Richard Meats

The Diploma is the high-quality route to meet the standards required for providing financial advice. The programme is designed to reflect the role of an IFA, providing individuals with a thorough understanding and the practical skills to apply in practice.

This qualifications demonstrates a development of knowledge and understanding of the increasing complexities of financial planning in retirement and demonstrates the ability to support clients to achieve the retirement they want.

The unit analyses the different types of tax relating to individuals and trusts and the impact on investment strategies. It also explores the different trust classifications and evaluates which type is appropriate for different situations.

This qualification is a collaboration between STEP and CLT International (CLTI). This Certificate bridges the divide between solicitors and financial advisers, enabling those in financial services to work more effectively with other professionals.

The unit introduces knowledge and understanding of financial institutions to enable you to identify the different types of service that they provide. It explains the functions and importance of the main components of the monetary and financial system, enabling you to recognise and appreciate the influences on the financial institutions and markets including financial intermediation and disintermediation. It introduces the concept and nature of risk and factors to the advice process for financial advice and enables you to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the FCA’s approach to ethical and unethical behaviours and develop understanding of the Code of Ethics.

This qualification delivers a comprehensive introduction to the UK financial services and focuses on the environment, key components and interrelationships of the financial system, and legal concepts relevant to retail financial advice. It appears in the apprenticeship standards for the Financial Services Administrator and the Compliance / Risk Officer.