Following World Financial Planning Day on 7th October, the Financial Planning Association of Malaysia (FPAM) is sharing new global research from Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB) on how artificial intelligence (AI) is shaping the way people engage with financial information and the way financial planners support their clients.
FPSB’s 2026 Impact of AI on Financial Planning research, now in its second year, found that financial planners around the world are increasingly using AI to improve operational efficiency, support market analysis and serve more clients. Planners also report that clients are bringing AI-generated information into financial conversations, which makes the role of a professional who is committed to rigorous standards of competency and ethics even more important.
Key findings from the global research include:
• Planners are optimistic about AI improving client service. 83% say AI will help them better serve clients (up from 78% in 2025), and 75% say it will improve the quality of advice (up from 60% in 2025).
• AI is expected to broaden access to financial planning. Seven in 10 planners expect AI to increase access for underserved populations (up from six in 10 in 2025), and 68% believe it will lower the cost of advice (up from 59% in 2025).
• Consumers are already using AI in financial decision-making. 33% of planners say clients most commonly use AI for general financial education, while 25% say clients use it to validate or compare professional advice.
• Client use of AI is beginning to reshape planner-client conversations. 21% of planners say it has increased the need to contextualise or correct AI-generated information, while 19% report an increase in collaborative discussions.
FPSB CEO Dante De Gori, CFP, noted that while AI has the potential to expand access to financial planning and improve how planners serve their clients, technology alone cannot replace the judgment, ethical responsibility and human understanding that financial planning professionals can deliver.
As Malaysia observes Financial Literacy Month this October, FPAM encourages the public to speak with their financial planner about any AI-generated financial information they are using to inform their decisions. A CFP professional can help assess whether the information is accurate, relevant and appropriate to their goals and life circumstances, and can explain how AI is used in their practice.
FPSB and its global network conducted the survey online, capturing responses from 8,095 financial planners across 37 territories between 22nd May and 6th July 2026. Malaysia is among the 29 territories where CFP professionals are certified, and there are 236,300 CFP professionals worldwide.
October is Financial Literacy Month in Malaysia, and FPAM remains committed to promoting financial literacy across the population and to advancing the CFP mark as the leading symbol of excellence in personal financial planning. To learn more about CFP certification and FPAM’s work, please visit https://www.fpam.org.my.
