Qualified Associate Financial Planner™ Professional Toolkit

Log in to your FP Canada Portal and click on the ‘View my QAFP Digital Credential ’ link. On your digital credential page click “Add to Email Signature ”, located on the left-hand side, to access step-by-step instructions. Instructions are available for Outlook and Gmail users.

To add your digital credential to your website or blog, sign in to your FP Canada Portal and click on the ‘View my QAFP Digital Credential ’ link. On your digital credential page click “Embed Credential ”, located on the left-hand side, to access step-by-step instructions. You can choose to embed just the credential image (badge or certificate) or the full page of your digital credential.

To add your digital credential to your LinkedIn page, sign in to your FP Canada Portal and click on the ‘View my QAFP Digital Credential ’ link. On your digital credential page click “Add to LinkedIn ”, located on the left-hand side. Then go to your LinkedIn account and select “Add new profile section ”. Under “Accomplishments ”, select “Certifications ” and copy-and-paste the information from your digital credential page to your LinkedIn account, including the unique link to your digital credential.

To add your digital credential to your LinkedIn page, sign in to your FP Canada Portal and click on the ‘View my QAFP Digital Credential ’ link. On your digital credential page click on the social media icons on the right-hand side of the page to link your digital credential in any social media post such as a tweet or status update.

• Qualified Associate Financial Planner™ professional. Financial planning for all stages of life.


• Qualified Associate Financial Planner™ professional, Investment & Retirement Planning at FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.


• Jane Doe, QAFP^® | Investments & Retirement Planning, FINANCIAL INSTITUTION | 500-555-5555

• Jane Doe, QAFP^® @sampletwitteruser
  Qualified Associate Financial Planner™ professional. Financial planning for all stages of life. Where Confidence Begins™


• Jane Doe, QAFP^® @sampletwitteruser
  Financial Planner, Investment & Retirement Planning at FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.


• Jane Doe, QAFP^® lives in Winnipeg, MB and provides personalized financial planning for clients from all walks of life.

• Jane Doe, QAFP^®
  Financial Planner
  jane.doe@examplefinancialorg.ca
  Where Confidence Begins™


• John Doe
  Qualified Associate Financial Planner™ professional
  john.doe@examplefinancialorg.ca
  500-555-5555

1. Open the link to the branded LinkedIn header image. Right click on the image and select “Save As…”, then save to your computer.
2. Click on the “Me” icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage and select “View Profile”.
3. Click the camera icon at the top right corner of your profile header image.
4. Select “Change Photo” and choose the downloaded image. Then click “Apply”.

1. Open the link to the branded video conferencing backdrop. Right click on the image and select “Save As…”, then save to your computer.
2. In a Zoom call, click on the up arrow beside the Start/Stop video icon and select “Choose Virtual Background”.
3. Click on the “+” icon, select “Add Image” and choose the downloaded image

1. Open the link to the branded video conferencing backdrop. Right click on the image and select “Save As…”, then save to your computer.
2. When joining a call, select “Background Filters”. Alternatively when in a call, click on the three dots menu and select “Apply background effects.
3. Click on the “+ Add New” and choose the downloaded image.
4. Select the new image from the list of backgrounds and click “Apply”.

1. Open the link to the branded phone background image or lock screen background image. Press and hold on the image until the “Download Image” option appears, then select this option.
2. Open your phone's Gallery app.
3. Find the downloaded image and open it.
4. Tap the three dots in the top right and select "Set as wallpaper."

1. Open the link to the branded phone background image or lock screen background image. Press and hold on the image until the “Add to Photos” option appears, then select this option.
2. Open your phone’s Photos app.
3. Find the downloaded image and open it.
4. Tap the share icon in the bottom right, scroll down and select “Use as Wallpaper”.

This consumer survey found that, on a regular basis, many Canadians’ dollars are going towards unconscious spending – purchases that are made out of convenience or habit rather than with an eye on budgets and long-term financial plans. According to The Quiet Spend, half (51%) of Canadians are concerned about their financial situation, but the majority have not changed their unconscious spending habits compared to six months ago, such as charging monthly subscriptions to credit cards (64%) or using their credit card to make payments (59%).

The Quiet Spend revealed that many Canadians (69%) who work with a CFP^® professional or QAFP^® professional felt much better about their overall financial picture compared to those who use no financial planning assistance at all (38%).

Read the Quiet Spend news release and learn more on Updates and Insights.

A holiday spending poll of consumers by FP Canada reveals that 60% of Canadians showed restraint, staying on budget with their early holiday season shopping over Black Friday and Cyber Monday. However, one-in-four respondents reported going over budget significantly.

The poll also found that Canadians who work with a professional financial planner did a good job of sticking to their budgets during the early holiday spending season. Canadians who work with a financial planner were far more likely (69%) to say they expect to enter the new year with $0 in credit card debt, compared to 51% of those who do not work with a financial planner.

Read the News Release.

A survey by FP Canada finds that Canadians are experiencing two vastly different pandemics. 

• Half (50%) of working Western Canadians say they’ve suffered a job loss or wage/hour reductions, compared to one-in-three in the Eastern Canada
• More than 34% of Canadians reported an increase in household expenses over last year
• Nearly 40% of Canadians said their work lives have been impacted negatively by the pandemic
• About 20% of working Canadian women say they’ve been forced out of the labour force entirely

The survey also shows how working with a professional financial planner is beneficial during good times and bad and how a financial planner can help clients adapt quicker to changing financial realities. Read through and use the data to better articulate the value you bring to clients as a financial planner.

Read more on the Updates & Insights page.

Read the survey results on FinancialPlanningForCanadians.ca.

A survey by FP Canada finds that 35% Canadians feel their bank accounts cannot withstand another financial emergency, up from 33% from two years ago.

As a financial planner, you are in a position to provide additional confidence to Canadians not only with respect to their financial plans, but also to their current financial situation. From debt management to emergency funds, the study shows there are key opportunities to support your clients’ finances.
Read more on the Updates & Insights page.

Read the Study Results on FinancialPlanningForCanadians.ca.

A survey from FP Canada reveals that one in three Canadians feel they will never recover from a pandemic. However, those who work with a financial planner are much more confident of their financial health.

Use the study to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on your clients that may not be apparent in a typical financial plan review.
Read more on the Updates & Insights page.

Read the Study Results on FinancialPlanningForCanadians.ca.

What might be stopping Canadians from seeking professional financial planning services? A study by FP Canada shows four-in-10 Canadians say they have a reason preventing them talking about money issues with a financial planner. Reasons include not enough money, afraid of being judged and it would cause stress, among others. Use these findings to adapt your client conversations.
Read more on the Updates & Insights page.

View the Study Results.

A study by FP Canada shows that nearly one-in-four Canadians feel money is a taboo topic, ranking it alongside other time-honoured, forbidden subjects such as politics, sex and religion. Read the study for insights into why people may not be comfortable talking about money and how you can encourage your clients to discuss these topics.
Read more on the Updates & Insights page.

The FP Canada Research Foundation has funded new research conducted by the University of Lethbridge and West Virginia University. Titled, Leveraging Equity in Residential Property to Provide Retirement Income, the research investigates why only a small proportion of individuals leverage home equity release schemes (HERS) to fund shortfalls in retirement income. It examines how Canadians feel about accessing their wealth - and the knowledge, attitudes, and perspectives of professional financial planners when it comes to recommending HERS. Read the research paper on the Canadian Foundation for Financial Planning website.

The FP Canada Research Foundation™ and Doug Chandler, an actuary specializing in retirement research, have released new research titled, Retirement Drawdown Choices: RRIF, TSFA, and Non-Registered Accounts. Carried out by Mr. Chandler, the research assesses the value of withdrawing more than required from an RRIF, and doing so at an earlier age. It delves into the value of accelerated withdrawal strategies - and examines whether it’s possible to create a set of guidelines for planners called upon to advise clients on these types of strategies. Read the research paper on the Canadian Foundation for Financial Planning website.

The FP Canada Research Foundation and HEC Montréal released new research, The Quality of Financial Advice: What Influences Client Recommendations. Authored by Philippe d’Astous, Irina Gemmo and Pierre-Carl Michaud, the research investigate the impact of human tendencies and bias on recommendations made by financial planners. It specifically focuses on the influence of familiarity bias, client gender, client involvement and compensation on planner advice and the inadvertent impacts of these biases and other human tendencies on recommendations to clients. Read the research paper on the Canadian Foundation for Financial Planning website.

The FP Canada Research Foundation™ funded a study to investigate why the majority of Canadians take CPP and QPP benefits at 65 or earlier, when in many cases they should wait until age 70. Dr. Bonnie-Jeanne MacDonald, Director of Financial Security Research of the National Institute on Ageing, led the study.

This research provides valuable insights to help planners better guide their clients to making the best possible choices when planning for retirement.
Read the research paper on the Canadian Foundation for Financial Planning website.

Many financial planners note that their clients do not always take action on the plans they deliver and discuss with their clients. But a survey funded by the FP Canada Research Foundation found that only 39% of clients surveyed felt that their financial plan was explained in a way they understood, and only 38% felt that the level detail of their plan was appropriate.

Examine the findings from the Implementation Gap Research to better support your client through the implementation stage.
Review the Executive Summary, use the Practice Notes and read more on the Canadian Foundation for Financial Planning website.