The Canadian Institute of Financial Planning

What The Canadian Institute of Financial Planning does

The Canadian Institute of Financial Planning (CIFP) is a private, for-profit distance learning education institute founded in 1972 and headquartered in Burlington, Ontario. The company administers five professional designation programs for the financial services sector: the Chartered Financial Planner®, Registered Retirement Consultant® (RRC®), Registered Financial and Retirement Advisor® (RFRA®), Registered Life Insurance Specialist® (RLIS®), and Registered Retirement Analyst® (RRA®). Programs are delivered through a web-based self-study portal, VirtualUniversity.CIFP.ca, which is hosted on the 724Learning.net platform and supports online enrollment, course delivery, proctored examinations, and credential management.

The business operates two branded institutes: the CIFP Chartered Institute of Financial Planning (administering the Chartered Financial Planner® and RLIS® designations) and the CIFP Retirement Institute (administering RRC®, RFRA®, and RRA®). All five designations carry registered certification marks. CIFP is one of only four credentialing bodies approved by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) to grant Financial Planner and Financial Advisor title use under the Financial Professionals Title Protection Framework. The Chartered Financial Planner designation received its FSRA approval on March 22, 2024, marking CIFP's fourth FSRA-approved credential.

Revenue is generated through one-time program enrollment fees ranging from $399 to $1,499 CAD, recurring annual designation renewal fees of $99 to $299, examination re-write fees of $80 to $130, optional printed materials at $80 per course, and continuing education programs. Distribution is self-serve via the online portal supplemented by direct phone enrollment through the Education Services Department. The customer base consists of individual financial planners, financial advisors, and insurance professionals in Ontario pursuing credentials for regulatory compliance and career advancement, with an 11-50 employee organization serving this niche market.

Name

The Canadian Institute of Financial Planning

Legal name

The Canadian Institute of Financial Planning

Website

https://cifp.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Canadian Institute of Financial Planning is a private Burlington, Ontario-based distance learning institute founded in 1972 that administers five FSRA-approved professional designations for Ontario financial planners, advisors, and insurance professionals through its VirtualUniversity.CIFP.ca online portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification and Designation Programs

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAALAJ

Financial Services & Insurance (FINRA, CFP, IAR, Insurance CE)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

SECONDARYFSAEAAAA

Comprehensive Financial Planning

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Investment Advisory & Financial Planning

Keywords

• Professional certification programs
• Financial planning education
• Distance learning institute
• Retirement planning credentials
• FSRA-approved designations

Headquarters

HQ city

Mississauga

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Certification Programs: Revenue from enrollment fees for professional designation programs including Chartered Financial Planner, Registered Retirement Consultant, Registered Financial and Retirement Advisor, Registered Retirement Analyst, and Registered Life Insurance Specialist. Programs have one-time enrollment fees and require annual renewal fees.
2. Examination and Re-examinations: Revenue from examination fees including first exam attempts included in enrollment and subsequent re-examination attempts at additional cost.
3. Continuing Education Requirements: Ongoing revenue from annual continuing education requirements that certified professionals must complete to maintain their designations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Canadian Institute of Financial Planning is a distance-learning education institute that administers five FSRA-approved professional designation programs in financial planning—Chartered Financial Planner®, Registered Retirement Consultant®, Registered Financial and Retirement Advisor®, Registered Life Insurance Specialist®, and Registered Retirement Analyst®—delivered through the VirtualUniversity.CIFP.ca web portal via self-study online coursework, formal assessments, and proctored examinations.

Product overview

The Canadian Institute of Financial Planning (CIFP) is a distance learning education institute that offers five professional designation programs in the financial services sector. The portfolio includes the Chartered Financial Planner® (comprehensive financial planning), Registered Retirement Consultant® (retirement/estate specialization), Registered Financial and Retirement Advisor® (intermediate retirement/estate planning), Registered Life Insurance Specialist® (insurance concepts), and Registered Retirement Analyst® (foundational retirement planning) programs. All programs are delivered through the VirtualUniversity.CIFP.ca web-based education portal using online, self-study format with optional printed materials. The CIFP Retirement Institute administers the retirement-focused designations (RRC®, RFRA®, RRA®), while the CIFP Chartered Institute of Financial Planning administers the Chartered Financial Planner® and RLIS® designations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chartered Financial Planner® Designation Program A comprehensive financial planning designation program for financial services professionals based on the six-step financial planning process, providing advanced knowledge in retirement planning, risk management, estate planning, strategic investment planning, and income tax planning. Approved by FSRA as a credential for the Financial Planner title in Ontario.
• Registered Retirement Consultant® (RRC®) Program An advanced financial planning certification specializing in retirement and estate planning, approved by FSRA as a Financial Planner title credential for Ontario professionals seeking specialized retirement credentials.
• Registered Financial and Retirement Advisor® (RFRA®) Program An intermediate-level certification program covering retirement planning and estate planning concepts for financial professionals, approved by FSRA as a Financial Advisor title credential.
• Registered Life Insurance Specialist® (RLIS®) Program A certification program providing foundational understanding of insurance concepts and strategies for insurance professionals, covering insurance products, disability, health, long-term care, and risk management.
• Registered Retirement Analyst® (RRA®) Program A foundational certification established in 2021 covering retirement planning concepts, government retirement programs, investment planning, and ethical practices, approved by FSRA as a Financial Advisor title credential in Ontario.
• VirtualUniversity.CIFP.ca Education Portal The web-based self-study education portal used to deliver all CIFP designation programs, providing online course delivery, student login, enrollment, assessment, and examination registration functionality on VirtualUniversity.CIFP.ca.

Quantifiable outcome

• FSRA approval enables credential holders to legally use Financial Planner and Financial Advisor titles in Ontario after March 28, 2026

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA)OthersFSRA is the regulatory body for Financial Planner and Financial Advisor title use in Ontario under the Financial Professionals Title Protection Framework. CIFP is approved as a credentialing body by FSRA to grant and oversee Financial Planner and Financial Advisor title use in Ontario. CIFP's Chartered Financial Planner designation was approved on March 22, 2024, marking the fourth CIFP designation approved by FSRA.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Knowledge Bureau: Knowledge Bureau is a Canadian financial services education firm offering specialist certificates and designation-track programs aimed at advisors and accountants. It addresses an overlapping audience of Canadian financial professionals and offers an alternative credentialing pathway to CIFP's programs.

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Coursera is a broad online learning platform hosting financial planning and finance-related programs from accredited universities and institutions. It represents a broader-incumbent alternative for online, self-paced professional development that competes for the same learner mindshare as CIFP's web-based designation programs.
• The American College of Financial Services: The American College of Financial Services is a large, established US-based financial services educator offering designations such as ChFC, CLU, and CFP-level programs. It is comparable to CIFP as a designation-granting institution for financial services professionals, though it operates at much larger scale and primarily in the US.

Direct peers

• FP Canada: FP Canada administers the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Qualified Associate Financial Planner (QAFP) marks in Canada and is one of the four FSRA-approved credentialing bodies in Ontario. It is the most direct competitor to CIFP for Ontario financial planner and advisor title use.
• Canadian Securities Institute (CSI): CSI delivers Canadian financial services education and credentials including the CSC, PFP, and other product- and planning-related courses. It directly competes with CIFP for online professional education among Ontario advisors seeking recognized credentials.
• Advocis: Advocis is the Financial Advisors Association of Canada, providing member-based professional development, designations (such as the CHS), and advocacy for Canadian financial advisors. It is a peer in professional credentialing and continuing education for the same Ontario financial services professionals CIFP serves.
• College of Financial Planning (Kaplan): The College of Financial Planning, now part of Kaplan, is a US-based provider of financial planning education including the CFP®-equivalent AFP® and other designations via distance learning. Its online-only, self-study model and professional credentialing focus are directly comparable to CIFP's delivery format.
• Institute for Advanced Financial Education (IAFE): IAFE is a Canadian financial services education provider delivering professional development courses and designations, often in partnership with industry associations. It is one of the other FSRA-approved credentialing bodies serving the same Ontario title-protection use case as CIFP.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-canadian-institute-of-financial-planning

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Canadian Institute of Financial Planning