The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment is urging UK Financial Planners to sign up for Financial Planning Week 2018 which runs from 3 to 10 October and aims to raise the national profile of Financial Planning through a campaign of consumer engagement.

The CISI says the annual drive, led by its Certified Financial Planner members, will offer pro-bono guidance for consumers and highlight the “life-changing” value of professional Financial Planning.

The campaign will use the hashtag and slogan #PlanWell2LiveWell.

This year the start of CISI Financial Planning Week is also marked by World Financial Planning Day on 3 October, organised by IOSCO (International Organisation of Securities Commission) as part of World Investor Week and supported by the global CFP body the Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB). Some 175,500 CFP professionals worldwide will be urged to join the day.

For the UK’s Financial Planning Week the CISI campaign aims to encourage all UK consumers to sign up for a free, one-hour Financial Planning session.

The London-based professional body with 40,000 members worldwide says the campaign is an opportunity to showcase to the UK public the professionalism of CFP practitioners and highlight the “relationship-based focus” of the Financial Planning process.

Financial Planners throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are encouraged to:

•Join the campaign to help highlight the real benefits of Financial Planning

•Consider offering one hour free consultation surgeries, either in person, via Skype or over the phone for members of the public

•Take part in “Ask a Planner” online sessions and offer written responses to individual’s queries

•Provide talks to local schools across the country to share the merits of the financial planning profession as a career

Jacqueline Lockie CFP, Chartered FCSI and CISI head of Financial Planning said: “Our Financial Planning community understands the importance of Financial Planning Week to raise awareness of the role of qualified Financial Planners in helping people from all walks of life, not only the wealthy, and of all ages, to think ahead and plan for their future.

“This is our chance to demonstrate our planners’ social responsibility credentials for all consumers to understand the real benefits having a financial plan can bring them.

“This is an important opportunity to show their commitment to Financial Planning Week by giving up some of their time and to give something back.  World Financial Planning Day will kick off the week and we look forward to joining forces with other CFP professionals across the world to raise the global understanding of Financial Planning.

“Our most recent survey, which looked at consumer attitudes and behaviour towards pensions and investments, indicated that the most trusted person a worker in the UK would go to for advice was a qualified financial adviser at 46%, an increase from 41% when this question was asked in our survey in 2017. Financial Planning Week is an important part of the ongoing campaign to build consumer trust and confidence in the financial planning sector.”

World Financial Planning Day logo

Martin Ruskin CFP Chartered MCSI and chairman of the CISI IFP Forum said: “This is a fabulous opportunity to leverage a global initiative to highlight the tangible benefits of receiving great advice from great CFP professionals. 

“We have a wonderful community in the UK of those willing to give their time and skills to helping change lives for the better. Please sign up to the campaign and get involved as highlighted above so that we can help build our profession for the benefit of the consumer.”

CISI Financial Planning Week 2017 highlights included:

•300 consumer telephone calls to CISI, with many more received directly by individual UK Financial Planning firms

•600 consumer emails received by CISI – with many more sent directly by consumers to firms

•88 supporting Financial Planning firms

•73% increase in followers on @WayfinderCISI, CISI’s consumer facing website

•928,945 Twitter impressions for #FPWUK

•800+ viewings across two Facebook Live webcasts, with 167 reactions, comments and shares and a total of 7,550 people reached

Financial Planners wishing to sign up to CISI Financial Planning Week or learn more should visit www.Cisi.org/fpw