CIFPs wrap-up: Complete coverage from new association’s inaugural conference

(June 2003) The Canadian Institute of Financial Planners (CIFPs) held its inaugural conference in Huntsville, Ontario, in June, with a strong thematic emphasis on family and community emerging from the two-day event. Taking in education sessions ranging from an update on the state of the CFP designation globally to a roundtable discussion on the definition of “financial planner” to a practical look at how to avoid litigation, Advisor’s Edge associate editor Jennifer McLaughlin didn’t miss a beat — here is a complete package of her conference reports:

While conference organizers were putting the finishing touches on planning and executing the CIFPs inaugural conference in Huntsville, Ontario, Advisor.ca spoke to the association’s executive director Keith Costello to get his take on why this conference — and the CIFPs by extension — will be a different experience for financial planners.

Saying it’s time to “gain momentum,” CIFPs managing director Keith Costello outlined future plans for his fledgling association at its inaugural conference this week in Ontario, while guest speakers and delegates alike spoke of the appeal and benefit of a financial planning community. To read this full report from the conference, please click here.

The CIFPs elected its founding board of directors during its first annual meeting at its inaugural conference, and named John Charrette as its first chair. For a complete list of the association’s first board of directors and to find out who was elected vice-chair, please click here.

How many CFPs are there? More important, how many will there be in the future? Financial Planning Standards Board founding chair John Carpenter charted the prospects of the CFP for a new Canadian organization of financial planners.

In his presentation titled “How to avoid E&O claims,” litigation lawyer Harold Geller — a self-described financial planner’s “worst nightmare” — explained some of the mistakes planners make with clients that could land them in court. For some frank insights that could save you a trip to court, please click here.

To round out the second day of the CIFPs conference in Huntsville, Ontario, organizers put together a roundtable of key industry people to discuss the future of financial planning environment. The first question: What does “financial planner” mean to you? Read on to check out the variety of responses and issues that followed.

Filed by Jennifer McLaughlin, Advisor’s Edge, jmclaughlin@rmpublishing.com.