Understanding your CE requirements

CFP® professionals are required to complete 25 hours of CE activities annually and QAFP® professionals are required to complete 12 hours of CE annually. CE requirements can be found in the CFP Certification Policies and QAFP Certification Policies. 

 

CFP® professionals—25 CE credits required per calendar year (January 1 to December 31)

Breakdown by Category Minimum Required Credits per calendar yearMaximum Claimable Credits per calendar yearCredits that can be carried over to the next calendar year
Financial Planning including Professional Skills 
12*
Unlimited23
Professional Responsibility 2UnlimitedNo**
General CE including Giving BackNo minimum 11***No

* Effective January 2025, CFP professionals must complete 12 hours of CE in the category of Financial Planning annually. The sub-category of Professional Skills was added under Financial Planning, effective January 2025.

** If more than 2 credits in the category of Professional Responsibility are completed in a calendar year, the additional credit(s) may be applied under the Financial Planning category.

*** A maximum of 5 credit hours may be claimed in the sub-category of Giving Back in each calendar year. CE which previously qualified in the category of Product Knowledge may qualify in the category of General CE.


QAFP® professionals—12 CE credits required per calendar year (January 1 to December 31)

Breakdown by Category Minimum Required Credits per calendar yearMaximum Claimable Credits per calendar yearCredits that can be carried over to the next calendar year
Financial Planning including Professional Skills 
7*
Unlimited11
Professional Responsibility 1UnlimitedNo**
General CE including Giving BackNo minimum 4No

* The sub-category of Professional Skills was added as a new CE category under Financial Planning, effective January 2025.

** If more than 1 credit in the category of Professional Responsibility is completed in a calendar year, the additional credit(s) may be applied under the Financial Planning category.

 

Plan your CE. Take your CE.

FP Canada CE is organized into three distinct categories: 

Get up to speed with the knowledge and skills to build and maintain professional relationships and manage diverse client scenarios. Financial planning courses help you understand the behavioural factors that impact client decisions and their comfort level with accepting your advice. CE focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion also qualifies in this category. 

Financial planning CE must be related to at least one area of the FP Canada Standards Council™ Competency Profiles and accredited by FP Canada. Eligible topics include the six fundamental financial planning areas, human behaviour, and professional skills as outlined in the FP Canada Body of Knowledge.

Professional responsibility CE is designed to help you identify and address ethical dilemmas and challenges you may encounter in your practice. Enhance your understanding of your professional responsibilities and be prepared for even the most complex planning scenarios. 

Note that CE in this category must be pre-accredited by FP Canada to qualify. Be sure to confirm that CE activities are accredited by FP Canada before registering or applying them towards your required CE. Qualifying activities in this category demonstrate the application of the FP Canada Standards Council™ Standards of Professional Responsibility through the use of examples, case studies, and assessments relevant to your financial planning practice.

General CE activities can be related to financial planning, financial advice or services, the financial industry, or giving back.

The General CE category includes activities related to or in support of financial planning in a general manner, including: 

  • Authoring articles or texts 
  • Teaching or completing CE related to a designation or licence 
  • Supporting financial literacy programs or being involved in community events that leverage your financial planning skills 
  • Volunteering with the Canadian Foundation for Financial Planning™ 
  • Involvement with financial planning-related committees, panels, or boards 
  • Activities in the categories of practice management and product knowledge.
 

Track your CE

The CE Tracker organizes all your CE in one easy-to-use tool. View CE from previous years, track each CE category to ensure you’re earning the right number of credits, download or upload certificates of completion, and stay on top of your yearly progress with the CE Progress Summary.

CE activities managed through the FP Canada Institute are automatically tracked on your CE Tracker after completion. Non-FP Canada Institute activities should be entered manually to your CE Tracker. The Progress Summary can also be found on each page of your FP Canada account!

Pro Tip

Did you know volunteering with FP Canada qualifies you for CE credits? You can also gain General CE by volunteering with community organizations, industry associations, or charitable groups in a way that helps Canadians understand the importance of financial planning and/or enhances their financial well-being.

 

Tips to help you meet your annual CE requirements

To renew your annual certification with FP Canada™, you need to plan, take, and track your continuing education (CE) each year: 

  • Make sure you’ve finished all required CE activities 
  • Use the CE Tracker to track your earned CE credits 
  • Keep proof of your completed CE activities. You don’t need to submit it when you renew, but hold onto it for three years in case you’re audited
  • CE in the Financial Planning (FP) and Professional Responsibility (PR) categories must be accredited by FP Canada
  • If your CE in the General category isn’t accredited by FP Canada, keep documentation about the activity (like a description, duration, and summary) plus proof of completion (such as a certificate, transcript, written confirmation, or copies of materials you authored or taught) 

What supporting documents are required? 

  • If audited, you’ll need to show proof you completed your CE activities for the year(s) under review 
  • FP Canada may accept other forms of documentation depending on the situation 
 

Pro Tip

Keep your CE organized in one location! While all CE completed with the FP Canada Institute is automatically entered on your CE Tracker, you can upload activities to the CE Tracker as well.

Access the CE Tracker in your account

CE auditing and exemptions

Learn about CE exemptions and the auditing process.

CE audits and exemptions

Explore the FP Canada CE Store

Dive into the CE Store for hundreds of opportunities to accelerate your career. Courses developed or curated by the FP Canada Institute™ support your ongoing professional development, giving you the tools you need to provide the best advice to your clients.

Pro Tip: Take advantage of our intuitive search option in the CE Store to narrow your selections. There’s also a handy favourites section so you can bookmark and save activities for the future.