Other financial officers (NOC 1114)

Education, training & qualifications

• a bachelor's degree in business administration, commerce, economics or a related field is usually required
• the designation Personal Financial Planner, awarded by the Financial Planners Standards Council of Canada, may be required
• Financial planners who sell regulated financial products and investments, such as annuities, RRSPs and life insurance, are required to be licensed by the appropriate governing body
• Financial examiners and inspectors may require a recognized accounting designation.
• Mortgage brokers require a real estate licence in Quebec and a mortgage broker licence in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

Various training programs and courses are offered by financial institutes and organizations, such as the Canadian Securities Institute, Institute of Canadian Bankers, Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts, Investment Funds Institute, Canadian Institute of Financial Planning, and Trust Companies Institute of Canada, and may be required by employers.

Mortgage brokers and security underwriters who are certified for that occupation by a regulator elsewhere in Canada can apply for the same certification from the regulator in B.C. Under the terms of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), most applicants who are transferring their credentials from elsewhere in Canada will not be required to complete additional training or testing. However, the B.C. regulator may ask applicants to provide further information such as a letter of good standing, references, or criminal record check.

For those who trained outside of Canada and never received certification from any Canadian jurisdiction, a full assessment is likely needed. Most occupational regulators have a process for assessment and recognize internationally trained applicants.

Contact the BC Financial Services Authority and/or the British Columbia Securities Commission for details on how to apply for certification in B.C.

For information about labour mobility in Canada, visit www.workersmobility.ca.

View a list of B.C. occupational regulators.

Education programs in B.C.

For more information about programs offered specifically for this career, visit EducationPlannerBC.