Yorkton's certified financial planners (CFP®) are celebrating Financial Planning Week on November 21 with a special presentation at the Yorkton Public Library.
Dwayne Daku, author of the national best seller 15 Secrets the Taxman Doesn't Want You to Know will be on hand to talk about what he learned in 23 years owning and running his own business.
Daku is not an accountant or CFP® and does not claim to have the same depth of knowledge as these professionals, but he does have a knack for framing tax information in a way that is very accessible for the layman.
Jeffrey Bahrey is a CFP® with Investors Group in Yorkton. He says there are very good reasons to consult a member of his profession.
"A Certified Financial Planner is somebody who has the training, as well as, the experience to look and your financial situation objectively," Bahrey said.
"We are also required to follow a code of ethics.
"The other big thing is that a lot of times when you go to see somebody, they just want to sell you some kind of [financial] product. A financial planner is going to take the time to assess where you're at, assess where you want to be and make some recommendations.
Certified Financial Planners must first hold a Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university. Then they must master a list of nearly 100 topics in integrated financial planning in order to sit for the 10-hour CFP Board Certification Examination.
Those who have already attained financial certifications, such as Certified Public Accountants and Chartered Accountants, can challenge the exam without completing the education component.
In 2009, Canada's Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC) launched Financial Planning week as part of a campaign to make financial planning more a part of Canadians' lives.
The FPSC has a number of goals it calls Vision 2020. The program includes: integrating financial planning into high school curricula; introducing a strict regulatory environment restricting who can call themselves "financial planners"; distinguishing financial planning from "product advice"; promoting understanding among Canadians the difference between financial planning and product advice and; ensuring a sufficient number of licenced and qualified planners to serve Canadians.
Financial Planning Week runs from November 19 to 24.
For more information on activities to make the most of Financial Planning Week, visit www.financialplanningweek.ca.
