Michael Kitces attacks CFP Board for jacking fees 17% in name of 'strategy' when the certificant is flush with $20 million in reserves

Using his blog as a launching pad, Michael Kitces continued his assault on the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc., this time after it raised its certification fees by 17% for its 80,000 certificants without, he contends, sufficiently explaining why.  

The Washington, D.C.-based organization increased its annual certificant fee increased from $325 to $355. 

In the Sept. 7 issue of his widely read column, Nerd's Eye View, Kitces writes that while the increase, "buried halfway through the CFP Board’s recent monthly email update ... may seem modest, because $145 of the total certification fee is earmarked for the public awareness campaign, the reality is that this is a 17% increase on top of the $180 portion that actually goes toward operations of the CFP Board. Which raises the question: why such a large increase, and why now?" 

The Board's update states: "The first CFP professionals to see the new annual certification fee on their invoices will be those whose certification expires in November 2017; those individuals will receive their first renewal notices with the new fee in late August 2017.starting next year, according to its monthly email update in September."

The increase is not only justified but overdue, according to Dan Drummond, spokesman for the CFP Board, in a written response to RIABiz. 

"...We have not raised  fees to support operations in more than a decade. In our stakeholder communication and website, the primary vehicles for communicating to the CFP professionals, we announced the increase in certification fees to support the ongoing operations of CFP Board in fulfilling its mission and strategic priorities." See: The CFP Board's thunderbolt fiduciary play should proceed and likely will. 

CFPs held 'hostage'

Kitces says he wants specifics from the CFP Board regarding new initiatives and argues that  CFP Board has a substantial surplus and shouldn't need to raise its fees. According to Kitces, the CFP Board had an operating surplus of $1.3 million in 2015 and has more than $20 million in net reserves available.

"Was there a major downturn on the CFP Board’s 2016 Form 990 that we just can’t see yet?," he writes. "Is the CFP Board trying to raise more revenue internally for its Center for Financial Planning initiative, even though the organization originally said it would be funded separately?"  

Kitces' column amounts to call-out the CFP Board's mission and whether it is fulfilling it with integrity. 

About a year ago, he wrote a column taking the CFP Board to task for its dearth of comment periods. In his latest column, Kitces acknowledges that the Board did have a recent public comment period on proposed changes to their code of ethics and standards. But he also implies that the Board, flush with success, is using its inherent monopolistic pricing power to raise fees unchecked -- a charge that resonates because of the CFP Board's role as a watchdog of fiduciary care. See: The once underrespected CFP gets a lift after Merrill Lynch and now NAPFA make it central for newbies.

Tim Welsh, president of Nexus Strategy of Larkspur, Calif., puts it in starker terms.

"What is the rationale for everyone paying more money?" he asks. "They should be supporting CFPs and not holding everyone hostage."

Kitces notes that the CFP Board has increased the number of CFP certificants over the past 10 years by nearly 50%, even though the number of financial advisors has fallen over that same time period. 

Where's the money going?

No one at the CFP Board disagrees with Kitces' math, but Drummond points out that even though the CFP Board last hiked its fees in 2011 and overhauled its fee structure, adding a $145 yearly surcharge to the certification fee aimed at funding a giant public awareness campaign, it has been been a decade since the CFP Board has hiked its "core certification fees."

While granting that the 2011 hike aided the advertising campaign, Drummond maintains the agency needs a boost in revenues for other projects. 

The CFP Board deserves some benefit of the doubt, says Ron Rhoades, an attorney, CFP and assistant professor of finance at Gordon Ford School of Business in Western Kentucky University.  See: In letter to RIABiz, Ron Rhoades reacts to the ardent DOL rule detractor commandeering the White House microphone.

“The CFP Board is doing a lot of things. They really ramped up the disciplinary function and it takes a lot of money to run that functions. It takes time and resources to investigate and I’m thankful we’ve got the organization to the point where we can self-regulate,” Rhoades says. “I’m thankful that the CFP Board is spending resources and has a robust process." See: Lauren Schadle shows mettle as FPA stakes out turf in skirmish with CFP Board at its national conference in Orlando

It's the haziness that aggravates Kitces. 

"While it’s not necessarily a negative for an organization to raise its fees over time, the question remains: why does the CFP Board now, all of the sudden, need another $2.3 million in its operating budget for 2018? And what does it take to get some transparency and basic explanations from the CFP Board on why it is pushing through a 17% fee increase?"

Rhoades agrees with Kitces on this point.

"It would be nice to see more explanation and see what the money is going for,' says Rhoades. "It’d be nice for them to publish their financial statements and I don’t see any reason why they can’t." 

Four 'A's

On the contrary, Drummond says, in 2016, the board of directors adopted four strategic priorities - awareness, access, accountability and authority. In the statement to RIABiz, the CFP Board maintains it needs more revenue to raise its awareness game but still pursue broader initiatives. 

"After carefully reviewing the organization's finances to address these priorities, they thoughtfully made the decision to raise the certification fee." 

Rhoades says the CFP Board has vastly strengthened its industry voice in recent years and provided more services for its members.

"They're doing a lot of things right," he says. "Their voice has been extremely strong with the DOL. Their comment letter was cited in Texas litigation and they've got a strong voice and they've been using it and advocating. Their message is being heard and they've got influence." See: Critic calls 'laughable' FSI study that shows only 14% of advisors want DOL rule to stay.

'Right thing'

For its part, the CFP Board says it works closely with Kitces and welcomes insight and feedback from all of its nearly 80,000 professionals. 

"We have worked closely with Michael over the years and value his opinion and insights," writes Drummond. "The fee increase supports the operations of CFP Board in fulfilling its mission and strategic priorities, which are advancing the relevance of the CFP® marks and strengthening the CFP® certification’s standing as the highest standard for competent and ethical personal financial planning."  See: The FPA finally puts on a better CFP face and she lights up the hall in Baltimore

Drummond adds that the CFP Board has been successful but wants to do more and that's why it is raising the fee.

"The Board of Directors’ decision to increase the annual certification fee was made after reviewing the work needed to accomplish our important mission and strategic objectives. We believe that it is the right thing to do for the CFP certification, the profession and most importantly, the public.”