Financial Literacy Counsel

What Financial Literacy Counsel does

Financial Literacy Counsel Inc. (FLC) is a privately held, boutique financial planning and education firm headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, founded in 1999 by Alphil Guilaran and Bobby Ning. The company delivers relationship-based comprehensive financial planning services — including wealth management, insurance planning, tax planning, estate planning, life planning, and "work optional lifestyle" (retirement) planning — primarily to Canadian families and medical professionals, with a dedicated Medical Professionals service line addressing physician-specific issues such as incorporation benefits, disability insurance, and high student debt. FLC manages the financial affairs of approximately 2,000 families through a multi-advisory practice led by co-founder Bobby Ning, supported by a team of ~18 staff including eight-plus CFP-credentialed advisors and dedicated insurance, investment, and operations specialists.

The business operates two additional verticals beyond its core financial planning practice. The Financial Education vertical delivers customized programs to schools, universities, health authorities, corporations, and professional associations — including UBC School of Medicine, Vancouver Coastal Health, and CPA-BC — reaching over 75,000 professionals through live workshops and online resources; this vertical won the 2020 IFSE Financial Literacy Champion award. The Family Office Solutions vertical provides coaching, governance, and heir-preparation services for affluent families, with a 2025-launched digital platform (wealthinheritor.com) extending this expertise to a broader audience. FLC also runs faith-based and high school/university financial literacy programs.

FLC's go-to-market is sales-led and community-led, combining direct advisor relationships, online appointment booking, institutional partnerships, speaking engagements (including MDRT Annual Meeting and Asia conferences), and content marketing. Investment products (mutual funds, exempt market products, ETFs) are offered through dealer partner Investia Financial Services Inc., and segregated funds and insurance products through Customplan Financial Inc., meaning FLC does not carry its own dealer license. Revenue is generated primarily through advisory fees and product-sourced commissions, with institutional fees from financial education programs as a secondary stream. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The firm has no disclosed funding, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and is founder-owned; it has no proprietary technology platform and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities.

Name

Financial Literacy Counsel

Legal name

Financial Literacy Counsel Inc.

Website

https://flci.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Financial Literacy Counsel is a Vancouver-based boutique financial planning and education firm, founded in 1999, serving Canadian families, medical professionals, and institutions with comprehensive wealth, tax, estate, and insurance planning plus financial education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Planning Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Coaching & Budgeting Advisory (FSAEAAAH), Financial Planning Tools & Financial Coaching (Goal Setting, Apps, Advisors) (EDAAAJAN), Financial Literacy, Debt Counseling & Default Prevention (EDALAJAK), Budgeting & Cash-Flow Management (EDAAAJAA)

Keywords

• Financial planning services
• Wealth management advisory
• Insurance planning solutions
• Financial education programs
• Estate planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Planning Advisory Services: Comprehensive financial planning services provided through certified advisors including wealth management, tax planning, estate planning, and insurance planning. Revenue generated through advisory fees.
2. Investment Management: Mutual funds, exempt market products, and exchange traded funds offered through Investia Financial Services Inc. Segregated fund products offered through Customplan Financial Inc.
3. Financial Education Programs: Customized financial education programs for schools, corporations, health authorities, and professional associations. Programs include employee wellness, physician education, and family office solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Financial Literacy Counsel is a boutique financial planning and education company offering comprehensive financial planning services including wealth management, tax planning, estate planning, insurance planning, and retirement planning for families and medical professionals. The firm also delivers customized financial education programs to schools, corporations, health authorities, and professional associations, and offers specialized Family Office Solutions and Medical Professional Solutions tracks.

Product overview

Financial Literacy Counsel is a boutique financial planning and education company offering a comprehensive suite of services organized around two core pillars: Financial Planning and Financial Education. The Financial Planning pillar includes core offerings such as comprehensive financial planning, wealth management, insurance planning, tax planning, estate planning, and life planning services, complemented by a specialized Medical Professional Solutions track for physicians. The Financial Education pillar encompasses programs for students (High School and University), employees, associations, physicians, heirs and beneficiaries, and faith-based organizations. A third major offering is Family Office Solutions, which provides affluent families with coaching, communication, and continuity programs to prepare heirs as responsible wealth stewards. The company also offers a digital resource platform called WealthInheritor.com. All services are delivered through a team-based advisory model with licensed professionals, and investment products are offered through dealer partner Investia Financial Services Inc.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• wealthinheritor.com: Online teaching resources platform launched in 2025 to provide education to families, advisors, and educational institutions dedicated to training the next generation of responsible stewards of wealth and family business owners.

Products and services

• Financial Planning Comprehensive financial planning service that helps clients determine financial goals and create customized plans with ongoing relationship-based advisory for families and individuals.
• Insurance Planning

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000 families managed through multi-advisory practice
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Investia Financial Services Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMutual funds, approved exempt market products, and exchange traded funds are offered through Investia Financial Services Inc. This is the primary distribution partner for investment products.
• Customplan Financial Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance products are provided through Customplan Financial Inc and multiple insurance carriers. Segregated fund products are also offered through Customplan Financial Inc.
• Notion CPAminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerReferenced as a tax planning partner. Jason Ding CPA, Co-founder of Notion CPA, provides tax planning insights and guidance for business owner clients. Collaborative relationship for comprehensive financial planning.
• UBC School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing educational partnership delivering financial literacy programs to medical students and residents. Part of broader healthcare education initiative.
• Vancouver Coastal HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployee wellness/EFAP partnership providing financial wellness programs to healthcare employees.
• Chartered Professional Accountants of BC (CPA-BC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional partnership delivering financial education to CPA members.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Wealthsimple: Canadian digital wealth manager offering low-cost robo-advisory, investing, and financial planning; partial overlap with FLC's younger professional and family segments via a tech-led, lower-fee model.

Direct peers

• PWL Capital: Canadian independent boutique wealth management firm with team-based, fee-only financial planning and portfolio management for professionals and families; comparable boutique scale and integrated planning approach.
• MD Financial Management: Canada's leading financial services firm dedicated exclusively to physicians, offering financial planning, wealth management, and insurance. Closest direct competitor to FLC's physician-specialist positioning with similar target customers and service mix.
• Nicola Wealth Management: Canadian boutique wealth management and financial planning firm with comparable size, integrated planning model, and high-net-worth family clientele across Western Canada.

Broad incumbents

• IG Wealth Management: One of Canada's largest financial planning and wealth management firms with a national advisor network offering comprehensive planning, investments, and insurance to families and professionals.
• Edward Jones Canada: Large North American financial advisory firm with a significant Canadian footprint serving individuals and families with personalized financial planning; overlapping with FLC's relationship-based advisory model.
• Raymond James Ltd. (Canada): Major Canadian wealth management and investment dealer with a network of independent financial advisors providing planning services to families and professionals.
• CIBC Wealth Management / Wood Gundy: Major Canadian bank's wealth advisory division providing comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management to affluent households, competing for the same HNW and professional segment.
• RBC Wealth Management (Phillips, Hager & North): Canadian bank-owned wealth manager with full-service advisory, planning, and discretionary portfolio services for affluent families, including financial planning tools comparable to FLC's offering.

Regional players

• BlueShore Financial: British Columbia-based boutique financial institution offering wealth management, financial planning, and private banking to affluent families in the same Vancouver/BC market as FLC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/financial-literacy-counsel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 Financial Literacy Counsel