CE Requirements for the Chartered Financial Planner® Designation

The general guidelines that apply to verifiable continuing education activities include:

• an eligible continuing education activity is one that furthers the development, professional skills and technical knowledge of the Chartered Financial Planner credential holder
• the prescribed minimum continuing education requirements for the Chartered Financial Planner designation must be met on a calendar year basis (i.e. between January 1^st and December 31^st)
• as a general rule, one hour of approved continuing education activity qualifies for one continuing education credit; a continuing education activity must be a minimum of 30 minutes in duration to qualify for CE credits (i.e. 0.5 CE credits)
• a full-day, non-CIFP-sponsored continuing education activity (e.g. full-day attendance at a workshop, seminar, conference) may qualify for a maximum of seven (7) CE credits; time allocated for breaks and meals must be deducted from the calculation of credits
• with regards to courses, only those offered through a recognized education institution for which passing a final examination is a condition of successful completion of the course can be claimed as a qualifying continuing education activity
• excess CE credits accumulated in a particular category cannot be carried over for use in a future year

CE requirements commence the calendar year following the year in which the individual attains Chartered Financial Planner certification. A minimum of 25 qualified, verifiable CE credits—two of which must be from the ethics and professional responsibility category—must be accumulated by December 31^st of each calendar year.

For example, an individual who achieved certification as a Chartered Financial Planner professional at any point in the current calendar year, will not have any CE requirements for the balance of the current year. However, by December 31^st of next year, the credential holder will be required to complete a minimum of 25 hours of approved continuing education activities to remain a Chartered Financial Planner professional in good standing.

A continuing education activity must be completed in full (and all requirements for that activity satisfied) before CE credits can be claimed for that activity. Credits cannot be claimed based simply on enrollment in, or partial completion of, a course or activity.

Similarly, if a particular course or activity straddles two calendar years, credit for that course or activity cannot be claimed until its actual completion date (which includes satisfying all requirements for that activity such as assignments and examinations). For example, a credential holder who enrolls in a course that commences in September of the current calendar year and that concludes in January of next year, can only claim the course for CE purposes for next year (assuming all of the requirements for the course have been met by that time).

An eligible continuing education activity is one that furthers the development, professional skills and technical knowledge of the Chartered Financial Planner professional. The CE activity must, first and foremost, be educational in nature and must cover concepts directly related to one or more of the following technical knowledge areas:

• retirement planning
• estate planning
• taxation planning
• investment planning, including alternative investments (i.e. investments that do not fit into the traditional investment categories of cash, bonds and stocks)
• financial management
• insurance/risk management
• financial planning in general
• industry trends, changes and developments (e.g. legal or administrative) that impact the advice and recommendations a licensee would give to his or her clients

Continuing Education Categories

CIFP categorizes the continuing education offerings in its CE catalogue as follows:

• Professional Development: continuing education activities that further the technical knowledge and proficiencies of the CIFP credential holder; these are typically topics related to the different areas of financial planning
• Compliance and Regulatory: continuing education activities that relate to industry legislation, rules, policies and procedures, regulatory requirements and compliance
• Ethics and Professional Responsibility: continuing education activities that help guide the CIFP credential holder with regards to ethical and professional conduct, understanding the principles contained in the Code of Conduct and their practical application, identifying and managing ethical dilemmas and promoting best practices and compliant conduct

To remain a Chartered Financial Planner professional in good standing, a credential holder must complete a minimum of 25 qualified, verifiable hours of continuing education by December 31^st of each calendar year. Two CE credits must be accumulated in the Ethics and Professional Responsibility category. The remaining 23 credits can be accumulated cumulatively from the Professional Development and/or Compliance and Regulatory categories.

Annual CE Requirements: Chartered Financial Planner Designation
CE Category (CIFP)	Equivalent MFDA CE Category	Number of CE Credits Required Each Year (January 1st – December 31st)	Carryover of CE Credits to Following Calendar Year
Professional Development	Professional Development	23 (cumulatively between Professional Development and Compliance and Regulatory CE categories)	None
Compliance and Regulatory	Business Conduct
Ethics and Professional Responsibility	Business Conduct—Ethics	2

A variety of options—offered through CIFP or alternate sources—qualifies as approved continuing education activities for purposes of upholding an individual's Chartered Financial Planner certification.

CIFP Continuing Education Offerings

CIFP recommends Chartered Financial Planner professionals complete their annual CE requirements through the continuing education offerings available directly through CIFP. The CIFP CE catalogue features self-study online courses, various conferences and one-day professional development days. Credential holders have access to a broad range of relevant and topical educational content and will also benefit from cost-efficiency, ease of administration and peace of mind.

In addition to featuring content that will upgrade his or her technical knowledge, CIFP CE education offerings are pre-approved by CIFP thereby relieving the credential holder of the burden of self-assessing whether or not the course content meets the prescribed CE standards. Moreover, the credential holder will not have to worry about cumbersome record keeping or a potential audit of that particular CE activity given that it has already been vetted by CIFP. In short, all of the CE obligations of the Chartered Financial Planner credential holder for the year can be easily and conveniently satisfied through CIFP.

Alternate Continuing Education Activities

At the discretion of the credential holder, alternate qualifying and verifiable continuing education activities may also be taken to meet the annual CE obligations for the Chartered Financial Planner designation. The following activities represent common continuing education options available to Chartered Financial Planner professionals. Activities not included in the list below may still be approved as a qualified continuing education activity subject to evaluation by CIFP.

• Self-study courses (including online courses) with a final course examination: A maximum of 20 CE credits can be claimed for successful completion of the course; the number of CE credits claimed must be aligned with the recommended number of study hours identified by the sponsoring educational institution for the course (if less than 20 hours).
• College and university credit courses (including online courses) with a final course examination: Courses offered through a university, community college or other approved post-secondary educational institution (including self-study and distance learning education offerings) that qualify for a minimum of one-half credit at the applicable educational institution and for which the final course grade is, wholly or in part, based on a formal examination qualify. A maximum of 20 CE credits can be claimed for successful completion of a full semester course.
• In-house training: Educational seminars, workshops and webinars sponsored by the financial institution that employs the credential holder can be claimed provided the learning objectives covered in the session are in keeping with the continuing education guidelines for the Chartered Financial Planner credential. When tabulating the number of CE credits for an in-house training session, time spent for breaks, meals and non-educational activities must be excluded from the calculation. A maximum of seven (7) CE credits can be claimed for a full day, in-house training session.
• Conferences, seminars and workshops (including virtual offerings): Sessions attended at conferences, such as the annual CIFPs National Conference, CIFPs Professional Days and CIFPs Retirement Canada Dialogue, are eligible continuing education activities. Sessions attended at conferences and workshops sponsored by organizations other than CIFP/CIFPs may be eligible continuing education activities provided they are educational in nature. Presentations must predominantly focus on the technical aspects of financial planning. Sessions that centre on the features of specific financial/insurance products or financial/insurance organizations with a sales or marketing bent do not qualify. When tabulating the number of CE credits for conference and workshop sessions, time spent for breaks, meals and non-educational activities must be excluded from the calculation. Specifically for non-CIFP-sponsored full-day workshops, a maximum of seven (7) CE credits can be claimed.
• Teaching and presenting (in-person or virtual), writing/editing: A Chartered Financial Planner professional who teaches courses or conducts technical presentations relating to financial planning, can claim one CE credit for each hour of teaching or presenting to a maximum of 10 CE credits for the calendar year. Only the first instance of teaching the material is considered an eligible continuing education activity. Similarly, a credential holder who writes books, technical articles and newsletters or course content relating to financial planning, can claim one CE credit for each hour of writing. CE credits can be claimed based on a reasonable calculation of the actual time spent on research and writing (as assessed by CIFP). Where the credential holder is engaged in editing or re-writing pre-existing content, one CE credit can be claimed for every two hours of editing or re- writing.
• Other activities that promote professional development: Other activities that are educational in nature and that relate specifically to financial planning may also qualify for CE credits. These activities are subject to evaluation and approval on a case-by-case basis by CIFP.
  
  Note: Unless a CE activity is specifically designated as pre-approved by CIFP, it is the sole responsibility of the Chartered Financial Planner professional to ensure the appropriateness and applicability of any proposed CE activity he or she undertakes is aligned with the Chartered Financial Planner designation CE guidelines. Non-pre-approved activities are subject to review, approval and audit by CIFP. Decisions made by CIFP pertaining to the appropriateness of a continuing education activity are final.

Activities not recognized as qualifying continuing education activities

Activities not recognized as qualifying continuing education activities include:

• unstructured or unverifiable reading and learning even if related to financial planning (e.g. sources such as newspapers, financial publications, articles, books, social media posts or, watching or listening to business news on television, radio or podcasts)
• preparatory courses, study guides and unstructured readings
• writing content that is related to marketing or sales practices and techniques
• teaching content that is related to marketing or sales practices and techniques
• attendance at meetings or events sponsored by the employer of the credential holder solely for the purpose of discussing or promoting sales techniques and practices
• training specifically related to the sale of a particular product or the marketing or promotion of a product (training relating to the technical specifications of a product (e.g. tax treatment, suitability, etc.) is valid)
• activities that focus on the merits and features of specific financial products or financial organizations or that are promotional in nature are not considered continuing education

Annual reporting of CE requirements

As part of Chartered Financial Planner certification renewal, a credential holder will be required to attest to meeting his or her Chartered Financial Planner credential CE obligations each year. This is the extent of the continuing education reporting requirements for the credential holder—supporting documentation does not need to be submitted with the renewal application.

This said, excluding activities that have been specifically pre-approved by CIFP, a Chartered Financial Planner credential holder is advised to retain official and original documentation to support any continuing education activities that he or she has claimed in the event he or she is selected by CIFP for a random audit or, in the event there is a discrepancy as to the completion or validity of a continuing education activity.

Audit reporting of CE Activities

Completion of continuing education activities that originate from CIFP are tracked internally thereby rendering an audit of the credential holder by CIFP superfluous. Similarly, no further action or reporting is required by the credential holder following successful completion of their CIFP continuing education activity.

To preserve the integrity of the Chartered Financial Planner designation, credential holders who report continuing education activities that do not originate from CIFP, may be subject to a CE audit. From this pool of designation holders, each year, CIFP will randomly select a sampling of individuals who will be called upon to provide supporting documentation for the continuing education activities they reported for any or all of the three previous calendar years.

Chartered Financial Planner professionals whose certification has lapsed and has been reinstated are automatically subject to an audit.

Documentation

Credential holders who are randomly selected for an audit of his or her claim for CE credits in support of Chartered Financial Planner certification must submit documentation to CIFP to substantiate his or her claim. The documentation must contain sufficient information to enable CIFP to verify the nature and appropriateness of the reported activity and the credential holder's participation in it. CIFP may conduct an audit for any, or all, of the three previous years; it is important credential holders keep supporting documentation on file to cover this period.

Depending on the nature of the continuing education activity, acceptable documentation will typically be in the form of:

• a certificate of attendance issued by the institution sponsoring the CE activity: the certificate should indicate the name of the attendee, the date of the activity, the duration of the activity, a detailed description of the education activity and a stamp or signature of an authorized representative of the sponsoring institution
• a transcript from the education institution: the original and official transcript should indicate the name of the student, the name of the course or program and the date of enrollment and/or the date of completion
• written confirmation from the training or HR department in the case of in-house activities: the confirmation should indicate the name of the participant, the name of the CE activity, the date of enrollment and/or the date of completion and a stamp or signature of an authorized representative of the training or HR department
• a teaching contract: the name of the instructor, the date the course was offered, the duration of the course and a description of the course should be indicated on the contract
• a writing contract: the name of the author of the technical article, book or courseware, a copy of the finished document and the date the document was written should be indicated on the contract

Chartered Financial Planner professionals may be required to provide additional supporting documentation as deemed necessary and appropriate by CIFP.

CE documentation that is incomplete, that does not match CIFP records relating to the identification of the credential holder, that is not issued and certified by a recognized post-secondary educational institution or financial industry organization or that, in any respect, is deemed to be inadequate by CIFP will not be accepted. Claims for CE credits based on inadequate documentation will be declined.

In addition to proof of attendance or a certificate of completion of a CE activity, a credential holder may be required to provide further supporting documentation (e.g. official course description, PowerPoint presentation, syllabus, etc.) to clarify what learning objectives are covered as part of the activity.

Decisions made by CIFP with regards to the adequacy of the documentation submitted and/or the relevance of the continuing education activity itself are final.

Chartered Financial Planner credential holders adjudged to have deliberately made a false attestation with regards to their annual continuing education requirements are in breach of the Code of Conduct and may be subject to disciplinary action.

CIFP reserves the right to audit credential holders based on their reported continuing education activities at any time and for any reason.

Excluding activities that have been specifically pre-approved by CIFP, it is the sole responsibility of the Chartered Financial Planner professional to assess the appropriateness of a proposed continuing education activity and the number of CE credits that should be assigned to that particular endeavour.

The sponsoring educational institution or financial organization will often advise the participant as to how many CE credits an activity is worth. Where it is left to the participant to make that determination, the number of credits allocated to an activity should be reasonable and should have a direct correlation to the amount of time he or she spent in that activity for purposes of learning and improving his or her skills and technical knowledge. A prudent and conservative rule of thumb to follow is one hour of qualified continued education activity equates to one CE credit.

When tabulating the number of CE credits for conference and workshop sessions, time spent for breaks, meals and non-educational activities must be excluded from the calculation. Specifically for full-day workshops and conferences that are not CIFP-sponsored, a maximum of seven (7) CE credits can be claimed.

Continuing education credits accumulated in a given year in excess of the minimum requirements to uphold an individual's Chartered Financial Planner certification cannot be carried over for use in a future year.

CIFP recognizes that individuals undergo changes in their personal and professional lives and that these changes may impact the requirement and/or ability of a Chartered Financial Planner professional to uphold his or her continuing education obligations for a given year. Accordingly, on application, an exemption from the annual continuing education requirement may be granted for the calendar year in which a Chartered Financial Planner professional:

• takes a leave of absence from his or her employment or practice
• is on maternity/parental leave
• is on family caregiver leave (leave must be for a member of the credential holder's immediate family who has been diagnosed with a serious medical condition or disability or who has died)
• is on a medical or disability leave for a minimum of six months; the leave must be sanctioned by a certified medical practitioner and substantiated by a medical report

A credential holder must formally request for an exemption of his or her CE obligations in writing and must provide supporting documentation as applicable. Such requests will be reviewed by CIFP on a case-by-case basis; decisions rendered are at the discretion of CIFP and are considered final.

A waiver of CE requirements is only valid for the calendar year in which the formal request is submitted; exemptions for multiple years are not permitted as part of one request. A credential holder who requires an exemption beyond the current calendar year will be required to submit a separate formal request to be exempt for the following year.

Certification as a Chartered Financial Planner professional and the use of the Chartered Financial Planner marks signals to the financial services industry, clients, peers and the public at large that the individual has attained a recognized level of knowledge and competence and that he or she has undertaken an obligation to act in a professional and ethical manner. The Chartered Financial Planner designation also indicates the commitment of the credential holder to professional development through annual continuing education. Accordingly, a breach of this commitment is considered a serious violation of the Chartered Financial Planner Code of Conduct.

A credential holder may be sanctioned with the revocation of his or her Chartered Financial Planner certification and his or her right to use the Chartered Financial Planner marks for CE violations that include (not an exhaustive list):

• failing to earn a minimum of 25 qualified continuing education credits for a given year within the prescribed timelines (unless, the credential holder has been approved for a continuing education waiver by CIFP)
• when randomly selected for audit, failing to fulfill the requirements of the audit as stipulated by CIFP
• misstating or misrepresenting his or her CE activities in a manner that is deemed to be deliberate in the reasonable judgment of CIFP

In all situations, decisions made by CIFP are considered final.