How to resolve a Financial Planner / Financial Advisor complaint

You wish to file a complaint against a FSRA-approved credentialing body and/or about an approved credential.

Not sure if a credentialing body and/or a credential is approved by FSRA? Please visit FSRA’s list of approved credentialing bodies and credentials.

If you are unable to resolve your complaint directly with the credentialing body, you can file a complaint with FSRA.

You wish to file a complaint against an organization that says it is an approved credentialing body and/or claims to offer an approved credential without having the required FSRA approval.

Please visit FSRA’s list of approved credentialing bodies and credentials to validate if the organization and/or credential is not approved by FSRA. 

If the organization and/or credential is not on the list of approved credentialing bodies and credentials, please proceed to file a complaint with FSRA.

You wish to file a complaint regarding inappropriate or unprofessional conduct of the Financial Planner (FP) or Financial Advisor (FA) you are dealing with. 

Examples can include, but are not limited to:

• dishonest behaviour
• misappropriation of funds
• fraud 
• harassment
• rude, offensive and abusive language

FSRA does not have the legislative authority to investigate complaints about the conduct of individuals who hold an approved credential from an approved credentialing body. 

Step 1: Identify the approved credentialing body that issued the approved credential to the individual Financial Planner or Financial Advisor you are dealing with. FSRA’s Check Credentials Tool can help you do this.

Step 2: Contact the approved credentialing body and inquire about how to proceed with your complaint.

Please note: The Financial Planner / Financial Advisor you are dealing with may also be registered/licensed with one or more regulatory bodies. Ask the credentialing body if this individual is registered or licensed with another regulatory body and, if so, contact the regulatory body to inquire about how to proceed with your complaint.

You could also contact the employer(s) of the Financial Planner / Financial Advisor you are dealing with.

You wish to file a complaint against an individual who is using the Financial Planner or Financial Advisor title without an approved credential.

Please note: The title protection framework has a transition period for certain individuals who were already using the Financial Planner or Financial Advisor titles. This permits them to continue to use the title without having an approved credential for a specified period of time. (Note, the Financial Advisor transition period ended on March 28, 2024). Speak to your Financial Planner or Financial Advisor and ask if they have an approved credential and/or if the transition period applies to them.

If you believe your Financial Planner or Financial Advisor is using the title without an approved credential and does not qualify for the transition period, please complete FSRA’s Complaint Form.

You wish to file a complaint against an individual who is using a title that could reasonably be confused with Financial Planner or Financial Advisor without an approved credential.

Step 1: Verify if the individual you are dealing with has an approved credential from a FSRA-approved credentialing body. FSRA’s Check Credentials Tool can help you do this.

Step 2: If the individual you are dealing with does not have an approved credential from a FSRA-approved credentialing body, please submit a complaint to FSRA.