QAFP®  professionals and CFP® professionals certified by FP Canada must meet continuing education (CE) requirements every year to ensure their knowledge and competence stay current in an ever-changing financial planning environment.

When you become a provider of CE activities accredited by FP Canada, we promote your CE to over 19,000 QAFP professionals and CFP professionals who collectively complete more than 450,000 CE credits each year.

FP Canada recently updated its continuing education accreditation policy and practices. The changes enhance the quality and consistency of CE activities completed by QAFP professionals and CFP professionals, for the benefit of Canadians.
 

Here’s what’s new as of January 1, 2025

  • FP Canada’s continuing education is now organized into three streamlined and restructured credit categories:
    • Financial Planning
    • Professional Responsibility
    • General CE
  • The Financial Planning category now includes CE focussed on professional skills, a new emphasis on the importance of developing and maintaining professional skills as a core competency of professional financial planning
  • Professional Responsibility CE must be pre-accredited by FP Canada before it is offered or delivered to QAFP professionals or CFP professionals. Post-delivery accreditation is not available

Here’s what’s new as of February 15, 2025

  • The FP Canada CE activity accreditation period is now one year, changed from two
  • CE accreditation fees have changed
  • Applications to accredit a CE activity must now include:
    • Learning objectives and/or a training plan for the proposed CE activity
    • The name(s), qualifications and experience of the people developing and/or delivering the CE activity

And here are a few reminders about mandatory requirements

  • CE activities in the Financial Planning category must be accredited by FP Canada
  • Applications must include documentation that explains how the stated learning objectives will be fulfilled and how the training will be delivered
  • Applications must also include information on how attendance will be confirmed, and/or how completion of the CE activity will be recorded
 

Key resources for CE providers


CE Accreditation Policy

The FP Canada Continuing Education Accreditation Policy outlines the criteria for the accreditation of Continuing Education by FP Canada. Accreditation applications will be assessed based on the criteria outlined in this policy.

Continuing Education Accreditation Policy (PDF)

CE Accreditation Program Manual

The FP Canada Continuing Education Accreditation Program Manual outlines the process FP Canada follows to review, approve, and accredit CE activities, as well as the processes to submit CE activities for accreditation.

Continuing Education Accreditation Program Manual (PDF)

 

How to submit your CE activities

Submit your CE activities application to the FP Canada CE Accreditation Program for assessment. Once you submit your application, you can:

  • track the status of your CE activities
  • modify CE activity details
  • view your payment history
  • edit your organization's information

Submit your CE activities 

 

Certification policies

FP Canada’s continuing education requirements have changed. To renew their certification:

  • QAFP professionals must complete 12 hours of CE annually, including one hour in the category of Professional Responsibility
  • CFP professionals must complete 25 hours of continuing education annually, including two hours in the category of Professional Responsibility

Find up-to-date information in our QAFP certification policies and CFP certification policies.

QAFP certification policies (PDF) CFP certification policies (PDF)

 

FP Canada™ approved by CIRO as a third-party accreditor for continuing education

More than 40% of financial planners certified by FP Canada also hold mutual fund licenses. FP Canada has been approved by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) as a Third-Party Accreditor under the Mutual Fund Dealer (MFD) CE Program. CE providers may apply to FP Canada for FP Canada accreditation and/or Mutual Fund Dealer Continuing Education (MFD CE) accreditation. In accordance with the policies set by CIRO for the MFD CE program, MFD accreditation is valid for two years.

CE activities accredited for both FP Canada and MFD CE requirements provide benefits for CE providers and professional financial planners, as financial planners can use these activities to meet CE requirements for both MFD and FP Canada.

 

Need help?

FP Canada provides information and guidance to QAFP professionals and CFP professionals at all stages of their careers.

 

Contact us