Advisers now have an additional four days days to submit their entries for Money Management's 23rd Financial Planner of the Year Awards.
The deadline for entries has now been extended until Friday 13 July. The awards themselves will take place on Thursday 18 October at the Oxo Tower in London.
Full descriptions of all categories, details on how to enter and more can be found at www.mmawards.co.uk.
The annual awards have long recognised the very best of the advice profession, and a record number of submissions in 2017 showed that advisers truly value the chance to display their expertise.
We have introduced several new categories this year, but the underlying structure of the awards remains unchanged.
Alongside the overall Financial Planner of the Year category, sponsored by Schroders, we’ll again identify a Rising Star of the Year. This award, sponsored by NS&I, will seek to highlight those who display impressive planning credentials, despite being relatively new to the industry.
To ensure we are judging advisers on the work they do day in, day out, we are asking you to submit the client reports that best showcase your efforts in a specific area of financial planning.
Candidates are required to choose an example of existing client work that relates to one of our categories and submit this – with names and personally identifiable information redacted – as their entry.
Along with their entry, candidates will be allowed to provide up to 300 words to describe how their work fits the criteria we have outlined at www.mmawards.co.uk.
As usual, each submission will be marked against the international financial planning standards set by the Financial Planning Standards Board. Those standards allow some flexibility for varying answers and styles.
There is no set correct answer to the questions and case studies, because each planner will approach the same problem differently as part of the financial planning process.
The leading contenders will then be invited to a face-to-face judging session to answer questions on a wider case study in relation to a given category. This case study will be sent out to shortlisted candidates ahead of the judging days in early September.
Money Management is pleased to confirm that the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment’s Jacqueline Lockie will be seated in the judging chair again this year.
Alongside her will be Robin Keyte, himself a winner of the awards in 2014. He replaces Danny Cox, who has stood aside after many years of diligent service. Together, Ms Lockie and Mr Keyte will ensure all our winners truly know their stuff.
The awards will continue to acknowledge the industry’s best and brightest at a time when good financial advice has never been more important.
As last year’s overall winner, Andy Springford (pictured), puts it: “It’s hugely important to champion our profession, and these awards help do just that. They truly highlight the importance of providing quality financial advice.”
