Advocis, The Financial Advisors Association of Canada

Today, we honour and celebrate the vibrant cultures, histories and traditions of Indigenous communities. 🫶

May we continue to amplify their voices, honour their legacies, and strive for justice, equality, and respect for Indigenous rights.

Let the countdown begin! 🎉⌚

Only 5 more days until Advocis brings together Chapter Volunteers, Members, Sponsors, Speakers and Staff for our Annual Chapter Leadership Conference, hosted by Advocis Chapters and sponsored by IG Wealth Management .

Thank you to our incredible sponsor for day one, IG Wealth Management - your support makes this event possible.

Get ready for inspiring talks, networking opportunities, and to hear the latest on Advocis Chapters activities.

See you there!

Wondering about your practice's recovery and how to boost growth post-COVID? 🚀

Join us on Thursday, June 20, 2024, at 1:00 PM (EST) for an insightful discussion featuring Michael Banham CPA, CMA, VP Client Experience, PMG Intelligence, and Rob Grein, Partner, PMG Intelligence.

Explore the impact of COVID-19 on your practice, delve into the evolving needs of Millennials and Gen-Z as clients, and discover the power of personalization through behavioural segmentation. Plus, learn how to integrate value of advice factors to supercharge your growth.

Register today: https://bit.ly/3VDWcaQ

Advocis wishes all of our Members, Partners and Staff a joyous and peaceful Eid al-Adha to those who are celebrating.

Eid Mubarak! 🌙✨

Happy Father's Day to all of the incredible dads and father figures out there! 🌟 Today, we celebrate you and all that you do.

Advocis celebrates Pride alongside our members across Canada

New name for 2024, same AMAZING School! 🙌🌅 The 2024 Advocis Pacific School is underway this week in beautiful Kelowna, BC, with a conference theme of “What does it mean to LEAD?” 👏

Attendees of the Pacific School are discovering the leaders from within themselves this week, learning how to integrate their inner leader into their own businesses through marketing, philanthropy, practice management & so much more! 💯

What makes the Pacific School a must-attend for Advocis Members & industry professionals? 🤔

✅ The opportunity to learn from industry-recognized speakers
✅ The opportunity to connect with growth-minded financial services professionals
✅ The opportunity grow your network and your practice, all while being surrounded by standout industry leaders
✅ Countless networking opportunities during and after each day, including after-hours activities to strengthen your bond with fellow peers

A special thanks to the organizing team for their countless hours of personal time to make the 2024 Pacific School so successful; Saskia Vermeulen & Avagail Igonia, Event Co-Chairs, and Committee Members, Tod Alstad, Aaron Vissia, Thomas Gaymer, Stefano Pannu, Uriah Kane & Mark Roberts.

Congratulations to Brent van Ryzewyk, CFP, CLU, CH.F.C., CHS, CEA and Kevin R Williams, CFP® CLU® RHU who are your 2024 J.G. Taylor Award winners as announced at the 2024 CALU Conference & AGM! 🎉🎉🙌🙌

An annual award that is celebrated and dates all the way back to 2014, the J.G. Taylor is awarded to candidates who have impacted the profession and the public they serve; exemplified The Institute for Advanced Financial Education’s Code of Professional Conduct; had a positive impact on the community as a whole; and participated in the industry, either with The Institute or Advocis, and/or within other professions in the financial services industry. 👏

Coincidentally, both Brent and Kevin began their professional journeys with Advocis over 40 years ago in 1984, and have served in a variety of roles across our association, including Board of Directors, local Chapter Boards and various stakeholder committees.

Speaking of Brent, our Advocis Peel-Halton Chapter says - “We often allude to him as the backbone of our Chapter. His dedication and relentless pursuit in making our chapter more efficient year after year and providing the very best to our members is second to none! We appreciate and love you for all you do for us, and for Canadian families and businesses all over the country! Nobody deserves this more than you!”

Shannon Tatlock, an 11+ year Member of Advocis & the daughter of Kevin Williams also commented on the announcement saying… “Dad is the epitome of this award and he is such a deserved winner. If I wrote his resume, from his contributions to Advocis, Sun Life, MDRT and his fellow Advisors, the hours he’s spent for the betterment of Advisors and this profession would be in the 1000s. Always willing to have a conversation, he loves this profession and his 40+ years of experience is a testament to that. Congratulations Dad, I hope to be half the Advisor you are!”

Advocis sends our sincerest congratulations to both Brent and Kevin on this prestigious, well-earned honour! 🥂 Both award winners truly embody all the qualities of champions within our advisor community. For a full list of past award winners, please visit the following link: iafe.ca/awards/award-details/

Celebrating Members within our community! 👏🙏 Get to know Dror David, an Executive Director with Experior Financial Group, who also recently obtained his CHS™ designation in February 2024! 🙌

Dror says the reason behind pursuing his CHS™ designation was to further his knowledge in this dynamic industry and to set himself apart from other advisors. He truly believes that if anyone is eager to delve deep into the intricacies of what financial services has to offer to clients, the CHS is an integral cornerstone! 💯

“I want to give a huge Thank You to my mentor and teacher, Dev Persaud. His guidance and leadership is invaluable. He was there every step of the way and helped me appreciate what it is that we really do, and why we do it.” – We couldn’t agree more, Dror! 👌 The CHS™ is the ONLY health insurance-focused designation in Canada that strategically positions financial advisors to meet the growing market demand for informed living benefits advice. ✅

Interested to learn more about the Certified Health Insurance Specialist designation? Visit our website to learn more: www.advocis.ca/chs-program/

Advocis Members: Are you ensuring that your Errors & Omissions policies are meeting legislative requirements? Lucky for you… we’re teaming up with the Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) for an in-depth two-hour webinar (free for Advocis Members) where our guest presenter, Amber Masikewich, Compliance Investigator with Alberta Insurance Council will provide a high-level overview of Alberta's Errors & Omissions requirements.

This webinar on June 10th at 11:00 a.m. EST is pending approval for 2.0 CE Credits by: The Institute, MFDA, ICM, ICS, ICBC, and AIC.

Advocis Members can register here for free: https://bit.ly/3Kfh0yU (Non-Members are also welcome to register at a fee of $10 + HST).

Enjoyed our 2023 Partner Program Virtual Conference? We’re excited to announce that our esteemed National Webinar featuring speakers from our Partner Programs is back on May 28th!

Join Advocis, alongside 6 of our valued Program Partners for a 2-hour webinar as we explore critical conversations around strategic giving 💭🫶, a new approach to asking for referrals✔️, engaging with executors 🤝 & so much more!

Our diverse panel of presenters for this year includes:

✅ Evelyn Jacks, Founder, President and CEO, Knowledge Bureau
✅ Todd Fithian, CEO & Managing Partner, The Legacy Companies, LLC
✅ Mark O'Farrell, BA, CLU, CHFC, TEP, CEA, President, The Canadian Institute of Certified Executor Advisors (CICEA)
✅ Janet Pacini Thibodeau, Executive Board Member, Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada (THIA)
✅ Cathy Nurmi, MBA, MSc, CAIB, Education Committee, Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada (THIA)

The webinar is approved for 2.0 CE Credits by: The Institute, MFDA, ICM, ICS, ICBC, and AIC. A

Advocis Members who register today will save more than $40 compared to Non-Members!

REGISTER NOW -> https://bit.ly/3K4iN9X

New on the Discovery Series: Unplugged Podcast! Angelina Hung, a 14+ year Member of Advocis, Program Chair with our Advocis Greater Vancouver Chapter and Board Member with our Advocis Technology & Innovation Committee dives into "The Four Pillars of Financial Marketing for Financial Advisors" with the Desjardins Podcast team. ⚡️🎙️

Listen to this episode and gain valuable insights on how to digitize your brand value through website optimization💻, effective lead magnets 🧲, engaging email newsletters✔️, and strategic social media use! 📲

Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any of your favorite streaming platforms. 🎧📈 https://bit.ly/3UU1Vrg

CC: Financial Tech Tools

Celebrating Members within our community! 👏🙏 Get to know John Panago - Certified Financial Planner, B.A. Econ, CHS, a 15+ year Member of Advocis, who also obtained his CHS™ designation in 2014! 🙌

John says that whether it be Coffee Talks, other online education sessions or in-person networking events, Advocis is where advisors go to become more informed. 💯

Why did he pursue the CHS™ Designation (Certified Health Insurance Specialist)? 💭 John says he wanted to pursue the CHS as his first designation because it set him apart as an expert in both living and employee benefits.👌

The CHS™ is the only health insurance-focused designation in Canada that strategically positions financial advisors to meet the growing market demand for informed living benefits advice. ✅ Learn more about the program here: www.advocis.ca/chs-program/

Back for Year 2! 🙌 Join Advocis, alongside 6 of our valued Program Partners on May 28th at 1:00 p.m. EST for a 2-hour webinar as we explore critical conversations around strategic giving 💭🫶, a new approach to asking for referrals✔️, engaging with executors 🤝 & much more!

Our diverse panel of presenters for this year includes:

✅ Evelyn Jacks, Founder, President and CEO, Knowledge Bureau
✅ Todd Fithian, CEO & Managing Partner, The Legacy Companies
✅ Mark O'Farrell, President, The Canadian Institute of Certified Executor Advisors (CICEA)
✅ Janet Pacini Thibodeau, Executive Board Member, Travel Health Insurance Association (THIA)
✅ Cathy Nurmi, Education Committee, Travel Health Insurance Association (THIA)

The webinar has been approved for 2.0 CE Credits by: The Institute, MFDA, ICM, ICS, ICBC, and AIC, and Advocis Members who register will save more, $40 + HST for Members, $80 + HST for Non-Members.

REGISTER NOW -> https://bit.ly/3K4iN9X

The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation! 💚🌸

Advocis wishes a Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms and mother figures out there. Today we celebrate you! 🫶

The CLU® Difference! 💫💫

Meet Gabriel Lalonde, a 6+ year Member of Advocis and President of MDL Financial Group in Ottawa, ON. Gabriel recently earned his CLU® Designation in May 2023 and says the designation holds a special place in his heart. 🫶🙌

Gabriel dedicates the completion of his CLU Designation to his father, who also is his mentor. 💯 He recalls a time when his father first started in the business over 30 years ago. Gabriel says his father decided that he didn't want to be a product salesman but a true Financial Planner, and the CLU was the only designation at the time that allowed him to differentiate himself from the rest. That would give him the tools and advance knowledge to become a true professional financial planner. ✅

Now a full year removed from completing the designation program, Gabriel says the CLU gave him the knowledge and confidence he needed to build a great business and raise a family with strong values. He adds that the tools and knowledge that he acquired from this program are unmatched and have already helped him when serving his clients. 👏

What makes the CLU® superior for those seeking to elevate their financial planning practice? 💭

➡️ Master the advanced tax and insurance skills that matter to your clients' business strategies and help them develop sustained and tax-efficient outcomes.

➡️ Explore in-depth taxation & estate planning issues that are more crucial than ever in serving HNW (High Net Worth) clients.

➡️ Understand concerns from millennials about the value of financial advice.

➡️ It’s an approved designation for use of the title Financial Planner in Ontario. 👏

Interested to learn more / get started -> https://www.advocis.ca/clu-designation-program/

It's Mental Health Week in Canada! 🧠 We all have the capacity to be compassionate, and a simple "hello, how are you?" this week can go a long way towards changing someone's mindset. 💗

Advocis’ Strategies for Success 2024 Conference returns next month and is brought to Members by our Advocis - Winnipeg Chapter! 👏🌅

This dynamic event, themed "Made From What's Real with Heart - Community, Family, and Business," offers a unique blend of insights into soft skills, succession, and transition planning, all while honoring Winnipeg's rich Indigenous heritage on Treaty One Land. 🙌

Together, Advocis National and our Advocis Winnipeg Chapter extends a heartfelt thank you to RBC Insurance, Wawanesa Life, Crescent Financial Group and Care Lending Group for their support as this year’s booth sponsors. Thank you for your commitment to our shared success, it is a true testament to what we can continue to achieve as a community! 💚

Be sure to visit their exhibitor booths in the morning and in between breaks for more information about new product/service launches and to hear more about the great work they are all doing! 💯

It’s not too late! Dive into the heart of family business success by securing your spot at SFS NOW -> https://bit.ly/4dpdkYA 🎟️

Next month, our Advocis - Winnipeg Chapter will bring together Members from across the country at the Strategies for Success 2024 Conference on June 18, 2024, at the Delta Winnipeg! 🌅👏

This dynamic event, themed "Made From What's Real with Heart - Community, Family, and Business," offers a unique blend of insights into soft skills, succession, and transition planning, all while honoring Winnipeg's rich Indigenous heritage on Treaty One Land. 🫶

Together, Advocis National and our Advocis Winnipeg Chapter extends our heartfelt appreciation to Canada Life Co, the Keynote Sponsor of , Equisoft, the Evening Sponsor for those who attend the dinner, drinks and live entertainment at The Forks, and OM Financial Inc., Power Talks Sponsor for the entire day! 🙌💚

Strategies For Success Includes:
• A full day of great speakers and panels ✅
• The opportunity to network and re-connect with advisors from across the country 🤝🌐

Advocis Members save $75 compared to Non-Members at checkout! 💯

Dive into the heart of family business success by securing your spot NOW! 🎟️ https://bit.ly/4dpdkYA

Celebrating Members within our community! 👏🙏 Get to know Gino Stirpe, a 32+ year Member of Advocis, who also obtained his CHS™ designation in 2017! 🙌

Gino currently holds the role of Vice President at VUMI Canada Inc., and most recently presented at our Advocis Peel-Halton Chapters sold out Spring PD Day. 👌

Having joined the business in 1990, and shortly after becoming an Advocis Member, Gino recalls completing the LUATC course, with the goal of being able to speak to HNW clients about capital gains tax insurance. Forever grateful for the course and the impact on his business… he ran and moderated the LUATC course for what is now known as our Advocis Peel-Halton Chapter, for more than 5 years, and was recognized with award honors by Advocis.

Why did he pursue the CHS™ Designation (Certified Health Insurance Specialist) 23 years later? 💭 Gino says he found his niche in healthcare insurance, and wanted to obtain the only health insurance-focused designation in Canada that strategically positions financial advisors to meet the growing market demand for informed living benefits advice. ✅ Learn more about the program here: https://www.advocis.ca/chs-program/

Gino says it has been a privilege to be an Advocis Member, all while continuing to be recognized by his colleagues & industry peers as Canada's foremost expert in IPMI (International Private Medical Insurance). 💯

We’re proud to recognize and celebrate the vibrant culture, cherished traditions and many achievements and contributions made by Asian-Canadians for over two centuries!

More great news to pass along! 🎉 Advocis’ FORUM Magazine is nominated at the National Magazine Awards: B2B for Best How-To Article or Series of Articles with Diane Peters "Beacon in the Fog" as a finalist! 🏆👏

With the number of dementia cases rising in Canada, Diane Peters caught up with a few Members of Advocis for the September 2023 edition of FORUM Magazine, where her article explored how financial advisors can better support clients experiencing cognitive impairment.

Featured in this article: Rachelle Langlois, CFP®, CHS®, Financial Planner at Silver Path Financial Solutions Inc., Laura Tamblyn Watts, founder and CEO of CanAge, Betty-Anne Howard, CFP, CLU, CHS, CEA, MFA-P with Athena Wealth and Legacy Solutions and Marjorie Moulton who runs Victoria-based, We Rage We Weep Dementia Consulting.

Editor of the edition: Alison MacAlpine

Check the full list of nominees here: https://nmab2b.com/2024Nominees/

Excitement is in the air as we share the exciting news of Advocis being nominated at the Canadian SME National Business Awards in the category of Business of the Year 50+ Employees Top 1 Award! 🏆✨

Reflecting on the past year, our Association has encountered its fair share of challenges, like many other Canadian businesses. But amidst it all, we're incredibly fortunate to have the support of our loyal Members, as well as the dedicated staff from our National office, and a supportive network of Chapter Volunteers + Committee Members across Canada. 👏💚

It's moments like these that continue to fuel our commitment to make impactful contributions in the ever-evolving financial advice landscape, and our strive to ensure that all Canadian consumers have access to sound professional financial advice. 🛡️🙌

Read the full announcement here: https://bit.ly/3whbIj6

CC: Canadian SME