Examinations don’t guarantee great advice. They do however provide a benchmark to compare one adviser over another. Like many of the professionals we advise we have a continual desire to improve our expertise and stay up to date with continuing changes in legislation. One way we do this is to study and take examinations. From 2012 the FSA are imposing higher qualifications on all advisers. This will be set at “level 4″.  Justin King of MFP Wealth Management holds the Chartered and Certified Financial Planner designations which are recognised to be at “level 6″.

The pinnacle of individual achievement is the award of Chartered Financial Planner status, which is conferred by the CII and available to eligible Personal Finance Society members as a result of the Society’s link to the CII. To-date only 2000 individual financial advisers have attained this title.

Consumer research by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) has shown that Chartered resonates best with the public in terms of recognition, trust and confidence – both in the insurance and financial planning sectors, and in the broader world of professional services.

The research is published in the fifth of the CII’s series of papers in professionalism – The Stamp of Quality? The Importance of Being Chartered.

A uniquely British institution, the Royal Charter is a stamp of quality that has stood the test of time and remained the gold standard for professional services in the UK and abroad. Against a background of the global financial crisis, where trust and confidence are perceived to have diminished, the chartered title symbolises an unparalleled mark of quality.

Sandy Scott , CEO of the CII, said, “The public know and trust the Chartered brand. What’s more, our research shows that it is consistent with the public mood on the need for trust in financial services. As such, it is more relevant than ever in today’s turbulent times.

“We will continue to encourage and support our members and our industry to achieve what is truly the ‘pinnacle of the profession’ for advisers. Few symbols have lasted as long, or offer the opportunity to engender trust in our profession.”

MFP’s biggest motivator in achieving Chartered status were the satisfaction of reaching the top of our profession and the opportunity to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to build trust and confidence with our clients. Our clients see Chartered as a measure of merit, competence, and commitment to the highest standard of professionalism.

The CII Paper in Professionalism The Stamp of Quality? The Importance of Being Chartered is available to download at: www.cii.co.uk/papers in professionalism

Financial Planning is the process of developing strategies to help you manage your financial affairs so you can build wealth, enjoy life and achieve financial security. Whether this is taking some simple steps yourself to seeking professional help, Financial Planning is an effective way of ensuring you are fulfilling your life ambitions without having to worry about your finances.

What are Financial Planners?