Frequently Asked Questions
What is an independent advisory firm?
Independence is defined in the dictionary as not being swayed by bias, influence, or control of others.
At Insight Planning we are not obligated to or limited by a specific company’s product, or compensated based on which company we use, offering you unbiased recommendations based on our Goals-based Planning Process.
What is a “CFP”?
The letters “CFP” stand for Certified Financial Planner. The CFP marks identify individuals who are dedicated to the highest level of professionalism in providing financial planning advice.
Certified Financial Planner® certification is the most widely recognized financial planning designation in Canada and throughout the world and is considered the ‘gold standard’ for the profession. CFP professionals have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, experience, and ethics to examine their clients’ entire financial picture, at the highest level of complexity required of the profession, and work with their clients to build a financial plan so that they can Live Life Confidently™.
Verify the status of our Certified Financial Planners here: Find a Planner
How do I verify if an advisor is in good standing with regulators?
While the vast majority of investment advisors, insurance advisors and financial planners are honest and reputable, it pays to remember that just like any other profession, there are those individuals and firms who are not.
Check if an advisor and firm are registered with IIROC by searching here: Looking up an Investment Advisor or Firm | IIROC
Check if your advisor is a Certified Financial Planner in good standing here: Find a Planner (fpcanada.ca)
Other regulatory organizations have their own services that let you search for registration status and disciplinary records here: Search Outside IIROC | IIROC
Are you taking on new clients?
We are continuously assessing our capacity and client experience and an important part of our process is determining who our services are best suited for. We typically only accept new clients who are introduced to us, and it needs to be a good fit for everyone.
Before engaging in our goals-based planning process we’ll meet to discuss potential alignment of interests. We’d like to learn more about your situation and aspirations and give you an opportunity to ask about practice and process, ultimately helping us determine if we might be a good fit to work together.
No decisions or commitments are made at this time, and there’s no expectation go any further at this point.
Can I refer a family member or friend to Insight Planning?
If there are people in your life that are important to you, know that they are important to us.
As part of our process, and as an added service for our best clients, we make ourselves available to act as a sounding board to your friends and family members.
There’s no expectation for them to become a client – it’s part of our process – and a complimentary service we provide to our best clients at no cost.