Amplified Planning's The Externship Posts Record Growth as More Students and Career Changers Explore Financial Planning Careers

Seventh annual program enrolls 2,825 participants, achieves highest-ever completion rate and finds 82% leave more committed to a career in financial planning

DALLAS, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As the financial planning profession searches for its next generation of talent, new data from Amplified Planning suggests there is no shortage of people interested in joining it if they are given meaningful opportunities to experience the work.

Amplified Planning today announced record results from its seventh annual Externship, the company's immersive virtual financial planning training program designed to give aspiring and developing financial planners' hands-on exposure to the profession.

The 2026 Externship enrolled 2,825 participants, a 36% increase from 2,078 in 2025 and the largest cohort in the program's history. Even more notable, 2,113 participants completed the program, representing a 74.79% completion rate, up from 66.6% in prior years and the highest in Externship history.

And for participants exploring whether financial planning is the right career for them, the experience appears to be having an impact: 81.8% of 2026 Externs said participating in the program increased their commitment to pursuing a career in financial planning.

"The numbers tell us something important about the future of this profession," said Hannah Moore, CFP®, founder of Amplified Planning. "There are thousands of people, from college students to experienced professionals changing careers, who are genuinely interested in financial planning. What they need is a behind-the-scenes look at what the work actually looks like and a way to develop practical skills. The Externship gives them that opportunity and helps them see themselves in this career."

A Growing Window into Financial Planning's Future Workforce

With more than 2,500 entrance survey responses in 2026 (nearly 750 more than last year), this year's Externship also produced the program's most comprehensive data set to date on people actively exploring and adapting to careers in financial planning.

The results reveal a pipeline that is increasingly diverse in age, background and professional experience.

Nearly 40% from diverse backgrounds.
Among 2026 Extern survey respondents, 39.4% identify as non-white or multiracial, while currently just 15% of new CFP® professionals are diverse. Nearly 42% of Externs are women, compared with women representing 23.8% of CFP® professionals nationally.

Career changers continue to see opportunity in financial planning.
28% of 2026 Externs were transitioning into financial planning from other careers. Their backgrounds included technology, healthcare, education and the military, along with professionals from journalism, marketing, government contracting, human resources, law enforcement, entrepreneurship and the arts. The class even included a Team USA Track & Field Olympian.

More college students are exploring the profession.
Nearly 700 university students participated in the 2026 Externship, up from approximately 530 in 2025 — the largest student cohort in program history.

The Externship is also becoming a development resource for people already in the profession.
Another 32.5% of 2026 participants currently work in financial planning or related financial services, demonstrating growing demand for experiential training and exposure to best practices even among those who have already entered the industry.

More than 600 Externship alumni returned in 2026, with the majority having participated in two or more previous Externships.

Since its launch, The Externship has now trained more than 8,000 alumni.

Learning Financial Planning by Experiencing It

Unlike traditional coursework focused primarily on financial planning concepts, The Externship is designed to expose participants to how planning is actually practiced.

Participants get to watch real client meetings, observe experienced financial planners at work, interact with industry experts and gain hands-on exposure to the technology advisors use every day.

The 2026 program expanded that experience through new technology partnerships with Holistiplan and Nitrogen, joining returning technology partners eMoney, Asset-Map, Encore Estate Plans and Redtail.

The program is also supported by CFP Board and Charles Schwab, along with AFCPE, Dimensional Fund Advisors, NAPFA, the Financial Planning Association, the College for Financial Planning — a Kaplan Company, and XY Planning Network. Program partnerships also included Quad-A, the Women's Alliance of Financial Advisors and others.

Introducing Financial Planning Even Earlier

This year's Externship also expanded its reach to an entirely new audience.

Working with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, Amplified Planning piloted The Externship with 30 high school students ages 15 to 18, giving participants early exposure to financial services and the range of careers available within the profession.

"I have been fortunate to build a meaningful career in financial services, an industry that continues to offer tremendous opportunities, even as AI changes how we work," said Schwab-Pomerantz. "Amplified Planning's Externship, in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, gave me the opportunity to share my experience with Club kids and introduce them to the many career paths available in financial services. I hope they will see a place for themselves in this industry because financial services needs their talent, perspectives and ideas."

From Exploring the Profession to Seeing a Future in It

Participants said the ability to experience financial planning in practice helped broaden their understanding of both the profession and their own potential career paths.

"The Externship exceeded any expectations I had going into the course," said Kyle Coolidge, a 2026 Extern. "I couldn't have thought of a better foot in the door to financial planning than The Externship. It without a doubt will give me momentum and excitement to continue my career change journey into something I am so passionate about."

Another participant, David Sfura, described the experience as "one of the best experiences in my professional career," adding that exposure to industry experts, technology and client conversations significantly expanded his understanding of the financial planner's role.

The Talent Is Here. The Next Challenge Is Creating More Ways In.

The Externship data also highlights an important challenge for the financial planning profession.

Participants looking for their first roles frequently cited difficulty finding employers willing to recognize transferable skills and experience gained outside traditional financial services roles. Career changers also expressed interest in more remote opportunities and hiring approaches that take into account the breadth of their prior professional experience.

For Moore, those findings should encourage advisory firms to think differently about where their next generation of talent may come from.

"The people who want to do this work are here," Moore 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."

As advisory firms contend with succession, evolving workforce expectations and the impact of artificial intelligence on traditional entry-level responsibilities, Moore believes experiential programs like The Externship can play an increasingly important role in helping firms identify and prepare talent from a much broader range of backgrounds.

"The profession has an incredible opportunity," Moore added. "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."

About Amplified Planning

Amplified Planning is a financial planning education company dedicated to preparing the next generation of financial planners through real, hands-on learning. Founded by Hannah Moore, CFP®, the company's flagship program, The Externship, has trained more than 8,000 alumni. Amplified Planning's year-round subscription platform, CORE, provides ongoing professional development through real client cases, live learning sessions and an expert community for planners at every stage of their careers.

For more information, visit amplifiedplanning.com or contact [email protected].

SOURCE Amplified Planning