What is a Chartered Financial Planner?
Chartered Financial Planners are a type of Independent Financial Advisor (or IFA for short). IFAs are so called because they are not tied to financial products from a particular provider; instead they are 'independent' and can advise on and recommend financial products from the entire market.
Here in the UK, IFAs are strictly regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). In practice this means that an IFA is a qualified professional who
(a) has passed examinations set by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), and
(b) is obligated to keep their financial knowledge up to date and in line with the current best practice indefinitely, in a process called Continuing Professional Development or CPD.
Less than 1% of FSA regulated IFA firms in the City of London have achieved the professional standard of Chartered Financial Planners. Here's why:
First, individual plannners must have at least five years' relevant experience in the industry, as well as no less than three years' CPD.
Then, they must complete the CII’s Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning. This qualification, one of most demanding in the industry, aims to ensure that the IFA's knowledge, ability, ethics and conduct are all without question and meet the CII's extremely rigorous standards.
Last, Chartered Financial Planners must always hold valid membership of the Personal Finance Society, an achievement in its own right.
The FSA aims to make identifying a financial advisor that you can trust to provide unbiased, independent advice as easy as possible. The additional qualifications that Ed Holder and Nick Combes have achieved, and the firm's resulting Chartered status, mean that our financial advice and planning are not only independent and professional, but in the top flight.
Ed's areas of expertise and financial qualifications.
Nick's areas of expertise and financial qualifications.
Find out more about our services: investments & funds, retirement planning and pension consolidation, insurance, and mortgages.