Working with clients on their financial futures can be stressful for even the most veteran of financial planners — especially when there’s a deadline involved. But, despite a little nervousness, three financial services students from Nova Scotia didn’t let the pressure get to them at the 2014 Canadian Institute of Financial Planning (CIFP) Case Challenge in Toronto on Saturday.

Ryan Robicheau, 20, Sara Coffin, 33 and Carlie Connors, 19 from the Kentville, N.S.-based Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) took first place in this year’s competition. While admitting that the competition was stressful at times, Robicheau believes their positive experience at the event has given himself and his team mates confidence for their future careers.

“We really enjoyed [the competition],” said Robicheau. “We didn’t know what to expect but we were pleasantly surprised.”

All three students are in their second and final year of the college’s business administration financial services concentration program.

Last year’s winner, Kitchener, Ont.-based Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning placed second at the event. Finishing third overall was the team from Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.

Participants had two hours to create a financial plan for a married couple in their thirties with high (but variable) incomes and a liking for the finer things in life. Students also had to consider the fictional clients’ plans to start a family in five years. Teams then presented their plans to a panel of four judges.

“This is a great opportunity for these students to put their technical knowledge, their classroom knowledge, if you like, to something that is more practical,” said Anthony Williams, vice president, academic affairs, CIFP’. “It’s a mock case study but at the end of the day, it is a very real life scenario.” Williams was one of the judges for the competition.

In total seven schools participated in this year’s competition. The remaining competing schools include George Brown College, Centennial College and Seneca College (all based in Toronto), as well as London, Ont.-based Fanshawe College.

To participate, students must be enrolled in a financial services program at a Canadian college or university. Each college or university is allowed to submit one team in the competition.

The event was hosted at Humber College’s Lakeshore Campus whose faculty member’s “jumped at” the opportunity to host the event, according to Steve Bank, professor of business, Humber College. Last year’s competition was held at Centennial and featured eight teams from six schools, many of which returned to compete this year. The decision to move the competition to Humber is part of the competition’s goal to showcase the schools of other participants.

In addition to the new location, the competition has also expanded this year to other parts of Canada. On March 29, four teams will participate in a CIFP Challenge of their own at Mount Royal University in Calgary.

Said Williams: “It’s a natural evolution of the program.”