Becoming a Certified Financial Planner in Canada
The Get Ready Guide

Alan Goldhar     

Captus Press, ISBN 978-1-55322-372-6 (2018)
268 pages, 550 g, 8 X 10, $37.00 (US$29.60)
 

To become a Certified Financial Planner, CFP© candidates must demonstrate their ability to integrate information from all of the fundamental areas of financial planning in order to meet their clients’ needs. Becoming a Certified Financial Planner in Canada: The Get Ready Guide is the ideal tool that CFP candidates will need to help them develop this skill prior to writing the CFP Examination.

Divided into three sections, Section 1 summarizes and reviews the components and skills required to create a financial plan. It also dedicates two chapters to special topics in financial planning. Section 2 offers personal financial planning cases representing four stages of the life cycle - single, young family, pre-retirement, and senior. Section 3 presents cases of clients with special circumstances - premature death of spouse, divorcing/divorced, family (private) business, and disability.

The cases expose the reader to various complex real-life issues, giving them the opportunities to apply their knowledge and hone their analytical skills in different situations. With the help of the financial plan template, CFP candidates can consolidate their skills and learn to develop a professional financial plan in a structured and systematic manner. This tremendous resource will help prepare the reader for their final challenge of becoming a CFP — the CFP Examination.

This text meets the specific knowledge requirements set by the Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC) for the Certified Financial Planner© (CFP©) national examination.

Table of Contents   top

1 THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF FINANCIAL PLANNING

  1. Personal Financial Planning: An Introduction
  2. Writing and Presenting the Financial Plan
  3. An Overview of Concepts and Technical Skills in Financial Planning
  4. Special Topics in Financial Planning
  5. Financial Planning with Personal Trusts

2 TAILORING THE FINANCIAL PLAN TO THE SPECIFIC CLIENT PROFILE

  1. Financial Planning for the Single Client
  2. Financial Planning for a Young Family
  3. Financial Planning for Pre-Retirement Couples
  4. Financial Planning for Senior Couples

3 TAILORING THE FINANCIAL PLAN TO CLIENTS WITH SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

  1. Financial Planning for Premature Widow(er)s
  2. Financial Planning for Divorcing/Divorced Clients
  3. Financial Planning for Clients with Family (Private) Businesses

4 Appendices

Financial Plan Engagement Letter and Template

Favourite Financial Websites

 

 

Instructor Resources   top

Related Resources   top

About the Author   top

Alan Goldhar is a Certified Financial Planner and a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA). He has bachelor’s degrees in business and economics, as well as a master’s degree in business administration.

 

Goldhar has worked in the investment business since 1985 and has been in the financial planning field since 1997. He is currently a chief investment officer within the public sector, where he manages a team of professional financial planners.

 

Goldhar is also a part-time faculty member at both York University and Ryerson University, where he teaches several levels of financial planning courses, including the Capstone Course.

 

Goldhar’s involvement in the financial planning profession extends beyond his work-related duties. He has served on several committees and boards within the profession, including the FPSC Foundation Board, which is a non-profit organization that promotes research and education in the financial planning field. He is currently a member on the Seniors Expert Advisory Committee (SEAC), which provides the Ontario Securities Commission with expert opinions and input on security-related policy, operational decisions, education, and outreach activities pertaining to the protection of Ontario’s older investors.

 

In 2014, Goldhar was engaged by the FPSC to write the 2014 FPSC Capstone Case.

 Lastly, in recognition of his work within the financial planning community, he was awarded the honour of Fellow of the FPSC in 2011.

 

Alan Goldhar’s commitment to investor education and protection and to the growth of the financial planning profession in Canada inspired him to write this book.