FP Canada

Office address: 902-375 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5G 2J5
Website: www.fpcanada.ca
Year established: 1995
Company type: non-profit organization
Employees: 108
Expertise: sets standards for financial planning in Canada
Parent company: N.A.
CEO and key people: Tashia Batstone, President and CEO
Financing status: -

FP Canada is the authority for the education and certification of professional financial planners in Canada. It is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1995. FP Canada's mission is to raise the quality of financial planning in Canada. This is done through setting standards, educating financial planners and the public, and enforcing the ethics of the profession.

History of FP Canada

FP Canada was established as a non-profit in 1995 under a different name: Financial Planners Standards Council. Its goal was to set consistent standards for financial planners in Canada.

In 1996, the organization became the only accredited licensor of the CFP (Certified Financial Planner) trademark in Canada.

By 2002, over half of financial advisors in Canada’s top financial planning firms hold the CFP credential. In 2004, the organization introduced the Financial Planning Practice Standards, which all CFP professionals must follow.

Throughout the years, FP Canada has been an active force in elevating the standards of financial planning training and certification in Canada. In 2019, the organization was renamed FP Canada.

FP Canada operates everywhere in the country except Quebec. FP Canada partnered with the Institut québécois de planification financière (IQPF) in Quebec to ensure that FP Canada’s standards are applied throughout the country.

Products and Services of FP Canada

FP Canada offers a variety of products and services to financial planners and the public, such as:

• Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) Certification
• Qualified Associate Financial Planner (QAFP®) Certification
• Financial Planning Body of Knowledge (FP-BoK)
• Financial literacy tools for the public

FP Canada also receives and acts on complaints made by the public against CFP certificate holders.

Culture at FP Canada

FP Canada is committed to creating a culture of excellence and professionalism. The organization works hard to constantly uplift standards set for financial planners in Canada.

Their vision for the future is outlined in their manifesto called Imagine 2030:

• By 2030, financial planning is a recognized profession, considered essential by society
• All Canadians reach financial wellbeing
• All Canadians have access to professional financial planning that meets their needs

The organization is committed to meeting these goals, working with financial planners, financial planning firms, educational institutions, provincial governments, and the Canadian public.

About FP Canada President and CEO Tashia Batstone

Tashia Batstone became FP Canada’s President and CEO in 2021. She has led the organization through some significant milestones within the past few years. There’s FP Canada’s three-year strategic plan, which is part of the wider Imagine 2030 vision. Also, under Batstone’s leadership, FP Canada produced the first benchmark report for Imagine 2030.

Batstone is an accountant by profession. She held executive roles at the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) and at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Newfoundland and Labrador.

In the spirit of giving back, Batstone volunteers at organizations like the CPA Canada Martin Family Initiative, the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).

Future at FP Canada

FP Canada is committed to raising the standards of practice in the financial planning profession. It is focused on meeting the goals it has set in Imagine 2030, a vision for making professional financial planning accessible to all Canadians. With Tashia Batstone as its leader, FP Canada is well on its way to making Imagine 2030 a reality.