Your Financial Planning Maestro

In this week's episode we talk to Phil Billingham and Shannon Currie, both Certified Financial Planner professionals at Perceptive Planning.

We talk about the international advantages of being a CFP professional and why they structured their business to give CFP assessment-style comprehensive financial planning advice to all clients.  In addition we discuss how they work with CFP professionals all over the world, but particularly in South Africa, to bring comprehensive financial planning advice to clients who cross boarders.  The ethical considerations in these situations are very interesting.

We also get into much more controversial territory and talk about why so many CFP professionals are NOT doing financial planning and what needs to happen in the profession to recruit, train and retain the next generation of paraplanners and financial planners as well as what needs to happen to the professional bodies in the UK.

Any frank conversation with these two wonderful people would not be complete without the mention of warm baths and hobby horses.

I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation; it's a corker!

Phil's Bio:

Phil is both a Chartered and Certified Financial Planner, and has been an adviser since 1982.

He is a past Director of the Institute of Financial Planning (IFP), the Society of Financial Advisers (SOFA), and is a past member of the Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB) Regulatory Advisory Panel.

Professional Adviser Magazine listed him amongst the ‘UK Top 50 Influential Advisers’ in 2005 and 2011, and International Adviser has listed him as one of the Top 100 Global Influencers in Financial Services for 2018 and 2019.

At Perceptive Planning he specialises in working with ‘Cross Border’ clients.

Shannon's Bio:

Shannon grew up in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) and South Africa, before coming over to the UK in 1994 to find her roots – theoretically backpacking for a year and is still here! A ‘temp’ role in a Financial Services firm became a permanent position and shortly after resulted in her becoming Investment Director for the Financial Planning division of a ‘Top Four’ accountancy firm.

Shannon's skills and focus are on delivering highly personalised service coupled with technical competence.  That is what actually matters when dealing with clients affairs. In particular, she is well known for her work with Private Individuals & Families, Trustees and Charities. Those with what looks like substantial assets – usually over £500,000 – often have a complexity in their affairs that she can help with.

Our website: LockieConsultants.com

In this week's podcast episode we are back talking to Meg and James at the Verve Group and catching up on what they have learned since we lat talked to them.

We had a really interesting discussion about what employers could do more of to help those entering the profession.

If you are an employer who has recently taken on new members of your team, this is a must listen episode.

Website: LockieConstulants.com

In this week's podcast episode we talk to Farida Hassanali Certified Financial PlannerTM, Senior Paraplanner, Paradigm Norton

We talk about why she decided to become a financial planner at such a young age, how she got her break in the profession, her experience of studying for here CFP certification in the UK and how she helps a particular group of clients achieve their goals.  Farida also shares her tips on how to approach your CISI L7 financial plan case study assessment and in particular things NOT to lose sight of along the way.

Farida has been in the financial planning profession since she graduated from Loughborough University in 2007 with a degree in Maths with Economics. She’s kept up a steady flow of qualifications since then to become and Chartered and Certified Financial PlannerTM and obtained the STEP for Financial Services and IMC qualifications to name a few along the way too.

She joined Paradigm Norton in 2019 and is a Senior Financial Planner as well as Deputy Chair of their Investment Committee. She is also an active member of the financial planning community as a member of the CISI Financial Planning Forum.

Outside of work, Farida enjoys keeping active and usually has a challenge or two planned to keep her motivated.

Our website: LockieConsultants.com

In this week's podcast episode we talk to one of the most well respected Certified Financial Planner professionals in the UK, Robert Lockie.  He has been a long-standing CFP professional and has a reputation for his knowledge and expertise for all things technically related in the financial planning sphere.  There's not much he doesn't know about assumptions.  As you will hear in this episode, he gives you a fascinating insight into how to think through assumptions and how to apply them in real life when talking to clients.

Bio:

Robert Lockie CFPTM Chartered FCSI, Investment Manager and Branch Principal at Bloomsbury Wealth

Robert Lockie has been an investment manager and branch principal at City-based Bloomsbury Wealth since 2005.  The firm works with a relatively small number of private client families and provides a financial planning-led wealth management service.  It is a member of the Global Association of Independent Advisors, an international best practice grouping of like-minded fiduciary firms and Robert is an ambassador for the Transparency Task Force, which aims to improve the standards of transparency in financial services.

Our website: LockieConsutlants.com

In this episode we speak to Alasdair Walker who recently gained his CFP certification in the UK.  Alasdair is a long standing self confessed serial 'exam passer' but the CISI L7 assessment proved a challenging path to CFP certification.

He shares an honest account of the ups and downs of the process, how to approach it and the changes he has made in his business because of it.

Bio:

Alasdair Walker CFP™ MCSI FPFS, Managing Director, Handford, Aitkenhead and Walker

Alasdair is an award-winning CFP™ Professional and Chartered Financial Planner and holds the Certificate in Discretionary Investment Management, as well as being a qualified coach and mentor. He is managing director and sits on our investment committee.

Alasdair has expertise in pensions and investments, with a particular passion for lifetime financial planning. He is an active contributor to the wider financial planning profession, and chairs the influential Expert Practitioner Panel at the Personal Finance Society, which supports and shares best practice across the sector and pushes for higher standards and better consumer outcomes.

Our website: LockieConsultants.com

In this week’s podcast we are dropping in on two new entrants to the financial planning profession.  Meg and James are like a breath of fresh air.  We catch up with them to find out what attracted them to the profession and what their first few months have been like.

We will be catching up with both of them on a regular basis and following them on their journeys in the financial planning profession.  By doing this we hope to highlight the highs and lows of their experiences and help financial planning businesses plan better for new entrants in the future.  Thanks to The Verve for allowing us to share their journey with you.

Meg Wicks, Graduate Compliance Support, Apricity Compliance:

Meg entered the world of financial services in early 2021, taking on her role at Apricity Compliance.  Prior to that she studied French and History at Newcastle University, graduating in 2020.  Meg works closely with a team of consultants on Apricity, helping advisers on their route to competence.

James Winship, Graduate Paraplanner, Para-Sols:

James joined Para-Sols in early 2021, straight from university. Before embarking on his career as a paraplanner, he studied International Relations and Modern History at the University of East Anglia.  James spends his time conducting research into financial products, discussing cases with financial advisers and getting stuck into writing suitability reports for clients.

In this podcast we talk all things Certified Financial Planner Professional certification with Amyr. Amyr earned his CFP professional certification two years ago and during this interview he shares his story about his "Ah ha!" moment that so many financial planners have when undertaking the required assessments to become certified.

Amyr also shares some excellent tips and advice to those thinking of undertaking this journey. 

Amyr Rocha Lima, MSc FPFS CFP® is a financial planner who specialises in helping successful professionals with their retirement planning. He is a partner at Holland Hahn & Wills LLP, a financial planning and wealth management firm based in Kingston upon Thames. Amyr is a frequent commentator on financial planning and wealth management matters for both national and specialist media. A graduate of the Cass Business School (City, University of London), Amyr is also the chairman of the CISI Financial Planning Forum, working with over 6,670 members to champion the financial planning profession in the UK.

Noel Maye is Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB). Before joining the organization, Maye was Senior Vice President of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) in the United States, where he oversaw the international, legal, consumer and public affairs, and communications departments, and served as corporate spokesperson.

Prior to CFP Board, he was an associate with Ogilvy, Adams & Rinehart, a New York-based public relations firm, where he specialized in working with financial services clients.

Maye holds the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential, completed the National Association of Corporate Directors’ director training program, and qualified as a lead auditor for certification bodies through the American National Standards Institute. Born and raised in Ireland, he holds an undergraduate degree in electronic engineering from Trinity College Dublin, an MBA in business administration from the University of Colorado and INSEAD’s Executive Certificate in Global Management.

Here is the link to the FPSB event on 8 September 2021 that we talk about in this podcast:

https://financialplanet.fpsb.org/events/simple-registration?CalendarEventKey=f4ff0117-981f-46ef-bd1e-61585d2d178d&CommunityKey=76575fe1-115b-4302-80c4-4e460098bcb6&Home=%2fevents%2fnew-item2