A 21-year-old has become one of the youngest ever to achieve a diploma in Financial Planning from the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Matthew Fagan, from Reading, has been on a trainee scheme at Ascot Wealth Management. He has obtained a Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning.

Ascot Wealth runs a placement scheme for university students, part of which involves an intensive study programme, enabling them to pass RO exams and work towards achieving the qualification.

Mr Fagan is one of four at Ascot to obtain the diploma.

Cara Gilbert, 19, from Ayrshire, recently became the youngest person in the country to complete the Diploma in Financial Planning from the Personal Finance Society.

The CII/PFS was checking this week if Mr Fagan was the youngest to achieve the Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning. Ascot believes he is.

Mr Fagan is studying for a BA in business and marketing at the Henley Business School, University of Reading. He joined the AWM Placement Scheme in June 2016. Under the AWM study programme for the CII exams, Matthew passed all six exams leading to the diploma in less than 10 months.

Mark Insley, Ascot’s managing director, said: “We are delighted that Matthew Fagan has managed such an incredible achievement of having passed the diploma exams whilst on our scheme.

“It is a credit to Matthew’s hard work and commitment both to the job and his personal progression that he has been able to achieve such a feat. It’s great news for him and great news for the company. We strongly hope that after his degree he will come back to be a financial adviser and have a successful career with us.”