Advocis, the Financial Advisors Association of Canada, today launched the completely re-vamped RHU (Registered Health Underwriter) living benefits designation program.

The RHU is Canada’s only living benefits designation and is offered exclusively by Advocis.

Major demographic change has made living benefits the growth area in financial services. Baby boomers are already retiring and approaching their elder years, governments can no longer provide the security they once could, long term care costs are rising. Parents need to protect their families; business owners, their businesses. Advisors are realizing the real, emerging need for expertise in all areas of living benefits.

“The RHU designation gives advisors a competitive advantage in the market place,” says Taylor Train, Advocis vice president of marketing. “It arms them with the skills to meet the very high demand for living benefits expertise and, at the same time, set them apart from the competition.”

Re-written by industry experts, the two part curriculum covers all areas of living benefits, including critical illness protection, long-term care, group insurance and disability insurance. Through either a paper or web-based course of study, students will specifically look at marketing, sales, underwriting, claims and group administration in these areas.

“The RHU designation shows consumers and your peers that you have the education and specialized knowledge to provide strategic living benefits advice,” said Train. “If you are in, or want to be in living benefits, you need the RHU — Canada’s only living benefits designation.”

The RHU program takes approximately eight months to complete.