The Personal Finance Society has revamped its annual awards to focus on “the importance and influence of personal finance journalism”.

Five new categories have been created for excellence in trade and national media and raising consumer awareness of personal finance issues.

The Chartered Awards will be renamed as the Personal Finance Awards.

Excellence in the specialist areas of retirement and later life advice, investment advice and mortgage and protection advice will be recognised with new awards.

The list of practitioner awards to recognise specialist advisers across its membership has been expanded.

Personal Finance Society chief executive Keith Richards said the expanded awards programme recognised the “important role the media plays in educating and informing consumers about the ever-changing regulatory and personal finance landscape”.

He said: “Consumer awareness and protection sits at the very heart of the Personal Finance Society’s main objective and we wanted to use our flagship annual awards programme to recognise those who have contributed to developing a more informed and educated public.

“We’ve assembled an expert judging panel, which has already started reviewing some of the outstanding reporting being done by personal finance journalists across the country.”

Last year’s Chartered Financial Planner of the Year, Simon Glazier of Anderson Anderson & Brown Wealth, urged other advisers to enter this year’s awards.

He said: “The respect of my peers, the confidence of my clients, the enhanced standing with professional connections and the pride of my team have all made it more than worth the effort.”

The Personal Finance Society Personal Finance Awards will be presented at a gala dinner in November.

2016 Personal Finance Society Personal Finance Awards – full list of categories

Chartered Financial Planner of the Year
Chartered Financial Planning Firm of the Year
Paraplanner of the Year
Retirement and Later Life Advice Specialist of the Year
Investment Advice Specialist of the Year
Mortgage & Protection Advice Specialist of the Year
MoneyPlanner of the Year
National Newspaper Personal Finance Journalist of the Year
National Newspaper Specialist Consumer Journalist of the Year
Personal Finance Consumer Champion of the Year
Trade Press Personal Finance Journalist of the Year
Trade Press Personal Finance Publication of the Year
Special Award for Outstanding Contribution to Financial Services

Last year’s winners – 2015 Personal Finance Society Chartered Awards

Chartered Financial Planner of the Year: Simon Glazier FPFS – Anderson Anderson & Brown Wealth
Chartered Financial Planning Firm of the Year: Carbon Financial Planners
Paraplanner of the Year: Helen Parker FPFS – Clay Rogers & Partners
Pro bono Award: Tom Ryan APFS - Astute Wealth Management
Highest Achiever in the Advanced Diploma: James Manning APFS - Saunderson House
Highest Achiever in the Diploma: Rachel Nimmo DipPFS - Standard Life
John Ellis Award: Brian Steeples ACII - Turris Partnership