FPSC Accredited by SCC to ISO 17024

One of only five certification bodies in Canada to receive accreditation

Toronto, January 21, 2010 —Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC) has received ISO 17024 accreditation by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) for its role as the credentialing organization for the CFP® certification program in Canada. Bestowed by the SCC, ISO 17024 is the standard for certifying bodies, as it is exclusive to certifying organizations. FPSC is one of only five organizations in Canada to have earned accreditation to ISO 17024, which was introduced in Canada in 2004.

"We are proud to have earned ISO 17024 accreditation. This standard is an objective affirmation that FPSC - as the steward of the CFP certification program in Canada - has met the highest global standards of conduct and competence for a certifying body," says Cary List, President & CEO of FPSC. ISO 17024 provides direction on how a certifying organization operates a consistent, objective, fair and credible credentialing program.

"As a personnel certification body, FPSC's accreditation to this particular standard shows a level of competence that is internationally understood and accepted, "explains John Walter, SCC's Executive Director. "It is a proven, tangible way to demonstrate their conformance to an established standard. And it just makes good business sense," adds Walter. "When your role is assessing the competence of others, it is extremely important to your business to be able to show that your processes have been verified by a third party". "FPSC's work is all about standards and we have always operated with values centered on quality, integrity and credibility. We are further demonstrating these values by holding ourselves accountable to the Standards Council of Canada," adds John Wickett, SVP, Standards and Certification, FPSC.

Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring Canadians' financial planning needs are well served by developing, promoting and enforcing professional standards for financial planning, through CFP® certification, and raising awareness of the importance of financial planning to Canadians. FPSC licenses the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® marks in Canada. There are currently more than 17,500 CFP professionals in Canada and more than 120,000 individuals who have earned CFP certification in 22 countries around the world. These individuals are licensed to use the registered marks: CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and CFP (with flame logo)®. See www.fpsc.ca for more information.
 
The Standards Council of Canada is a federal Crown corporation with the mandate to promote efficient and effective standardization in Canada with the goal of enhancing Canada's economic competitiveness and social well-being. SCC is Canada's official member body to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and is responsible for coordinating Canadian participation in the development of international standards. It also accredits standards development and conformity assessment organizations such as FPSC. For more information on SCC's Personnel Certification Body Accreditation Program and other programs visit www.scc.ca or email info@scc.ca.
 
CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and CFP (with flame logo)® are trademarks owned outside the U.S. by Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. Financial Planning Standards Council is the marks licensing authority for the CFP Marks in Canada, through agreement with FPSB.

©2010 Copyright Financial Planning Standards Council. All rights reserved.