What is important to Tony?

This question could be addressed in different ways, but I am going to focus on my work and business and my current activities. First, as many know, I am passionate about distance education and lifelong learning so, if I may, I will write about my continuing professional education. I regularly attend educational sessions presented by my various suppliers and by Advocis, The Financial Advisors Association of Canada. In addition, I take other courses. Right now, I am registered in the first of two courses toward the Registered Health Underwriter (RHU) designation. This program focuses on critical illness, long-term care, and disability insurance, in addition to group benefits.

The Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation requires completion of four courses in the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) program plus 3 more. I completed the first four plus the first CLU course. Should I wish the CFP designation, I have a comprehensive and CFP exam to write. For the CLU, two more courses to go!

In my business, this is the time that I need to be talking to people. There are concerns about the volatility in the markets and the recent account statements being received. This is certainly the time to talk about the income for life programs that guarantee the amount invested, provide bonuses each year, and pay a guaranteed income. These programs take some explanation, so that is the focus of future meetings with prospective new clients. If this is not appropriate for the client, there are still principal guarantees with other investments I recommend.

Another area of concern to me is paycheque insurance. What happens if you are ill or injured? Will you have a continuing stream of income? If you do have the satisfaction of employer benefits, do you fully understand the limitations? I enjoy the opportunity to sit down and review coverage, even if just to educate. Remember, lifelong learning is a passion. Those who teach learn twice, so helping others often involves new learning for me.

Last, you should also know that I have the pleasure of being an online instructor for the University of Calgary in the Business and Professional Programs. In the spring, I taught Emergency Planning for Industry. Now, I am developing my January course, Risk Assessment. This just makes sense to me for two reasons. Everything is risk management related, from my dealings with clients to the risk management related courses. And, my graduate degree is a Master of Distance Education.

I would like to run some educational sessions for my clients and others. Please let me know your thoughts as to whether you would prefer to attend a session in person or thorugh a webinar.

**This message is an expression of the author’s personal opinions. The companies represented by Antony (Tony) Ratcliffe of Ratcliffe Wealth & Risk Management, as an independent agent/broker in Alberta, Canada, will not be held liable in any way for the opinions expressed herein.

My First Blog

To blog or not to blog has been a question on my mind for some time. Obviously, the desire to maintain a blog has won out with this as my inaugural post. My mood strikes me to give a little background to review my interest in distance education, leading up to a second entry that will acknowledge the Distance Education Technology Symposium I attended this past weekend.

My interest in open learning can be traced back to grades 5 and 6 in elementary school with an open concept school and relatively little structure to the day. We were given assignments for the week, there were periodic sessions with the teacher, and there were no classroom walls except dividers. It has been many years, but I vividly recall the opportunity to use Fridays as reading days, lounging on big cushions in the library, if the work was complete.

After grade 12 in Ontario, I entered the workforce as a Police Cadet with the Metropolitan Toronto Police. Four years later, then in Edmonton, I commenced Athabasca University’s Bachelor of Administration Degree through distance learning. It was called correspondence at the time, but it was truly much more due to the dedicated tutor assigned for each course. I can’t believe the time it took to complete, with typical procrastination and life happenings, but I never intended to rush through. Thirteen years later, in 1979, I received my degree.

In 1997, I commenced the Master of Distance Education (MDE) Degree, also through Athabasca University (AU). At the time, I supervised field placement students while working as an investigator in a provincial government department. I was being encouraged to teach at their college, so I agreed to and commenced graduate studies just prior. Still working full-time, the MDE was likely an obvious choice due to the flexibility of study. However, the course of studies was motivating, and along the path I also received an Advanced Graduate Diploma in Distance Education (Technology) from AU and a Certificate in Adult and Continuing Education from the University of Alberta. Needless to say, distance education and technology became of great interest to me, and I was able to incorporate some of this with my traditional classroom based students.

Although now captivated by my business as an insurance and financial advisor, I maintain my passion for distance education. I had the pleasure of teaching an online course (on two occasions) and an online workshop for the University of Calgary, and I just completed teaching a second course, Emergency Planning for Industry. As I go forward, I am happy to be an advisor and an educator.

Comments and questions are certainly invited, as I enter the blogosphere.