As the Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC) becomes FP Canada on Monday, the rebranded organization is looking to boost its education and services to advisors, its president and CEO says.
“The FP Canada Institute is all about elevating the practice of financial planning in this new world order,” Cary List, president and CEO of FP Canada, said in an interview.
“We’ll do a much more integrated job of preparing [advisors]—before they have to write our exam and study for our exam—for what it means to be a professional financial planner.”
The new organization comprises two divisions: the FP Canada Standards Council, a semi-autonomous body responsible for establishing and enforcing financial planning standards, and the FP Canada Institute, which will offer e-learning courses to help advisors prepare for certified financial planner (CFP) exams, as well as a variety of continuing education courses.
Also new is the qualified associate financial planner (QAFP) certification, which FP Canada will offer in addition to the CFP designation. The QAFP was introduced to meet the demand from advisors who aren’t currently credentialed and want to “up their game” without becoming full-fledged certified financial planners, List explained.
The QAFP designation will replace the FPSC level 1 certification beginning Jan. 1, 2020.
Additionally, the FP Canada Institute will offer a variety of continuing education courses on topics including professional ethics, holistic planning and behavioural economics.
“Even if you are already a CFP, you’ll be able to take a professional education program and you’ll get recognition for it through a digital certificate,” List said.