Protecting Vulnerable Investors

Diminishing capacity and financial exploitation of seniors has become a top priority among regulators of the financial services industry. For financial professionals, being aware of age-related issues, such as cognitive decline, diminished capacity and vulnerability to financial exploitation, scams and fraud, is not just ‘a good thing’ to be aware of. It is now a minimum expectation for client facing professionals.

But getting it right means substantial opportunity for advisors as we move into the largest generational transfers of wealth in Canadian history.

In this course, we’ll cover the demographics shift in Canada, including the opportunities and challenges it brings with it; working with elderly clients, understanding vulnerable persons, cognitive decline and impairment, elder abuse, financial exploitation and scams that target seniors. We’ll cover the legal and regulatory requirements that advisors must follow, particularly with their senior clients; and we’ll talk about tools and strategies that will help to protect your client, you and your firm, including ways of being proactive with your senior clients, having good communication with your clients, ensuring they have the proper documentation in place, spotting the warning signs of diminished capacity or possible financial exploitation, the steps to take and how your firm can help by having senior-focused resources in place for advisors, including a proper escalation process to help navigate these complex situations with older clients.

This course was designed to help support the financial services industry and protect vulnerable investors. If you are an investment advisor or financial planner, particularly in Canada, this course will help you to better protect your most vulnerable clients.