The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) has rolled out a new online training service for advisers and wealth managers, following a revamp of its financial adviser website.
The new section which is called Learning Zone has been created following requests and feedback from IFAs.
It includes guides on investment companies, written specifically for financial advisers and wealth managers and covers a range of topics; from basic concepts to more technical subjects such as taxation and the difference between onshore and offshore investment companies.
The AIC has offered online training before in the form of webinars, but this is the first time fully interactive courses have been introduced that can be taken at any time, at the user’s convenience, and they will be regularly updated.
The financial adviser website, carries data and statistics on investment companies, fund manager articles and videos, an AIC blog and details of upcoming training events.
The relaunched site now includes more information and data on the investment company profile pages, with extra performance periods, volatility data, trading values and volumes.
There is a new Q&A area where users can ask questions about investment companies and have them answered quickly, with the answers published on the website.
Users can also set up more than one watchlist, enabling them to monitor selected groups of investment companies easily.
Nick Britton, head of training at the AIC, said: “We hope this relaunch will make the website more interactive and more helpful to the 15,000 or so financial advisers and wealth managers who use it each month.
“We’re particularly excited about the launch of our online training service, Learning Zone. Last year, we reached 1,513 financial advisers with our face-to-face training events, but we want to do more."
Darius McDermott, managing director at Chelsea Financial Services welcomed the new service from the AIC.
“It is good of them to offer online advice and information to help advisers keep an eye on the market. It covers a broad breadth I am sure it will be a good tool for the more experienced advisers as well,” Mr McDermott added.
The training is designed as structured CPD and accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) and the Personal Finance Society (PFS).
More courses will be added over time, with a course on private equity the next in line to be introduced.
There are no charges for access to the website and its various services, although registration as a financial adviser is required for some areas.
