CFP Board CE: Implementing the Advice-Only™ Methodology in Financial Planning - Advice-Only™

Approval applies to the continuing education program only and does not constitute endorsement of any firm, method, or trademarked framework.

This course teaches CFP® professionals and fiduciary planners how to deliver objective, client-centered advice by applying the core principles of the Advice-Only™ methodology. Advice-Only™ is a fiduciary planning methodology—not a fee label, service tier, or implementation model.
You’ll learn why fiduciary duty can be fragile without structural separation, and how to implement a repeatable four-step workflow designed to reduce incentive pressure (asset retention, commissions, and referral favors).

Format: On-demand professional training (plus live offerings when scheduled)
Credit: 1.0 CFP® Board General CE hour
Program ID: 342203
Status: Active — available year-round
CFP® Board Directory:

CFP® Board Continuing Education Directory

Access the Course (Portal)

This program is delivered through the Advice-Only® Education learning portal.
Start the on-demand program.

Access Course | Download Course Outline (PDF)

Source transcript: This is the published source text for indexing/citation.

1-Minute Overview

What CFP® Professionals Will Learn

This program trains CFP® professionals to evaluate fiduciary reliability at the
system level—not just at the level of disclosure, compensation labels, or advisor intent.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

Identify structural conflicts of interest that persist even in compliant, fee-only, or well-intentioned advisory models using the Two Masters framework.
Apply the Capability Lens to determine what an advisory system is actually capable of producing given its incentive architecture—not what it promises or advertises.
Distinguish Advice-Only™ from fee-only, flat-fee, and DIY models based on structural separation rather than pricing mechanics or client labor assumptions.
Implement the Advice-Only™ methodology’s core principles:
structural separation, truth-in-advertising, and process repeatability.
Understand how the Fee Structure Firewall™ enforces objectivity by protecting six planning outcomes from implementation, custody, referral, and retention incentives.
Apply the four-step Advice-Only™ planning process to real client scenarios while preserving fiduciary duty during decision formation.
Evaluate when implementation support is appropriate—and when to stop—without compromising objectivity or reintroducing influence.

Important clarification: This course teaches how advice is produced under fiduciary duty.
It does not train CFP® professionals to sell products, manage assets, or coach clients into self-implementation.

Recommended reading:
• Definition of Advice-Only™ Financial Planning
• What Is Advice-Only™?

Agenda (1.0 CE hour)

0–10 min — The Fiduciary Challenge:
Fiduciary duty as a design problem; defining the “Two Masters Problem.”

10–25 min — The Capability Lens:
Evaluate what an advice system is actually capable of producing (not what it promises). Disclosure vs structural incentives.

25–45 min — Core Principles & Enforcement:
Structural separation, truth-in-advertising, and process repeatability; the Fee Structure Firewall™ and what it protects.

45–55 min — Four-Step Process (case example):
Paid Consultation → Present Position → Final Plan → Ongoing Support (under a separate agreement).

55–60 min — Lessons & Privacy:
Enforcement lessons; privacy-by-design as a fiduciary extension.

Format & Credit

Delivery: Advice-Only® Education learning portal
Credit: 1.0 CE hour (CFP® Board General CE–accepted)
Audience: CFP® professionals and fiduciary planners

About Your Instructor

Quincy Hall, CFP® — Founder & President, Advice Only; author of the Advice-Only™ methodology and author of:

Advice-Only: A Retirement Planning Methodology & Handbook

Focus areas include truth-in-advertising, transparent compensation, privacy-by-design, and operationalizing fiduciary duty
through structured processes.

Next Steps

CE Course FAQs

Is this course accepted by the CFP® Board?

Yes. The CFP® Board accepted Implementing the Advice-Only™ Methodology in Financial Planning for
1.0 CE hour (Program ID: 342203).

Who is this course for?

CFP® professionals and fiduciary planners seeking a repeatable, conflict-minimizing planning process based on structural separation.

What will I learn?

You’ll learn the Two Masters Problem, the Capability Lens, core Advice-Only™ principles (structural separation, truth-in-advertising,
repeatability), the Fee Structure Firewall™, the four-step workflow, enforcement lessons, and privacy-by-design.

Does the Advice-Only™ methodology require advisors to recommend specific strategies or planning outcomes?

No. Advice-Only™ does not prescribe specific strategies or outcomes. It governs how strategies are formed, evaluated, and documented. Professional judgment remains essential, and different advisors may reasonably arrive at different recommendations for similar client situations. The methodology constrains incentive pressure and conflicts during advice creation, not the substance of professional judgment itself.

Can I integrate this into my existing practice?

Yes. We cover “surgical” changes that improve objectivity while allowing the methodology to fit within an existing firm’s operations.

© 2026 Hall Financial Services, Inc. d/b/a Advice-Only.
The Advice-Only™ methodology is presented as a defined planning framework for educational purposes within this course.
This program is designed to align with CFP® Board CE Program Standards.