J. Richard Johnson, BBA, CFP

Who is your current employer?

Beacon Securities Ltd as an employee and ARC Financial Group Ltd.as an independent commissioned insurance agent – life & health.

How many years have you had the CFP credential?

CFP since April 1, 1999 ( 8 ½ years)

What was your dream job as a child?

Play by Play announcer for the Montreal Canadiens

How did you come to work in financial planning?

I was a client of an old university classmate who was doing financial planning/ invesyting and he recruited me. I had been working in an HR function and not happy with my career direction or compensation.

Why did you earn the CFP credential?

The CFP designation represents the ultimate designation for a financial planning professional.

What impact has the CFP credential had on your career?

A great deal, it helped focus my practice even more. I consider my role as being consultant to my clients, helping them reach their goals as opposed to being a product sales person.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

It can be multifaceted. Planning, client consultation, investment management, study and marketing can all be done or only one of those functions in a day. Usually it is a combination of a few of these.

What is the best part of being a financial planner?

There isn’t one best part for me. Certainly helping clients reach their goals is important but from a personal standpoint, my job offers a tremendous amount of flexibility and an enjoyable lifestyle.

What is the most challenging part of being a financial planner?

Dealing with the emotional issues that can take place in bad financial markets and the sickness or death that invariably is a involved in dealing with clients. It can be very rewarding as well though….helping people get their affairs in order in co-operation with their other professional advisors so things run smoothly.

If you had to do it over, would you have selected a career as a financial planner?

Yes. The reward is in the satisfaction received by helping someone reach their goal(s) is very worthwhile. I remember hearing a gentleman say one time, motivational speaker Zig Ziglar I believe, that if you help enough other people get what they want then you’ll get what you want.

For someone breaking into the financial planning industry what words of wisdom would you share?

Get a good broad education, get good training, have a thirst for learning and enjoy people. Also, try to determine early on, in what type of organization you would best fit. There are many options for a person breaking into financial planning as a profession. I’ve worked for very large firms and small ones and a small one fits my personal style & personality better. Also, you may be asked to sign a contract when you commence employment with a firm. Read it carefully and speak to a professional familiar with contract law before you sign anything. Understand how it may impact on your future career choices.