families in their practice
  7. If more than 3 years of experience, must be willing to mentor at least two prospective MFAA members per year
  8. Must have 1 year of professional practice
  9. Must NOT attempt to join MFAA for the sole purpose of lead generation
 
Prospective members may initiate the membership process via one of the following:
  1. Request screening by contacting mfaa.org@gmail.com
  2. Be invited or recommended to join by current MFAA members
    Then, one MFAA member, appointed by the board, will screen the candidate’s qualifications. If the candidate meets all qualifications (listed above), the prospective member will proceed through the process as follows:
  3. Two or more MFAA members will interview prospective members
  4. MFAA member(s) who screened/interviewed the prospective member will nominate the prospective member to the board
  5. The board will vote and a majority of present members must approve the prospective member
  6. An existing MFAA member will email the prospective member to notify them of their status. The prospective member is not a full member until membership dues are paid
 
In order to have a profile on the MFAA website, members must:
  1. Be a member in good standing
  2. Be an Investment Advisor Representative of an independent Registered Investment Advisor
  3. Be accepting new clients (for the “Start Here” page, members will still be on the “About” page)
  4. Have a website for your firm and the firm’s website must have a significant theme of providing financial planning for military, veterans, or their families
  5. Provide at least 2 usable pieces of content (Blog Articles, Shortform Video) for the MFAA website annually

MFAA Board of Directors

Brian O'Neil, Officer In Charge
Amy King, Ops Officer
Kate Cote, Admin Officer
Stacy Miller, At Large
Joe Brown, At Large