Amplified Planning, a Dallas-based financial planning education firm, has announced its largest Externship cohort to date: 2,825 participants for the 2026 program, a 36% increase over the previous year. The virtual training initiative, launched in 2020, continues to attract a broad mix of college students, mid-career switchers, and working professionals, according to the company.
The surge in interest comes as advisory firms grapple with an aging workforce and a persistent need to replace retiring advisors. The data suggests that the recruiting challenge may not be a lack of interest in the profession, but rather how firms define and evaluate potential hires. Hannah Moore, founder of Amplified Planning, emphasized that the talent pipeline is robust: "The people who want to do this work are here," she said. "They are showing up with extraordinary backgrounds, genuine passion, and a commitment to this profession that is remarkable. The gap is not in the talent pipeline; the gap is in how firms think about who they're willing to hire and what counts as preparation."
The 2026 Externship drew nearly 750 more applicants than the prior year, with career changers making up 28% of the cohort. These individuals came from fields as varied as technology, health care, education, the military, journalism, marketing, government contracting, human resources, law enforcement, entrepreneurship, and the arts. This trend aligns with earlier research conducted with Schwab Advisor Services, which identified career changers as the largest participant segment.
The student pipeline is also expanding. Nearly 700 university students enrolled in the 2026 program, up from approximately 530 in 2025, marking a new high for that demographic. About one-third of respondents (32.5%) already work in financial planning or related services, and more than 600 alumni returned for at least a third time. To date, the Externship has trained over 8,000 alumni.
For the first time, the program extended below college age. In partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, a financial literacy advocate, Amplified Planning piloted a session for 30 high school students aged 15 to 18. Schwab-Pomerantz expressed hope that these young participants would "see a place for themselves in this industry because financial services needs their talent, perspectives, and ideas."
Demographic data from the 2026 cohort reveals a more diverse pool than the current CFP professional base. Some 39.4% of participants identified as non-white or multiracial, compared with 15% of new CFP professionals, and nearly 42% were women, versus 23.8% of CFP professionals nationally as of year-end 2025, according to CFP Board data.
Completion rates also improved. Of the 2,825 who enrolled, 2,113 finished the program, a 74.8% completion rate, up from 66.6% in earlier years. Additionally, 81.8% of participants said the experience strengthened their commitment to a financial planning career.
The labor market for financial advisors remains steady. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of personal financial advisors will grow just 1% between 2025 and 2035, from about 299,400 jobs, but expects roughly 17,100 openings annually, mostly to replace retirees. The median annual wage for personal financial advisors was $105,070 in May 2025, while a CFP Board study found median total pay for CFP professionals reached $195,000 in 2025, a 15% increase and the third consecutive year of outpacing inflation.
Despite the strong interest, participants seeking first jobs often reported that employers were reluctant to credit skills gained outside traditional financial services. Beyond compensation, career changers expressed a desire for more remote roles and hiring processes that value their prior experience. Moore concluded, "The profession has an incredible opportunity. If we can give more people meaningful exposure to financial planning, help them develop the skills firms actually need, and create better pathways from learning to employment, we can build a stronger and more representative profession for the future."
