The Institute of Advanced Financial Planners (IAFP) has for the second time successfully defended its Registered Financial Planner (R.F.P.) certification mark. This time it was from infringement by an organization planning to launch the U.S.-based RFC designation in Canada.

After correspondence with the IAFP, the newly formed Canadian office of the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants, Inc. (IARFC-Canada) decided not to launch the RFC designation in Canada at the June Million Dollar Roundtable conference.

IAFP Executive Director Larry Colero states that this would have been an infringement of the IAFP’s R.F.P. trademark (and brand) since it would have created confusion in the Canadian marketplace in at least three ways.

First, the common usage of the first two letters of each designation to mean “registered financial”. Second, the similar sound of RFC to R.F.P. Third, the American IARFC’s slogan, “separate yourself from the crowd”, is too similar to the IAFP’s trademarked slogan, “standing out from the crowd”.

The IAFP’s position is that there is no room for that much similarity in the Canadian marketplace, given that both organizations and designations are focused on maintaining their image and reputation in the same market segment.

After an initial response from the IARFC to being notified of the trademark infringement, the IAFP notified all Registered Financial Consultants operating in Canada, asking these individuals to cease and desist using the RFC designation in Canada, particularly in promoting their practice. The IAFP will continue to monitor the IARFC issuing their RFC designation to Canadians, and is prepared to take action if necessary.

In 2005, The IAFP took on the Ohio-based Registered Financial Planners Institute (RFPI) over unauthorized use of the RFP trademark in Canada, and succeeded in convincing every one of their Canadian RFPs at that time to cease and desist using the designation. The periods in R.F.P. are to differentiate it from the American RFP designation, which can be held by real estate agents and other professionals as well as full-time financial planners.

The R.F.P. designation has been employed by professional financial planners in Canada since 1987. The IAFP was established by R.F.P.s in 2002 when the Canadian Association of Financial Planners was disbanded.