Toronto, November 21, 2007 — A competency profile for financial planners, based on a framework first conceived and developed in Canada, is now adopted as an international standard. The event occurred at the recent meeting in Salvador, Brazil, of Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB), the international organization that owns the CFP® marks outside the U.S. The framework for the profile was first developed in Canada by Financial Planners Standards Council (FPSC) over a two-year period. FPSB the international organization of which FPSC is the Canadian affiliate, engaged a multinational team from Australia, Austria, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, South Africa and the United States to establish a competency profile for the global financial planning community. The goal both in Canada and internationally was to find a way of assessing and describing the abilities, skills and knowledge CFP® professionals must have to serve the financial planning needs of their clients. The Canadian profile was used for the first time as the criteria of the November Canadian CFP Certification Examination. FPSC President and CEO Cary List led the team that developed the profile in Canada and was on the international team developing the global profile. He says, "It is very satisfying to see the leading work done in Canada provide a framework for the international standard. I congratulate all of those involved in the profile's development." Also noteworthy was the election of Jim Kraft, CFP, CA, (VP of Marketing, Manulife Financial, Toronto), to the Board of Directors of the FPSB. His term of office will run from 2008 through 2010. The other Canadian member is FPSC Past Chair Peter Volpé, CFP, (Senior VP, Integra Capital Financial, Toronto), whose term runs through 2009. Previous members were: FPSC Founding President Donald Johnston (retired), whose term on FPSB was from 2005-2006, former FPSC Chair Margaret Koniuck, CFP, FCGA,(President and CEO, Corporate Care Inc.,Winnipeg), whose FPSB term is 2005-2007 and former FPSC Chair John Carpenter CFP, FCGA, Calgary, Alberta, whose FPSB term was 2005-2006. "I'm very pleased to be chosen as a board member of FPSB," said Mr. Kraft. "I look forward to offering as much value as possible to the Board." Financial Planners Standards Council (FPSC) is a not-for-profit organization established in 1995 to lead the development of the financial planning profession. FPSC develops and enforces the highest standards in financial planning competency and ethics for individuals who hold CFP® (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®) certification in Canada. There are currently more than 17,000 CFP professionals in Canada and more than 100,000 individuals who have earned CFP certification in 20 territories around the world. See www.fpsccanada.org for more information. Financial Planners Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB) owns the CFP marks outside the United States and manages, develops and operates certification, education and related programs for financial planning organizations so that they may benefit and protect the global community by establishing, upholding and promoting worldwide professional standards in financial planning. For more about FPSB, visit www.fpsb.org. NOTE TO EDITORS: For further information on FPSC and the CFP certification, please visit our online media kit. -30- FOR MEDIA INTERVIEWS AND FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Heather Mills/FPSC at Tel: 416.593.8587 x 235 or email hmills@fpsccanada.org Eileen Chadnick/Chadnick Communications at 416.631.7437 or eileen@chadnick.com.