Careers in financial planning can involve working with clients, providing financial advice or working in a role, such as a paraplanner, which supports the work of the financial adviser. There are a number of awarding organisations that offer financial planning qualifications including:

• Chartered Insurance Institute (CII)
• Chartered Banker Institute
• Institute of Financial Services
• Institute of Financial Planning (IFP)
• Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI)
• SQA
• Manchester Metropolitan University

Elements of financial planning are regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to ensure consumer protection, financial stability, reduce financial crime, increase public awareness and market confidence.  As a result, there are some jobs in financial planning which are ‘regulated functions’.  To do these jobs you must have one of the ‘Appropriate Qualifications’ identified by the FSA.  Our job profiles incorporate Appropriate Qualifications for each regulated function. To see the entire list of exams consult the FSA Appropriate Exams List.

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