Kent

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.

Thursday 8 June – Summer Conference (Marriott Tudor Park Country Club) – Book Now!
Thursday 7 September – 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.

_________________________________________________________________

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.

_________________________________________________________________

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!

_________________________________________________________________

A warm welcome to the Kent regional committee page from me, James Cole, and the rest of your regional committee.  I have lived and worked in the county since 2002; some of you may remember me from BDM roles with Standard Life and Aegon in years past.  Today I am MD at Talis IFA in Ashford where I manage my own client bank alongside a growing team of advisers, paraplanners and support staff.  I am acutely aware of the challenges and opportunities we all face and pleased to play my small part as an advocate for our profession.

_________________________________________________________________

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

_________________________________________________________________