Planipedia.org, a new Wikipedia-style website dedicated to global financial planning best practices and knowledge, was recognized at the Canadian Investment Awards for its creativity and relevance to the industry.

The website, launched and sponsored by financial planning software developer PlanPlus Inc., won a Bronze “Best New Initiative Award” at the 2009 Canadian Investment Awards in early December.

The website is a not-for-profit, community-based information resource for financial planners, academics, consumers and financial planning associations. It relies on contributors for practical financial planning information and supporters provide valuable content that can be shared copyright-free with planners and consumers worldwide.

The website does not rely on advertising or dollar contributions that could create conflicts of interest.

According to PlanPlus, the overriding principle of Planipedia is that information should assist advisors and their firms.

“The jury felt the creativity and practicality of Planipedia was enormously successful and was very impressed to see a small firm competing head to head with submissions from banks, fund companies and advisory firms,” commented Sabine Steinbrecher, founder of the Canadian Investment Awards.

The Best New Initiative Award is designed to recognize firms that have produced an exceptional new undertaking. A senior financial services industry jury considers submissions for originality, creativity, industry relevance, quality, results and size of the firm submitting the initiative.

“This is an exciting time. Financial planning is starting to emerge as a profession worldwide, at the same time as regulators are raising the standards of care for financial advice delivered to the consumer,” said Shawn Brayman, president of PlanPlus.

Brayman added that the firm considered Planipedia a way for the firm to give back to the community. “We saw the Planipedia initiative as a way to help advisors in these countries have access to good tools and good ideas and contribute to the professionalism of the industry world-wide.”

Since the PlanPlus soft launch of Planipedia over the summer, supporters have joined from 14 different countries. It is now available in eight different languages and is used across multiple planning designations.

The Canadian Institute of Financial Planners and the Institute of Advanced Financial Planners in Canada support it, as well as associations, academics and planners from the U.K., U.S., Russia, Netherlands, the Caribbean, South America and Asia.

IE