1. Professional Financial Planner Competency Analysis
Very soon FPSC will send you an electronic survey request under our E-Special banner. The surveys (there are two of them) will ask for your evaluation of the competencies required of CFP professionals practicing financial planning. Your responses will help FPSC develop a new blueprint for the CFP Examination and educational requirements.
Your input is integral to the development of the new competency profile for the financial planning profession, and we will not use your responses for any other purpose. The specific information you provide will remain confidential. Aggregate survey results will be reported to the project oversight committee for analysis in order to complete the new profile.
The "competency survey" asks for your evaluation of specific statements of ability or action that are required by CFP professionals in the performance of their jobs as financial planners. The "knowledge survey" deals with the specific knowledge that a CFP professional must have in order to perform the job competently.
We'll be sending you just one of the two surveys. Should you choose to participate in this very important project, it will take you 1-2 hours to complete, but you won't have to complete it in one sitting. You'll be able to save your answers and return to the survey as many times as you like before you submit the completed version.
Completion of the survey will automatically enter
you in a draw to win a Handspring Treo 600 Smartphone/PDA/E-mail
device from Rogers Cellular, valued at $875. See the Rogers
website for details.
2. CIFPs Conference: Talking the Walk - A First Step to Making the Difference as a CFP® Brand Ambassador
In building the reputation of financial planning as the newest of the financial services professions, it's "talking the walk" as well as "walking the talk" that will make the difference.
"We need to speak in a collective voice about the importance of financial planning and what it is to be a CFP professional. We need to seize and create opportunities to deliver consistent powerful and memorable messages to large audiences, as well as to individual clients," says FPSC Vice President Communications & Corporate Relations Ann Bowman.
Ann and FPSC's public relations consultant, Eileen Chadnick of Chadnick Communications, will present key message training in a breakout session on the morning of June 15. Learn how to help. Take this introductory session offered as part of FPSC's CFP Brand Ambassador Development Program.
It will be your first step in making it to FPSC's "A" list of CFP Brand Ambassadors - placing you among a select group of CFP professionals regularly called upon to represent your profession and demonstrate how and why your CFP® designation makes all the difference!
3. CIFPs Conference: Toward a Profession - The CFP Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
With the introduction of the new CFP Financial Planning Practice Standards for CFP professionals in October 2003, FPSC took a giant step in distinguishing financial planning from other forms of financial advice and intermediation. FPSC's practice standards represent just one of several new building blocks in establishing a foundation on which to establish financial planning as a truly distinct profession for Canada, as represented by the CFP designation.
Cary List, FPSC Executive VP and COO will discuss what makes a profession and why financial planning should be recognized as such in a keynote address on Wednesday morning, June 16. Cary will also provide specifics on the two most significant projects in FPSC's history and how they may affect CFP professionals both now and in the future.
4. Be a Paid Feature Writer
We
recently launched our consumer Learning
Centre. But as we all know, website content needs to
be continually updated to maintain readership. The Learning
Centre contains articles, links and a digest of books.
While we will always accept suggestions for links and books,
the content you provide is where the real value is.
Some sections of Learning
Centre need beefing up, so here's the plan. Submit articles
on any of the financial planning topics or issues of relevance
to Canadians. You may not have the eloquence of Shakespeare,
but you have the expertise Canadians are seeking. Therefore,
our staff editor will massage most articles into reader-friendly
prose, if they aren't already. And most will make it to our
website.
The real gems will be posted as a "Feature Article of the Month." And the author of these will be awarded $500. We will link to the feature article from the Public homepage, and we will include your picture and bio. All articles we publish in Learning Centre will be bylined by the author who will also retain the copyright.
Did you know?.. In our last web poll for CFP professionals, we asked your thoughts about the CMHC policy changes. Of the nearly 400 responses to the question, 78.9 per cent of you thought it wasn't a good idea. To take part in our online polls, visit the CFP Professional's hub of our website.
5. Final Licence Renewal Deadline June 30
FPSC issues CFP licences for one-year and they expire March 31 annually. While most of you renew in a timely fashion, there are still some who let it slide. If we haven't heard from you by the end of June, your licence to use the CFP Marks will be cancelled and you will have to apply for reinstatement. To read our complete policies on licence renewal, visit the Licensing Policies on our website. Also, please remind your colleagues and co-workers to renew as well.
6. Advisor of the Year Nominations - Deadline Fast Approaching
The deadline for this year's Advisor of the Year Awards is June 25, 2004. The Advisor of the Year Awards honour Canada's most outstanding financial advisors for professionalism and dedication in serving the needs of their clients. Know someone worthy? Visit advisor.ca for more information on making nominations.
7. FPA Denver 2004
FPA Denver 2004, formerly known as Success Forum,
is fast approaching. As a Canadian CFP professional, you are
receiving a special invitation to attend this gathering of
the global financial planning profession to be held September
10-14, 2004. Make sure that you register through the link
below to get the FPA-member rate and to ensure that your registration
counts for the special bonus program that sets aside a monetary
bonus for each Canadian CFP professional who registers online.
The "bonus" will be raffled off to two Canadian CFP attendees
who can then redeem their half of the total value in registration
fees for future FPA events. This special offer ends July 29.
Register here.
8. FPSC Director - Ethics, Legal and Regulatory Affairs
Stephen Szikora, CFP, LLB has joined FPSC as Director - Ethics, Legal and Regulatory Affairs, effective Tuesday May 25.
Stephen is both a lawyer and a CFP professional and comes to us most recently from Maritime Life. In his capacity as Director, Stephen will head up the disciplinary review process, oversee all trademark issues, provide in-house legal advice as needed and keep on top of regulatory issues as they arise.
9. Current Job site Listings
Here are the current job postings on the FPSC website. To view the complete details, visit Job site.
Financial Planner, TD Waterhouse Canada, Toronto Central Financial Planner, TD Waterhouse Canada, Etobicoke Financial Planner, TD Waterhouse Canada, Prince George Financial Planner, TD Waterhouse Canada, Vancouver Financial Planner, TD Waterhouse Canada, Calgary Financial Planner, TD Waterhouse Canada, Chilliwack Tax Specialist, Personal Financial Planning, KPMG, Vancouver Financial Services Planner/Representative, Laurentian Financial Services, Ottawa Wealth Manager, Credit Unions of Saskatchewan, Various locations in Saskatchewan Manager, Wealth Management, Credit Unions of Saskatchewan, Various locations in Saskatchewan Financial Consultant, Investors Group, North York Senior Financial Planner, Money Concepts, Bedford (AEGON Dealer Services), Bedford Financial Advisors, Berkshire Securities, Toronto/GTA Financial Consultant/Educator, World Financial Group Insurance of Canada, Various locations Financial Consultant, Investors Group, Calgary Financial Planner, Investors Group, Niagara Falls Financial Advisors, Berkshire Investment Group, Berkshire Securities Inc., Berkshire Insurance Service Inc., Downtown Toronto
10. Our Advertisements
Watch for FPSC's series of magazine ads running during June and July:
Following are upcoming conferences and seminars for the month of June. To view more details or to find an event being held at a later date, visit the Event and Seminar Calendar on the FPSC website. The calendar is updated on a regular basis.
June 1-2
IFB Toronto Spring Summit
Toronto, ON
June 2
FP Solutions financial planning software seminar
Greenwood Inn, Edmonton, AB
June 6-10
Elder Planning Counselor Course
Days Inn, Toronto, ON
June 8
Canada Cup of Investment Management
Fairmont Royal York Hotel; Toronto, ON
June 9-10
Dynamic Asset Allocation Strategies
King City, ON
June 11
Building Better Boards: Corporate Directors as Shareholders' Representatives
TSX Conference Centre, Toronto
June 13-16
CIFPs National Conference 2004
The Westin Ottawa, Ottawa, ON
June 15-18
Compliance Readiness Strategies
The Old Mill; Toronto, ON
June 22-23
Canadian Beneficial Owner's Securities Lending Summit
Sheraton Centre Toronto, 123 Queen St. W., Toronto
June 22-23
Elite Advisor Summit
White Oaks Resort and Conference Centre, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
June 23
Ibbotson Asset Allocation Retirement Planning Workshop
Winnipeg, Manitoba
CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and are certification marks owned outside the U.S. by Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB). Financial Planners Standards Council is the marks licensing authority for the CFP marks in Canada, through agreement with FPSB.
We
recently launched our consumer 
are certification marks