A survey of more than 1,000 financial advisors with the Registered Health Underwriter (RHU) designation or who are currently enrolled in an RHU course has found unequivocal support for living benefits education in Canada, says Advocis, The Financial Advisors Association of Canada.

“Overwhelmingly, they told us living benefits knowledge gained through the RHU program is critical to succeed in today’s marketplace and relevant to today’s business practices,” says Taylor Train, Advocis’ chief operating officer. “In fact, the vast majority of people we spoke to said that their income had increased by as much as $10,000 since obtaining their designation.”

The RHU is only offered by Advocis. It is a living benefits designation that prepares financial advisors and planners to provide advice on critical illness and disability insurance, group insurance and long-term care.

RHU students and designates surveyed by Advocis also confirmed that the RHU offered new advisors and planners who are seeking a professional designation an improved knowledge of living benefits and/or the ability to move into the living benefits market with greater ease and confidence.

“Increasingly, advisors and planners are committed to pursuing education and learning as well as advice that helps serve their clients better and build a strong practice. We are seeing advisors and planners join the industry with an already established commitment to education that, in the end, can only benefit the industry,” says Train.

He noted that almost half of RHU designates or students have been in the financial services business for less than 10 years and 70% are coming in with a university or graduate degree.

Advocis will be offering a free textbook to anyone who registers for an RHU course from May 11 to August 28, 2009. This represents a savings of as much as $127.

IE