Canadian Securities Institute
Canadian provider of securities licensing education, professional credentials, examinations, continuing education, and customized training for financial-services professionals.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Canadian Securities Institute, commonly known as CSI, is a Canadian professional-education organization serving people and institutions in the financial-services industry. Its principal activities are the development and delivery of licensing courses, examinations, continuing-education programs, specialized certificates, professional designations, and customized workforce training. Although its historic focus is the Canadian securities sector, its portfolio also covers banking, investment dealing, wealth management, insurance, trust administration, financial planning, compliance, derivatives, fixed income, equities, and related advisory disciplines. CSI was established in 1970 by Canadian financial self-regulatory organizations, following the earlier introduction of the Canadian Securities Course in 1964. The organization was created to provide structured education and assessment for people seeking to enter or advance within the Canadian investment industry. Over time, its role expanded beyond securities licensing to include professional development for banks, mutual-fund dealers, trust companies, universities, insurers, and other financial institutions. In 2002, it incorporated as a for-profit organization under the name CSI Global Education Inc.; the Canadian Securities Institute name was subsequently restored to common use. The institute's programs are delivered through online and distance-learning formats as well as classroom instruction. Some offerings have also been made available through Canadian colleges, including Fanshawe College and Centennial College. CSI states that its education and testing support regulatory and registration requirements in Canada, including requirements associated with the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada and the Canadian Securities Administrators. Its qualifications and course completions may also be relevant to international professional or regulatory pathways in a number of jurisdictions, although recognition depends on the particular regulator, employer, or designation framework. Its best-known offerings include the Canadian Securities Course, the Personal Financial Planner designation, the Chartered Investment Manager designation, the Certified International Wealth Manager designation, the Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute distinction, and the MTI—Estate and Trust Professional designation. CSI also offers specialist certificates in areas such as retirement strategy, investment-dealer compliance, financial-services advice, estate and trust strategy, derivatives, small-business advising, advanced investment advice, trading and sales, mutual-fund advice, and personal banking. The organization reports a global examination-centre network and has partnered with overseas organizations to provide financial-proficiency education. CSI became part of a succession of larger ownership structures during the 2000s and 2010s. Onex acquired it in 2006, Moody's acquired it in 2010, and the organization later became part of Fitch Learning. Under Fitch Learning, CSI remains focused on professional education and credentialing in Canada while retaining international activities. Its operating model combines regulated or industry-recognized examinations with education, digital learning, professional designations, and enterprise training. The organization is headquartered in Toronto and Montreal and continues to serve Canadian financial professionals alongside selected international clients and partners.
History
The Canadian Securities Institute traces its educational roots to 1964, when the Canadian Securities Course was first offered. The course provided a structured route into securities-industry knowledge at a time when Canadian financial markets were developing more formal professional and regulatory requirements. In 1970, Canadian financial self-regulatory organizations established the Canadian Securities Institute to organize and expand this type of education. During its first decades, CSI was principally associated with securities licensing and investment-industry instruction. Its activities gradually broadened as Canadian financial institutions required training in banking, mutual funds, insurance, trust administration, compliance, financial planning, and portfolio management. In 1976, the institute introduced the Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute distinction and the Member, Trust Institute designation, later known as MTI—Estate and Trust Professional. These credentials extended CSI's role from entry-level licensing into advanced professional recognition. The 1990s marked a major expansion beyond the traditional securities sector. CSI developed designations in financial planning and portfolio management and began serving banks, mutual-fund dealers, universities, and other organizations. In 1999, it introduced a roster of Internet-based courses, an early step toward the online and distance-learning model that became central to its later delivery strategy. In 2000, CSI introduced a specialized designation for financial-derivatives professionals, described in the reference material as the first designation of its type offered internationally. In 2001, it became one of a limited number of Canadian educational providers accredited to deliver life-insurance licensing education. The organization incorporated as a for-profit entity and adopted the corporate name CSI Global Education Inc. in 2002. It continued to be widely identified with the Canadian Securities Institute name, and by 2012 it had resumed using that name in its public identity. The corporate transition supported further product development and acquisitions. In January 2006, Onex Corporation acquired CSI. In 2007, CSI acquired the Institute of Canadian Bankers, adding broader banking education and allowing the organization to extend its curriculum into licensing, compliance, investment, wealth management, insurance, trust, and management studies. CSI also developed an international dimension. Beginning in 2005, it worked with the Securities Association of China on education initiatives that brought Chinese financial-services professionals to Toronto for basic and advanced training. The organization opened an office in Shanghai in 2009 and reported that it had trained more than 1,000 Chinese financial professionals between 2005 and 2010. Its wider international partnerships reached Europe, the Middle East, Central America, and the Caribbean, while some CSI credentials and courses gained recognition or credit from foreign regulators, professional associations, and financial organizations. The institute also reported operating examination centres outside Canada. In 2010, Moody's acquired CSI for approximately C$155 million, and CSI became part of the training and certification activities of Moody's Analytics. In 2011, it reorganized parts of its catalogue into course bundles designed to guide learners toward specific designations. That year, the Canadian Investment Manager designation was renamed Chartered Investment Manager, or CIM, with the stated aim of improving the designation's portability outside Canada. A significant credentialing milestone occurred on June 28, 2012, when CSI and its Personal Financial Planner program received ISO 17024 accreditation through ANSI. ISO 17024 addresses requirements for organizations that certify individuals, so the accreditation distinguished CSI's credentialing framework from education and examination delivery alone. The PFP designation became positioned as a nationally recognized financial-planning credential, subject to the recognition rules of the relevant province or professional framework. CSI's relationships with industry and professional organizations have remained an important part of its model. Its courses have been connected with registration or education requirements associated with Canadian securities and mutual-fund institutions, and it has maintained relationships with groups involved in investor education, financial planning, technical analysis, risk management, trust and estate practice, and mortgage lending. The institute's current identity is associated with Fitch Learning, which owns CSI. It continues to provide Canadian licensing education, advanced credentials, continuing education, online and classroom learning, examinations, and customized programs for financial-services employers in Canada and selected international markets.
- 2012
ISO 17024 accreditation received
[1]CSI and the PFP program received ISO 17024 accreditation through ANSI.
- 2011
CIM designation renamed
[1]The Canadian Investment Manager designation was renamed Chartered Investment Manager to improve international portability.
- 2010
Acquired by Moody's
[1]Moody's acquired CSI for approximately C$155 million and placed it within Moody's Analytics training and certification operations.
- 2009
Shanghai office opened
[1]CSI opened its first office in China as part of its international financial-education activities.
- 2007
Institute of Canadian Bankers acquired
[1]The acquisition expanded CSI's banking, compliance, wealth-management, insurance, trust, and management-education capabilities.
- 2006
Acquired by Onex
[1]Onex Corporation acquired CSI.
- 2002
Corporate name changed to CSI Global Education
[1]The organization incorporated as a for-profit entity under the CSI Global Education Inc. name.
- 1999
Internet-based courses launched
[1]CSI introduced online courses through its website, expanding access beyond classroom delivery.
- 1993
Expansion into planning and portfolio management
[1]CSI developed new financial-planning and portfolio-management designations and broadened its institutional audience.
- 1976
Advanced trust and fellowship credentials introduced
[1]CSI introduced the FCSI fellowship and the MTI trust-focused designation.
Products and positioning
A regulated-industry-oriented education and credentialing provider for Canadian and international financial-services professionals, combining licensing preparation, examinations, specialist qualifications, continuing education, and institutional training.
Licensing education · 1964
Canadian Securities Course
CSI's foundational securities-industry course provides broad instruction in Canadian financial markets, investment products, regulation, and professional practice. It is used by people preparing for financial-services careers and by firms seeking a common knowledge base for staff. Depending on the applicable registration pathway, successful completion may support licensing or education requirements recognized by Canadian industry and regulatory organizations.
Professional designation
Personal Financial Planner
The PFP designation is designed for professionals who provide comprehensive personal financial advice, particularly within banks, financial institutions, and advisory organizations. Its curriculum addresses multiple dimensions of household financial planning. CSI and the PFP program received ISO 17024 accreditation through ANSI in 2012; recognition and use of the designation remain subject to applicable provincial and professional requirements.
Investment-management designation · 2011
Chartered Investment Manager
The CIM designation is intended for investment professionals who provide discretionary portfolio-management services in Canada. It represents advanced education in investment management and is connected to regulatory requirements for particular Canadian registration categories. The designation was renamed from Canadian Investment Manager in 2011 to make its title more portable internationally.
Wealth-management designation
Certified International Wealth Manager
CIWM is designed for investment advisers, financial advisers, planners, and insurance specialists who counsel affluent clients. The program targets professionals working in securities firms, banks, financial-planning organizations, and related wealth-management settings.
Honorary and professional distinction · 1976
Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute
FCSI is CSI's highest fellowship and professional honour. It recognizes experienced financial-services professionals who meet the institute's requirements, and a limited number of honorary fellowships may also be awarded. The distinction is positioned as a mark of seniority, achievement, and continuing professional standing.
Trust and estate designation · 1976
MTI—Estate and Trust Professional
The MTI designation serves advanced practitioners in estate and trust work, including professionals in trust companies, law firms, accounting firms, and wealth-management organizations. Relevant roles may include trust officers, estate planners, tax officers, and trust administrators.
Specialized professional certificates
Specialist certificates
CSI offers specialist certificates covering retirement strategy, investment-dealer compliance, financial-services advice, estate and trust strategy, derivatives-market strategies, small-business advising, advanced investment advice, fixed-income trading and sales, equity trading and sales, advanced mutual-funds advice, and personal banking. Some operate as standalone qualifications, while others can provide preparation or interim progress toward a broader designation.
Marketing campaigns
- 2005Canada–China financial education initiative
Canada · China
CSI began education initiatives with the Securities Association of China to provide Chinese financial-services professionals with training ranging from foundational to advanced subjects.
Outcome. The initiative supported CSI's international expansion, later including a Shanghai office and training for more than 1,000 Chinese financial professionals between 2005 and 2010.
Brand decisions
2012
ISO accreditation for CSI and PFPOtherBackground
Professional designations require credible governance and assessment standards in addition to educational content.
Action taken
CSI and its PFP designation obtained ISO 17024 accreditation through ANSI.
Aftermath
The accreditation strengthened the formal credentialing status of CSI and PFP by recognizing compliance with an international standard for personnel certification bodies.
2011
Course-bundle strategyStrategyBackground
Learners pursuing professional designations often needed to complete multiple related courses.
Action taken
CSI introduced bundled course pathways aligned with credentials such as PFP and CIM.
Aftermath
The bundles organized CSI's catalogue around designation pathways and professional progression.
2011
Canadian Investment Manager renamed CIMStrategyBackground
CSI sought to make its investment-management designation easier to use and recognize outside Canada.
Action taken
The Canadian Investment Manager designation was renamed Chartered Investment Manager.
Aftermath
The CIM name became the designation's international-facing title.
2010
Moody's acquisitionM&ABackground
CSI had developed a substantial portfolio of professional education, certification, and international training activities.
Action taken
Moody's acquired CSI for approximately C$155 million and integrated it into Moody's Analytics training and certification activities.
Aftermath
CSI operated as part of Moody's Analytics before later becoming associated with Fitch Learning.
Acquisition price. C$155 million (2010)
2007
Institute of Canadian Bankers acquisitionM&ABackground
CSI sought to broaden its curriculum beyond securities licensing into banking and related financial-services disciplines.
Action taken
CSI acquired the Institute of Canadian Bankers.
Aftermath
CSI expanded its offerings in banking, investment, wealth management, insurance, trust, compliance, and management studies.
2006
Onex acquisitionM&ABackground
CSI had evolved from a securities-education institution into a broader financial-services training organization.
Action taken
Onex Corporation acquired CSI.
Aftermath
The transaction preceded further expansion, including CSI's acquisition of the Institute of Canadian Bankers.
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