CPD

All CPD content

Guide to platforms

Describe how to do your due diligence on your platform
List the elements you should look for when selecting the right platform
Describe the reasons for replatforming

What to consider when looking at assisted suicide

Describe the main points of the Ninian assisted suicide case
Decribe why Mr Ninian's widow claimed relief from the forfeiture rule in his will
List the importance of legal advice

The group risk policies employers are adopting

Describe how companies are adopting group insurance policies as benefits
List the user friendly terms for group risk policies
Describe what the 'workplace statement' will do

Group risk is having a moment

Describe the importance of group risk
Describe the significance of Early Intervention Services in group risk policies
List the commercial changes of the group risk market

Guide to investing in commodities

Describe the correlation between commodities and traditional asset classes and how they have changed over time.
List the outlook for oil and physical gold in 2019.
Identify how much exposure clients should have to commodities in their portfolios.

Commercial property can save your pension

Describe how commercial property can be used in a pension
List when residential property can be used
Describe what happens with tangible moveable property

Senior Managers and Certification Regime: are you resilient?

Describe how to ensure there is accountability in advice companies for the resilience of operational services ready for SMCR.
List what to do to mitigate risks from outside the company.
Identify the cyber risk to the business and prepare for it.

Inheritance Tax

Top five inheritance tax queries

Identify the most common queries about IHT among clients.
Describe transferable nil rate bands and how periodic charges work.
Identify the 14-year shadow and when it takes effect and the other exemptions and reliefs available.

Regrets, refunds and the relevance of contribution paid dates

Describe how the refund of excess contributions lump sum works and what is considered a genuine error.
Identify the date contributions are paid for tax purposes and how different payment methods are treated.
List what advisers need to know about pension savings statements.

Inheritance Tax

How to keep wealth in the family

Describe the challenges of passing on assets later in life
List the differences between gifting and trusts
Describe the process one has to go through when considering gifting

How to navigate the pensions tax landscape since freedoms

List what changes in the tax landscape mean for clients in decumulation.
Identify why retirement is changing.
Describe why annuities are still an option for clients.

Guide to risk and return in multi-asset

Identify whether multi-asset funds are using a more modern approach to diversification and how it can be measured.
Describe how advisers can evaluate risk and volatility in multi-asset, and the importance of clients' time horizons.
List how multi-asset funds can meet income requirements.

How to help clients with tax-efficient planning

Identify what clients need to prioritise as tax year end nears.
Describe how clients can make the most of tax allowances, including pensions and Isas.
List what clients can do to avoid last-minute tax planning.

Sipp providers in limbo but sales hold steady

To gain an understanding of the current Sipp market
Learn about the sector's challenges
Be able to compare the charges and features of Sipp providers

Restricted advice: The key to the industry's future?

To gain a greater understanding of restricted advice models
Learn about new entrants into the space
Understand how both restricted and independent models can help plug the 'advice gap'

What your clients need to know about currency exposure

Identify how currency effects can impact UK assets.
List the benefits and risks posed by holding foreign currency assets.
Describe how clients might respond to currency risk in their portfolios.

Investment Trusts

Guide to using investment trusts in client portfolios

Describe the origins of investment trusts and learn how to unpack the jargon surrounding them.
Identify how to spot a good investment trust for clients.
List whether availability on platforms has helped to boost uptake by advisers.

How to protect a business from the threat of divorce

Describe the way that offsetting works
Describe how family businesses are treated when the owners are getting divorced
Describe what happens to company shares when the business owners are splitting up

What is the carry on about carry forward?

Describe what carry forward is.
List the rules governing how carry forward works.
Identify the split into two mini tax years and how to inform HMRC.

Why annuities are an essential tool for clients' financial future

Describe why clients' retirement income needs are changing and how the annuity market has developed.
List the different types of annuities including lifetime, enhanced and fixed term.
Identify the importance of advice in the annuity market and why annuities can be an essential tool for clients.

Guide to suitability and duty of care

Describe what the regulator expects from advisers around duty of care and suitability.
List what has happened in global markets and why clients might be concerned.
Identify how to deliver financial solutions that meet client needs against this backdrop.

How to use ETFs to get exposure to thematic investing

Identify what thematic investing is and why it has been associated with active management.
Describe why it is important to understand the aim of the index methodology and how they are constructed.
List why it is important to ensure investors have a meaningful exposure to a trend.

Understanding voluntary and compulsory scheme pays

Describe the background to changes to the annual allowance.
Identify the requirements of voluntary scheme pays and compulsory scheme pays.
List what there is to know about DB and DC scheme pays.

EIS or VCT? The differences and similarities

Describe why VCTs and EIS investments are so popular
Describe some of the tax advantages of VCTs and EIS investments
List some of the differences between EIS and VCTs

Guide to the Isa market

Describe the history of Isas and why they have become a building block in client portfolios.
Identify how to protect investments held in stocks and shares Isas from volatility and whether there is value in having a cash Isa.
List the different types of Isa available now and consider whether there are too many in the market.

Beware the powers of Unexplained Wealth Orders

Describe the importance of Unexplained Wealth Orders
Describe how UWOs work
Describe the powers that enforcement authorities have with UWOs

Income Protection

Why conversations about protection are difficult but essential

Identify why protection can be a difficult subject to broach with clients.
List some of the common misconceptions about protection and its coverage.
Describe how advisers can make the case for protection, and why mortgage clients might have more of a need.

Guide to preparing for SMCR

Identify what advice companies can expect from the new regulatory regime and how it has played out in the banking sector.
Describe what there is to know about complying and the potential challenges advisers might come across.
List some practical steps advice companies can take now to prepare for SMCR.

How to prepare your clients for Brexit volatility

Identify how Brexit might trigger volatility in markets and currencies and the impact on client portfolios.
Describe how advisers can help clients with short-term drawdown needs to navigate volatility.
List what advisers can do to help clients meet their income needs.

Have property funds learned lessons from 2016 gatings?

Learn about the recent troubles for open-ended property funds
Gain an insight into property fund performance
Be able to the describe the FCA's solutions to the sector's woes

Why advisers should embrace AI’s potential

Understand how AI is affecting the advice process
Gain an insight into the FCA's concerns about AI
Be able to describe the types of AI being deployed

What you need to know about later life protection

Identify why the cost of care in the UK is rising and what that means for protection needs.
List how advisers can help clients plan early and identify the right protection cover.
Describe which products have entered the market to meet later life protection needs.

Understanding the role of independent financial advice in divorce

Describe how financial planning at the outset of divorce proceedings can help fund it.
List what factors are relevant to financial arrangements in divorce proceedings and the need for financial disclosure.
Identify what need there is for clients to get financial advice when going through a divorce.

Discretionary Management

Taking care of outsourced clients

Describe what advisers' duty of care is when outsourcing investments.
Identify how to use DFMs without ruining client-adviser relationships and what the FCA expects.
List key questions to ask those running client investments.

Defined Contribution

Testing DC pension benefits against the lifetime allowance

List the calculations involved in testing against the lifetime allowance.
Describe how the tax charge is calculated and whether there is any way of mitigating it.
Identify how pre-2006 pensions can still reduce the available lifetime allowance at age 75.

Prospects are glowing for collective defined contribution schemes

Describe how Collective Defined Contribution schemes might work
List how CDC schemes might be useful for the Royal Mail
Describe why it might raise retirement income over the longer term

Personal Pension

Guide to helping mid-lifers plan for retirement

Describe what mid-lifers need to consider when saving for retirement.
List how advisers can help mid-lifers prioritise their pension and what tools providers can offer to help.
Identify how women can ensure they are financially prepared for retirement given the pensions gap.

Defined Benefit

Partial DB transfers offer a good third way option

Describe the reason why people should do a partial transfer
List the important things to communicate to clients
Describe how the partial transfer mitigates risk for members

Inheritance Tax

How to engage with clients’ beneficiaries

List the benefits of engaging with clients’ beneficiaries as part of intergenerational planning.
Identify ways to help a client’s executors and beneficiaries during the probate process.
Describe the opportunity for taking on beneficiaries as clients.

Defined Benefit

Why specialist advice is critical for GMP equalisation

Describe the background to GMP equalisation and how schemes can get started.
List the different methods of equalisation for schemes to adopt and how they communicate the process with members.
Identify the potential pitfalls and how specialist advice can help smooth the GMP equalisation journey.