Meeting Your Continuing Education Requirements

• CE credits are accumulated on a calendar year basis (January 1 to December 31).
• In order to qualify, the content of the activity must be related to the categories of Financial Planning, Professional Responsibility, Practice Management, Product Knowledge or Giving Back. Learn more about FP Canada’s five CE Credit Categories.
• One hour of qualifying activity is equivalent to one CE credit.
• A full day of instruction may qualify for a maximum of eight CE credits. Time spent for meal and coffee breaks must be subtracted from the total hours claimed for CE credits.
• Excess CE credits in the category of Professional Responsibility may qualify under the category of Financial Planning.
• Excess CE credits may not be carried over for more than one calendar year.

These can be claimed for CE credits (one hour = one CE credit). When calculating the number of hours for CE credits, meals and breaks should not be included. The maximum amount allocated for one full day of education is eight CE credits.

In-house training can be claimed for CE credits (one hour = one CE credit). When calculating CE credits, time spent for meals and breaks should not be included. The maximum amount allocated for one full day of training is eight CE credits.

Self-study courses usually have a recommended number of study hours. The full number of study hours may be claimed as CE (if they meet FP Canada’s CE requirements) upon successful completion of the course, up to a maximum of 50 credits.

University or college credit courses for one full semester may qualify for CE credits, if the curriculum meets FP Canada’s CE requirements. A maximum of 50 CE credits may be claimed for each full semester course.

Courses that are completed to prepare for a relevant professional license or designation may qualify for CE upon completion, up to a maximum of 50 credits.

Writing articles, technical newsletters, books and course materials qualify for CE credits provided such activities meet FP Canada’s CE requirements and have a target audience of: professionals engaged in financial planning; or post-secondary students preparing for a career in financial planning. A maximum of 15 CE credits may be claimed for the time spent researching and writing. Re-releases of existing documents with revision are eligible for a maximum of 10 CE credits.

Please note that content written for marketing purposes will not qualify for CE credits.

Teaching or acting as an instructor, discussion leader, speaker to financial planning professionals, or post-secondary students qualify for a maximum of 15 CE credits. Two credits per hour of actual teaching/presenting time can be claimed for the first time the class or session is conducted, up to a maximum of 15 credits. For second and subsequent offerings of the same course or session, only in-class time or session time can be counted, up to a maximum of 10 credits per year.

Please note: Teaching or presenting seminars/courses designed for marketing purposes will not qualify for CE credits.

CE credits may be awarded for volunteering with FP Canada, community organizations, industry associations, charitable groups or others in a way that assists Canadians in understanding the importance of financial planning or enhances their financial well-being. In addition, CE credits may be awarded in instances where a CFP professional or QAFP professional is using their financial planning skills in a volunteer capacity to support an organization. Hours of volunteer service may qualify for a maximum of five credits per year under the ‘Giving Back’ category.

Other activities may qualify for CE credits. To determine whether an activity qualifies as CE, please send your inquiries to info@fpcanada.ca.

Supporting documentation for CE could include, but is not limited to, the following:

• A certificate of attendance issued by the granting institution. The certificate must include the participant's name, date and duration of the activity, and a signature and/or stamp of the education provider;
• A transcript from the education provider. The transcript must include the participant's name, date of enrolment and/or date of completion, and the name of the course;
• Written confirmation from the Training or HR Department offering in-house training. The letter must include the participant's name, date and duration of the activity, signature of the department head or representative, and the signatory's contact information;
• Written confirmation from the volunteer organization. The letter must include the participant’s name, date of the volunteer service and a description of the nature and duration of the volunteer activity;
• A contract for teaching engagement. The contract must include the instructor’s name, the year/semester of the course and a description of the nature and duration of the courses; or
• A contract for writing assignment. The contract must include the writer’s name, a copy of the article, and the year written (must be written in the year reported).

Supporting documentation for educational content of CE activities that have not been approved through FP Canada's CE Approval Program must also be supported by documentation to verify the educational content of the activities completed. Supporting documentation could include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Course descriptions;
• Content agendas indicating the duration of the program and summary of the content;
• PowerPoint presentations;
• Course syllabi;
• Table of contents; or
• Articles.

Other forms of supporting documentation may be accepted at FP Canada's discretion.

Please note: Missing documentation will result in the CE activity being denied in the case of an FP Canada audit.

FP Canada certificants who fail to comply with the CE requirements or CE audit requirements within the stipulated period may be subject to disciplinary action by FP Canada.

Misstated or fraudulent reporting of CE credits will be reported to the FP Canada Standards and Enforcement department as a violation of the Standards of Professional Responsibility.