Next Wednesday, once you're back in the saddle after the long weekend, watch for your E-Special News from FPSC asking you to participate in any one or all of three different opportunities to help us with our research. They include: an online survey available to everyone who visits our website; and group and usability sessions available to those CFP professionals in the Greater Toronto Area. Completion of the online survey (10-15 minutes) earns you a chance to win $500. Participation in a group session (1 ½ to 2 hours) earns you $50 and lunch. Participation in a usability testing session (3-4 hours) earns you $100 and lunch.
IDA's licensing requirements have changed, and the changes could have an effect on some current and future CFP professionals.
Effective July 4, 2006, the Wealth Management Essentials course (WME) replaces the CSI's Professional Financial Planning course (PFPC) and the Investment Management Techniques course (IMT) as the course required to fulfill the IDA's 30-month post-approval requirement.
Visit our website to read the Q&A we prepared to help you assess your own situation.
CFP ambassadors continue to put their best foot forward in media interviews in print and on radio and television. Sharing their opinions on a variety of topics while garnering attribution as CFP professionals, they showcase the breadth and depth of the CFP community's expertise and knowledge.
Congratulations and thanks to all who help inform Canadians through mass media about the many facets and benefits of financial planning.
Please continue to tell us of your participation in media interviews (outside of those we arrange) so we can acknowledge your efforts and celebrate your success.
Highlights of CFP professionals' media coverage include:
Investment Executive
Marc Lamontagne CFP
Interviewed for two articles — group education plans and planning strategies to deal with higher education costs.
Advisor's Edge
Scott Plaskett CFP
Interviewed for an upcoming feature on incorporating your practice.
Canadian Press Newswire
Doug Lamb CFP and Marc Lamontagne CFP
Interviewed for an article on financial planning for second marriages that to date has been featured in more than 14 papers across Canada.
Vancouver Province
Anthony Windeyer CFP
Interviewed for an article on B.C. property tax deferment. The article also ran in the Sudbury Star.
Vancouver Sun
Michael Thorne CFP
Interviewed for an article on retirement planning. The article was also picked up by at least one other paper (Nanaimo Daily News).
ROB TV
Mark Halpern CFP
Interviewed on keeping the cottage in the family — tax and estate planning strategies.
CH TV Hamilton
Mark Halpern CFP
Interviewed on keeping the cottage in the family.
CFP professionals across Canada participate in a variety of speaking engagements to inform Canadians of all ages of the value of financial planning and of the benefits of financial planning as a career.
CFP professionals spoke to groups at the following organizations and schools over the past several months:
Corporate/Community Outreach:
Wellington County Clerk & Treasurers Association
* April 26 (Ronald Deichert CFP)
Toronto District School Board/OISE U of T
* May 9 (Mollie O Neill CFP)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
* May 15 (Peter Andreana CFP)
International Business Educators Association (Toronto Chapter)
* May 17 (Kurt Rosentreter CFP, Doug Lamb CFP and Jeanette Bronx CFP)
Upcoming Youth Education:
Toronto Parks & Recreation (Amesbury Community Centre)
* August 16 (Gennaro De Luca CFP)
Toronto Parks & Recreation (Amesbury Community Centre)
* August 28 & 29 (Frank Wiginton CFP)
Career Recruitment:
FPSC staff and CFP Ambassadors this fall will attend a variety of career fairs targeting individuals in post-secondary education. This year's schedule isn't set yet but we expect to be busier than ever. In past years we have attended events in St. John's, Halifax, Waterloo, London, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver.
In the August Feature Article, "You Get What You Plan For," Asaf Shad CFP, discusses caring for aging parents. "…statistics now show that one in four adults is charged with some level of eldercare responsibilities."
For the September Feature, we are looking for articles that discuss the pros and cons of leveraging. The deadline for submissions is
Friday, August 18.
For October, we are looking for articles on charitable giving. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, September 20.
Submit articles to Blake Glendenning at bglendenning@cfp-ca.org.
Read the Feature Article Submission Guidelines.
Learning Centre is an online resource for consumers seeking relevant and unbiased information on issues relating to the management of personal finances. Organized by topic, it's where we post articles, a digest of books and links to other useful websites all to do with some aspect of financial planning. It's a great place to direct your clients.
Promote yourself and your community of CFP professionals using our "congratulatory page" to announce your CFP certification. Go to www.cfp-ca.org/congratulations.asp and enter the e-mail addresses of friends, family, clients, employers, colleagues and anyone else you think should know about what your CFP credential stands for. FPSC will send this e-mail to them on your behalf:
Find out about the many steps (Your Name), CFP® Professional, has taken and will continue to take to serve you and your community with the highest standards of competence and ethics in financial planning.
Visit: http://www.cfp-ca.org/staging/congrats_splash/licensees_newcfp.htm.
When recipients of this announcement visit the above page, they will view a message from acting FPSC President Cary List explaining your achievement in and commitment to professionalism in financial planning through CFP certification.
The July-August online poll asks, "For the last couple of months, the stock markets have experienced a 'correction' with share prices dropping. How proactive have you been in easing clients' minds regarding their investment strategy?"
To date, 54% have said that they have been "quite proactive, it's important to keep them informed and stay in touch during these times."
