For over 50 years, The Canadian Institute of Financial Planning has been dedicated to developing quality educational programs and resources for the benefit of financial planning professionals, retirement planning professionals, financial services practitioners and the general public.

CIFP offers a comprehensive suite of courses designed to support certification, licensing, continuing education and professional development needs for individuals practicing in the financial services sector. CIFP educational offerings cover areas such as financial planning, retirement planning, investments, insurance, taxation, estate planning, ethics, compliance and practice management.

CIFP education programs and continuing education titles may be used by financial services professionals to support ongoing professional development and, where applicable, to satisfy continuing education requirements for licensing bodies, regulators, professional designations and other industry organizations, including requirements applicable to individuals regulated through the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and licensed insurance agents.

The CIFP Chartered Institute of Financial Planning is responsible for administering designations that recognize professional competency in financial planning and related areas of practice. These include the Chartered Financial Planner^® designation and the Registered Life Insurance Specialist^® / RLIS^® designation.

The Chartered Financial Planner^® designation is a comprehensive financial planning credential based on an integrated financial planning process. Chartered Financial Planner professionals are expected to demonstrate advanced knowledge across the major areas of financial planning and to apply that knowledge in developing coordinated financial planning strategies for clients.

Through the CIFP Retirement Institute, CIFP administers designations that support specialization in retirement planning, financial advising and retirement-related client needs. These include the Registered Retirement Consultant^® / RRC^®, Conseiller en Retraite and Conseillère en Retraite / CR^®, Registered Financial and Retirement Advisor^® / RFRA^®, and Registered Retirement Analyst^® / RRA^® designations.

These designations are supported by structured programs of study and examination, continuing education requirements, codes of conduct, ethics obligations and standards of practice. They are designed to support professionals who help Canadians address financial planning, financial advising, retirement income, estate planning, pre-retirement, post-retirement and retirement lifestyle planning needs.

CIFP education programs are also frequently subscribed to by individuals outside the financial services industry who are seeking to enhance their personal knowledge, improve their financial literacy or better understand financial planning concepts.

In 2002, The Canadian Institute of Financial Planners (CIFPs), a professional association, was established by financial planners to provide industry professionals with continuing education, advocacy, networking opportunities and professional support services.

CIFPs represents financial planning professionals, retirement planning professionals and other members of the financial planning community from across Canada and from a broad range of industry sectors, including insurance, mutual funds, securities, banking, credit unions, financial planning firms and fee-based practices.

CIFPs provides a broad suite of membership programs and benefits, including professional development, educational resources, advocacy, communications, networking opportunities, technical updates and member services.

CIFPs continuing education offerings are designed to support the ongoing professional development needs of financial planning professionals and other financial services practitioners. These offerings may assist Members in meeting continuing education requirements associated with their licences, registrations, professional credentials or areas of practice.

Other membership benefits include practical guides and resources, informational tools, professional development events, regulatory updates, an evolving local chapter network and a national conference focused on issues affecting financial planning professionals and the broader financial services industry.

Together, CIFP and CIFPs support the financial planning profession through education, professional development, advocacy and resources that help Members serve Canadians with professionalism, competence and care.