UK consumers offered free personal financial planning sessions worth up to £500 in CISI Financial Planning Week 3 -10 October #MakeDreamsHappen ​

By Lora Benson | Sep 05, 2018

UK consumers nationwide are being offered free personal financial planning sessions by CISI CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM  professionals, with the aim of giving everyone a helping hand to achieving financial wellbeing, resilience and life goal planning.

The free, one-hour, one-to-one, confidential sessions worth up to £500, are being offered by CFPTM professionals throughout the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland during CISI Financial Planning Week 3 – 10 October #MakeDreamsHappen

The annual campaign, organised by the-not-for profit professional body the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI), is a national initiative to help improve the financial fitness of the UK public, while highlighting the fact that CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM practitioners represent the pinnacle of professionalism for their knowledge, skills and integrity.

Consumers are being encouraged to think about the value of financial planning and to take up the offer of a free session with a local CFPTM via cisi.org/fpweek or by calling 020 7645 0708

With 52 financial planning firms already on board throughout the UK*, the aim is to shine the spotlight on financial planning, which differs to “financial advice” ie “financial planning” helps people to organise their money to achieve specific life goals, whereas “financial advice” focuses more on financial services products.

The free, one-hour money management sessions will offer a chance for members of the UK public to have a one-to-one meeting with a qualified CFPTM professional, who begin by working through an individual’s life goals and then helping plan how to achieve them. Financial planning firms will be offering:

  • Free consultation surgeries, either in person, via skype or over the phone
  • ‘Ask a Planner’ online sessions
  • Talks to schools across the country about the merits of the financial planning profession as a career

Financial planners are supremely qualified to offer financial guidance not only to pre or post retirees, but to all members of society at differing life stages including women, couples, families, families with adult children, students, young adults and families with caring responsibilities for those with special needs.

Jacqueline Lockie CFPTM, Chartered FCSI and CISI Head of Financial Planning said: “Our CFPTM members throughout the UK are ready to help everyone, no matter what their age or financial circumstances, during our Financial Planning Week 3 – 10 October. Financial planners can help people achieve their life goals, build financial confidence, combat anxiety and stress about money and deal with life’s challenges around day-to-day financial decisions.

“Whether you are part of the sandwich generation trying to manage work, children and parents simultaneously or a young or older person with debt worries our financial planners will aim to help all consumers navigate and improve their personal financial lives.

“Our aim is to encourage all UK consumers to stop and think about their own personal financial plan to take advantage of these free one-to-one confidential financial guidance sessions to plan for the life you want.”

Julie Lord CFPTM, Chartered FCSI, CFP and CEO of Magenta Financial Planning said: “I have worked with many people across the UK, from all walks of life. One person in particular comes to mind who worked in the City and who bought a coffee and a muffin every morning from a well-known American coffee shop. His lifetime cashflow forecast showed that if he had breakfast at home instead and saved his “coffee money,” he would be able to pay off his mortgage 5 years earlier, saving thousands of pounds! A good financial plan is key to making the most of your money.”

This year the start of CISI Financial Planning Week is also marked by World Financial Planning Day 3 October, organised by the Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd (FPSB) as a complement to the International Organisation of Securities Commission’s World Investor Week (WIW), a global campaign to raise awareness of the importance of investor education and protection and will encourage 175,500 CFP professionals worldwide to join together to help.

CISI financial planning firms participating in Financial Planning Week 2018 are:

Hannay Robertson Financial Planning

Broadway Financial Planning

Real Life Financial Planning

Affluent Financial Planning Ltd

Cansdales Ltd

Wells Gibson Limited

Mackenzie Financial Planning

Balance: Wealth Planning Limited

JL Wealth Consultancy

GEM & Co

Cervello Financial Planning

Westminster Wealth LLP

Ian King Financial Planning Ltd

Ashlea Financial Planning

Stafford Wealth Management

Pavis

Appleton Gerrard

Acumen Financial Planning

Citywide Financial Partners

Smart Financial

Swallow Financial Planning

Satis Asset Management

Berry & Oak

Fiscal Engineers Ltd

AKFP Group

Magenta Financial Planning

Consilia Wealth Management

Almus Wealth Management

Go IFA

Serenity Financial Planning

Worldwide Financial Planning

Metcalf Wealth Managers

1st Chartered Financial Planning

1825 Financial Planning

Independent Benefit Consultancy

EC Financial Services

Santorini Financial Planning

Close Brothers Asset Management

Green Lane Financial Planning

Ellis Davies Financial Planning

UNIQ Family Wealth

Carrington Investment Consultants Limited

Tucana Financial Planning

Lothbury Pendil

NorthStar Wealth Management Group

Lehmann Financial Management

Lloyd & Whyte

Mazars

Fiducia Wealth Management

Questa Chartered

Succession Wealth

Carbon Financial Partners