Born and raised in India, Baljit Rana first came to Canada 25 years ago, settling in Golden just over 20 years ago.

Knowing no English at all, she worked to finish her Grade 12 high school education at the College of the Rockies campus located in town. Since then, Rana has made education a priority.

“I believe it’s an investment that you should be doing every year, no one can ever take it away from you,” said Rana.

“Education is something I’ve always pushed myself to achieve, I’m always inspired to continue education myself and staying up to date on changes and policy in my career so that I can help people.”

Starting with SunLife Golden in 2010, Rana has continued to push herself towards excellence in her field through education.

Just this year, she has earned her Certified Financial Planning certification from Financial Planning Canada, something she has been working on for the last two years.

FP Canada is the highway financial regulatory body in Canada, which oversees all financial institutions, insurance and trust companies with professional education.

“This two year course has taught me unique and intimate financial planning for each individual, putting clients’ interest first all the time, having ethics in business and recognizing my own biases in advising,” said Rana.

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In addition to her CFP, Rana has also earned her Certified Professional Consultant on Aging (CPCA) Financial Planning course, which has taught her to work with elders in the community as a part of the of the Age-Friendly Business® group of services.

Rana says that this certification is important, as it allows her to help elders avoid scams and being taken advantage of financially, in order to preserve their financial health.

She hopes that this training will help persons aged 50+ feel welcomed and safe when it comes to financial planning.

“This course taught me to be patient and lower my voice when speaking with elders and how to recognize family abuse in the ways of finances,” said Rana.

“It’s important to put the time and effort into understanding elders and helping them sort out their estate and make their wills properly.”

Rana hopes that these certifications can help her community, so that they won’t have to travel to find these services.

“Hopefully this will make it easier for the community in Golden and the elders in Golden can feel comfortable in approaching me and asking questions,” said Rana.

“I love my work as a practical way to help individuals, families and business owners bring financial security and peace of mind with insurance and investment strategies.”

She is accredited to work in both B.C. and Alberta.

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International Women’s Day was first celebrated on March 19, 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. The United Nations later started celebrating on March 8.

In 2021 it should be no surprise that more and more woman hold positions of power. Whether it’s business, politics, sports or the non-profit sector, woman continue to achieve new milestones.