Success Stories

she was looking to expand her responsibilities.  Ella viewed the OPD as the next logical career step, since the course would allow her to gain capabilities related to compliance – an area of growing importance in financial services. The OPD helped her reach her goals, as she became qualified

for the Compliance Officer role and now serves as backup to the company’s Chief Compliance Officer.

Ella chose the OPD because of IFSE’s reputation as a leading education provider. She had taken IFSE courses before – namely the Canadian Investment Funds Course, Exempt Market Proficiency Course and Branch Managers’ Examination Course – so she was familiar with IFSE’s ease of registration, user-friendly course format and “study at your own pace” flexibility.

When considering her experience with the OPD, Ella thought all the content was valuable and equipped her with the knowledge to succeed in compliance. Learning about suitability rules, “Know Your Client” requirements and risk management procedures helped her immediately in her compliance duties. She found the OPD to be well planned and comprehensive. The course helped her achieve the next level of responsibility and opened the door for future career advancement.

How has the OPD helped Ella in her day-to-day job?

“From a compliance perspective, I understand the rules and regulations as they pertain to the client-advisor relationship, and this knowledge is crucial in my role. As an example, when we were revising certain client information forms, I knew exactly what sections were needed and what details we had to gather from clients. This made the process more efficient and resulted in accurate, compliant forms.”

What advice does Ella have for other students taking the OPD?

“Be sure to do the test questions, as they help you learn the material. If you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t just guess because you’ll likely be wrong. Go back to the course content, find the right answer and then return to the test to reinforce your learning. Otherwise, both the right and wrong answers could pop into your head at the exam, since your mind will recall having chosen both answers during the practice test.”

she knew she could contribute even more to the team. One day, she was discussing professional training with a colleague and asked her which course she had taken to become a Licensed Assistant. Rosemary’s colleague directed her to IFSE’s Canadian Investment Funds Course (CIFC).

One day, she was discussing professional training with a colleague and asked her which course she had taken to become a Licensed Assistant. Rosemary’s colleague directed her to IFSE’s Canadian Investment Funds Course (CIFC).

Rosemary decided to take the CIFC since she knew that once she became licensed, she would be able to accomplish much more in her role at work. She also intends to take the Branch Managers’ Examination Course to help her advance further in her financial services career.

When considering her experience with the CIFC, Rosemary found that the interactive testing throughout the online course greatly assisted her in identifying areas to which she needed to pay added attention before proceeding to the next component. The testing helped her learn the course content more thoroughly and better prepare for the exam.

Having successfully completed the CIFC, Rosemary became a Licensed Assistant and has now expanded on her responsibilities. For instance, when a representative is away from the office and a client calls looking for assistance, she is better able to help with their needs.

How has the CIFC helped Rosemary in her day-to-day job?

“Recently, I assisted several clients while a representative in our office was on vacation, so we were able to maintain a high level of service in a seamless manner, contributing to continued client satisfaction. This would not have been possible if I hadn’t taken the CIFC.”

What advice does Rosemary have for other students taking the CIFC?

 “I would recommend doing plenty of practice exam questions. I found the Study Guide and also the CIFC Exam Preparation Live Webinar recordings to be extremely helpful. Hearing the instructor on the webinar go through each question and answer was very beneficial.”

he decided he was ready to take his career forward and work towards a more financial advisory role. That’s when he turned to IFSE for training and education that could help him reach his career goals. He took the Canadian Investment Funds Course (CIFC) and found it to be comprehensive, effectively covering all

Course (CIFC) and found it to be comprehensive, effectively covering all aspects of the Canadian financial environment. George believes the course offered excellent value as his company benefits from partnership pricing with IFSE.

When considering his experience with the CIFC, George cites the video tutorials (Web Trainer for CIFC™) as being very helpful. He states that not only were the tutorials informative, but they also presented the information clearly, breaking down the material in an efficient manner and helping him understand the content quickly.

Having successfully completed the CIFC, he started exploring other positions within his company. He advanced from being a Customer Service Representative to his current senior role. George envisions transitioning into a sales position down the road.

How has the CIFC helped George in his day-to-day job?

“In my role I don’t advise or discuss investing specifics with clients, but I can provide general information. For instance, I spoke to a client about RRSPs. She’s in her 20s and wasn’t focused at all on retirement savings, so we discussed the benefits of starting young and building a strong foundation for her future. I also informed her about the LLP and HBP as potential ways to help finance education and home buying, respectively, and how RRSP funds can play a role, if needed. I made the client think about her financial needs for now and in the future, as well as the value of an RRSP.”

What advice does George have for other students taking the CIFC?

“I suggest that students take advantage of all the ways that the course facilitates learning (e.g., videos, tutorials, online content) to broaden and deepen their understanding of the course materials.”

Their company’s platform pools the money of predominantly institutional and accredited individual investors who seek access to investment opportunities in such projects that align with their community and

environmental values.

Since David and Raphael needed registration as dealing representatives of an exempt market dealer, they fulfilled the regulatory requirement by completing IFSE’s Exempt Market Proficiency Course (EMP). They found the course to be extremely valuable because the content was straightforward and focused precisely on the areas they needed. Raphael, who also completed IFSE’s Officers’, Partners’, and Directors’ Course (OPD), calls the EMP “the industrystandard course in our field.”

When considering their experience with the EMP, Raphael and David found the entire learning process to be practical and targeted. For instance, the sections that covered products like principal-protected notes and flow-through shares served to expand their minds to the possibilities of what financing-related products their company could offer its investors.

Completing the EMP was critical for David and Raphael when launching their “impact investing” company. They embrace going beyond minimum compliance requirements as they value taking a careful approach to running their business in order to protect investors’ capital.

How has the EMP helped Raphael and David in their day-to-day job?

“ We spend all day in the exempt market world, so everything we’ve learned is useful. For example, when we launched our Green Bond, we considered all the possible types of qualified investors so  we could better grasp the potential market. Ultimately, we are committed to meeting our clients’ interests, and what we’ve learned from the EMP helps us achieve that.”

What advice do David and Raphael have for other students taking the EMP?

“ Use the course content to put compliance rules into perspective. When you consider the course material in context of exempt markets, you’ll better understand important concepts such as the motivation behind the regulatory requirements (i.e., protecting the crucial relationship between issuer, investor and dealer).”

He chose IFSE to fulfill his training needs because his employer highly recommended the BM. Jatinder also consulted with colleagues who had competed the course and he received positive feedback about their experience. Jatinder enrolled in the BM and soon discovered why the course is highly regarded. The content was well organized and easy to understand, equipping him with all of the requisite knowledge for his new position and expanded responsibilities.

When considering his experience with the BM, Jatinder found that the risk management material was invaluable. He learned how to mitigate (and, wherever possible, avoid) risk from both the bank’s and the client’s perspective. Jatinder also views the section on effective supervision as extremely practical, since he must often coach sales staff on determining client suitability and providing financial advice.

Having been the preferred candidate for an opening as Banking Centre Leader, Jatinder met all of the requirements in advance, with the BM being an important component.

How has the BM helped Jatinder in his day-to-day job?

“Recently, our banking centre underwent an internal process assessment. Although such audits are standard for us, it can be stressful if you don’t know what to expect. Having taken the BM, I understood the concepts and was able to coach my staff (and prepare myself!) for the audit interviews. The assessment went smoothly and my team appreciated my help.”

What advice does Jatinder have for other students taking the BM?

“Preparation is key, learning all of the concepts inside out. Also try to apply the course content to your job so it becomes relevant and not just theoretical. It’s also great that IFSE provides ongoing access to your course, even after you’ve completed it, so go back to the content when needed. I still refer to it now when certain questions arise.”