Kent

First of all, I just wanted to thank all of those who managed to attend last week’s Chartered Breakfast and Kent Summer Conference in the Marriot Tudor Park Country Club. As I mentioned, we have around 1,300 PFS members in Kent, and I would very much like to see how we as a committee can engage more fully with our members – so next time bring a friend or a colleague!!

Many of you will know James Cole who recently stepped down as Chair in order to focus on the management of his business. I am honoured to his replacement, and hope to do whatever I can to help the members of the Personal Finance Society in Kent (although I still have hope that he still might change his mind and return!).

I have been a member of the Kent committee for quite a few years now so hopefully most of you will know who I am. As you may have guessed from my accent I’m not originally from these parts, but I have lived and worked in mid-Kent since 2001.

We have been very fortunate indeed to have Oliver Secomb to join the committee recently as our Professional Qualifications Officer to work alongside myself, Pierre, Rebecca and Chris. As a committee, we are all very keen to provide as much support as possible for our members and would always welcome suggestions from our members about ways in which we can improve. If you do have any suggestions for future events, or improvements in the events that we already provide, please get in touch.

Finally, Dave Octave will be leaving his role as Regional Membership Manager later this month and I would like to wish him all of the best in his new role. He has been a big help to me as a committee member over the years, and his absence at future events will be sorely missed.

I hope to see you all at the Autumn Conference on Thursday 7^th September.

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After a very successful year of conferences in 2023, we are rounding up the year with our Autumn conference. Partners include JUST, Quilter, Portfolio Metrix, Zurich and Fidelity

Click on the link below to register your place and find out more about what’s in store.

Thursday 7 September – Autumn Conference (Mercure Maidstone Great Danes) – Book Now!!!

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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FINE TUNE YOUR FINANCIAL PLANNING SKILLS

If you haven’t visited the pfspower.org website yet, now is the time.

Explore the extensive digital hub for financial planning skills, where brand new content is added every week, including a weekly live webinar delivered by expert practitioners and coaches. Our top rated webinars include topics such as ‘finesse your first meetings’; ‘how to get a million in revenue’ and ‘how to politely screen your clients’.

To find out more, watch a webinar or check in on the latest content head to pfspower.org

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