Young people choosing a financial planning career can look to CFP certification
…for an holistic pathway to doing the right thing for consumers, says CISI
The new, improved CFP certification, following two years of extensive review will, at Level 7 on the UK National Qualifications Framework, be the UK’s highest level qualification for financial planners.
The CFP certification is considered the global standard of excellence in financial planning being the international recognised licence overseen by the Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB) in Denver, USA. It demonstrates to the consumer that the CFP practitioner is committed to professionalism and that she or he has meet rigorous competence, ethics and professional practice standards to provide comprehensive financial planning services. At the end of 2018 there were 181,360 CFP professionals worldwide, with organisations delivering or preparing to deliver CFP certification in 26 countries and territories.
The CFP ethos is based on qualifying professionals to work with both individuals and families to help review all aspects of their financial affairs. The aim is to recommend to the consumer practical, easy-to-understand, holistic solutions for every life stage.
“The 360 degree, holistic approach offered by the CFP pathway means that consumers are engaged in a two-way conversation with a financial planning professional who puts their financial well-being and life goals first, with any discussion on products featuring at the end of this advice process. The new generation of young people choosing financial planning as a career want to act with integrity and do the right thing for the consumer, and the CFP designation is the globally respected credential which can match their personal ethics.”
“The CISI’s new CFP pathway has been renewed and redesigned to nurture our existing financial planning community by building a larger and stronger community of financial planners where best practice can be more widely shared and new ideas can be developed to move the profession forward for the benefit of the public.”
In a recent FPSB survey of over 3,500 CFP professionals across six global territories when asked about career advancement after receiving their CFP certification 72% of respondents reported increased satisfaction with their careers. In addition, 37% reported they had got a new job, earned a promotion or started their own practice.
The CISI study pathway to CFP certification has been restructured to raise CISI’s Diploma in Financial Planning from Level 6 to Level 7 reflecting the inclusion of the application of a broader range of knowledge.
Candidates for CFP certification who have achieved the Level 7 Diploma, along with having completed three years’ relevant experience, and who take the CISI Integrity Test, are CISI members and log annual CPD are eligible to become a CFP certificant. The CFP is an annually renewable licence with the CISI in the UK.
“It has been 10 years since the CFP was last reviewed. During this time both the market and the complexity of the financial advice required has changed. The new Level 7 recognises this complexity and now equips the licence holder with the skills to meet this demand.
“As a global certification there is nothing which matches the CFP designation for the breadth and depth of financial planning knowledge, putting the consumer experience and well-being at the heart of this process. The new improved CFP meets the FPSB requirements on four key levels: Exam, Ethics, Education and Experience. It is also now on a par with CISI’s other high-level qualification, the Level 7 Chartered Wealth Manager“, said CISI’s Jacqueline Lockie.
The CFP course workbook is now available, with a sample exam paper ready in July 2019. The first exam sitting is 19 September 2019. Those interested in further details about this first September 2019 sitting will need to check that they meet the eligibility requirements by emailing fpexams@cisi.org. An FAQ on the new CFP pathway, including all transitional information, can be found at cisi.org/cfp