August 29th, 2017

Demonstrate professionalism with continuing education

Becoming a financial advisor means embarking on a mission of lifelong learning. Whether through courses, workshops, conferences or webinars, continuing education is an ongoing part of every advisor’s career, so be prepared to update your training occasionally. There are many reasons continuing education is important for advisors and clients. Continuing education can help you:

Stay current. An advisor’s job is to provide clients with the best advice possible. That means staying up-to-date with new products, strategies and regulations, including taxes and laws. Not that long ago, exchange-traded funds and index funds were new to the market. Who knows what products and trends will develop over the span of your career?
Add value. As more financial information becomes accessible and clients become increasingly savvy, advisors have to add value by delivering knowledge and expertise not commonly available through a typical online search. You’ll be able to guide your clients to better investment outcomes.
Complete designation requirements and/or maintain your licence. Depending on your position and/or professional association, you may have to complete a certain number of hours of continuing education each year, to gain the credits necessary to maintain your standing and continue working as an advisor or representative.
Stand out from your competition. Continuing education courses can help you stand out to an employer and to clients in a competitive market. It’s also important to be flexible and adapt to changing trends in the financial industry workforce. Continuing education can give you that edge and open new doors to help advance your career.
Demonstrate professionalism. A commitment to professional development helps financial advisors be at their best, maintain high standards and represent their industry well.

Many continuing education programs are flexible enough to fit most schedules and budgets, so they’re manageable for anyone working as a financial advisor. Formats can vary, with some courses offering exercises, quizzes, case studies, practice exams, study guides, videos, lectures or presentations online, in person or a combination of both.

Continuing education helps you grow as a professional, so it’s always a good time to look for courses that interest you or that you need to take. IFSE offers several courses to help you expand your knowledge and satisfy your continuing education requirements.

Ready to take one of our continuing education courses? Here’s what we currently offer: