A financial planner is someone who helps you make smart choices in your life. They look at your entire situation and give advice to help you reach your goals. This might include saving, budgeting, investing, planning for retirement, or understanding how you can protect your family from risk.
In Canada, only people who meet high standards can call themselves CFP® professionals or QAFP® professionals. It’s how you know you’re working with a financial planner you can trust who is highly qualified and has your best interests in mind, always.
In fact, our 2025 Financial Stress Index shows how, over the years, more and more Canadians who work with financial planners are more optimistic about their futures.
Professional financial planners certified by FP Canada™ undergo a rigorous education and certification process to ensure they can provide Canadians with trusted financial guidance and advice. When searching for a financial planner on our Find Your Planner tool, you can also see their disciplinary history with FP Canada, if applicable.
Aspiring CFP professionals and QAFP professionals must complete a program of technical and professional education in addition to having a post-secondary diploma or degree. They gain knowledge and skills in all areas of financial planning, while developing strong relationship skills and a hands-on understanding of their professional obligations.
And it doesn’t end there! All professionals certified by FP Canada must complete annual Continuing Education to maintain their certification and stay on top of financial trends and best practices, and hone their skills to better serve you.
Prospective planners must pass a competency-based exam that tests their ability to apply financial planning knowledge to real-world scenarios and ensures they are highly qualified to help you plan for your financial future.
Hands-on work experience is required to demonstrate that CFP professionals and QAFP professionals have the expert knowledge and skills clients expect before they receive their certification—one year for QAFP professionals and three years for CFP professionals. This step is essential to ensure all CFP professionals and QAFP professionals have practical, real-life experience before they embark on their careers as CFP professionals or QAFP professionals.
All CFP professionals and QAFP professionals must meet the Standards of Professional Responsibility set by the FP Canada Standards Council. This includes adhering to a strict Code of Ethics, Rules of Conduct, Fitness Standards and Practice Standards, requiring them to act professionally and with integrity, and to put their clients’ interests first.
Thinking about money can be stressful. So, it’s only natural that many of us feel anxious when we attempt to tackle our personal finances.
Use our handy search tool to search for CFP professionals and QAFP professionals across Canada. You can filter by location, language, areas of focus, and more.
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