Herts, Middlesex & Bedfordshire

After a very successful return to face-to-face conference in 2022, we are excited to be back on the road in 2023 with our Spring, Summer and Autumn regional conference as well as a range of Specialist events and regional events organised by your local committee.

Click on the link below to register your place or save the date in your diary if a link isn’t available.

Wednesday 10 May – Summer Conference (Hilton Watford London) – Book Now!
Wednesday 20 Sep – Autumn Conference (Venue tbc) – Save the Date

More events organised by your regional committee will be advertised in due course. If you have any suggestions for local events you would like to see, please contact your committee.

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The ‘Shaping the future together’ consultation gave members and other key stakeholders the opportunity to feedback on the Chartered Insurance Institute’s (CII) proposed plans, as well as the services it delivers and how the professional body can best meet their needs and expectations in the future. The CII is conducting this pilot as the majority of financial planners who took part in the ‘Shaping the future together’ consultation told us they want us to bring in more flexibility and realistic assessed tasks to some of our assessments.

In place of the scheduled written exams, the CII will be piloting coursework assessments for the R06 Financial Planning Practice unit of the Chartered Insurance Institute Level 4 Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning. The format of the coursework assessments for R06 will be assignments based on client case studies.

Gill White, Chief Customer Officer of the Chartered Insurance Institute, said: “Our R06 unit currently uses on-screen written exams available four times per year. We are piloting a flexible, client-focused coursework assignment assessment, designed to fit in with contemporary working practice. This means learners with commitments that prevent attendance of exams on the fixed dates will not face a barrier to completion of the Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning.

“The assessment is designed to meet the same syllabus learning outcomes and assessment criteria as the current R06 exam and meets the Level 4 qualification descriptors set out by education regulators.

The assessment criteria include a requirement for analysis and justified recommendations, which are appropriate to assess in longer responses such as case-study-based assignments.

“We worked with practitioners within the profession, advisory groups and the PFS Board to discuss how these skills are demonstrated in a professional context to design the coursework assessment approach and tasks.”

A review will be undertaken later this year once the pilot is completed and feedback from candidates has been received. The Chartered Insurance Institute will then decide during 2023 whether assessment for the R06 Financial Planning Practice unit will switch from written examinations to coursework and the timetable for any changes.

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Don MacIntyre appointed to full-time executive role.

In August the PFS appointed Don MacIntyre as PFS Interim CEO.  Not only will he represent and advocate PFS members’ interests, he will also work closely with the Board to preserve PFS assets. Furthermore, he will enhance our governance and enable new operational processes that serve the needs of all members while maintaining public confidence in your services. 

Look out for Don at a regional conference near you soon!

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We are now the Hertfordshire, Middlesex and Bedfordshire region of the Personal Finance Society. 

Takes me back to when I was regional Chair when the LIA merged with SOFA to become the PFS – some fifteen years ago – at that time it was Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire LIA that then became Hertfordshire and Middlesex PFS – so historically Bedfordshire was in the title and covered areas outside of Watford. 

It has been a challenging time for everyone – being affected either personally or professionally by the impact of Covid.

Regional meetings are the core value to the membership – allowing interaction between PFS members as well keeping up-to-date on financial services matters and education – we are working towards their return.

There was pleasing interest from some of you at the last physical meeting on joining the committee – it is not onerous and I have always seen being on the committee as a way of giving back to my colleagues and the profession – so please come on board and help your region grow – as we look to re-establish physical meetings and get the buzz going again.

The region is looking to spring back into action – please come and share my enthusiasm and commitment to the region.

Jeff Barnes DipPFS, Certs CII (MP & ER)
jeff@jeffbarnes.co.uk
Regional Chair

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FINE TUNE YOUR FINANCIAL PLANNING SKILLS

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