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Apprenticeship training course

Paraplanner and financial planner (level 4)

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Information about Paraplanner and financial planner (level 4)

Find solutions to help clients achieve their financial goals

Knowledge, skills and behaviours
View knowledge, skills and behaviours

Knowledge

  • The role of the financial planner, paraplanner and other supporting roles, for example administrator, compliance officer.
  • The structure of the financial services market, including product providers, technology providers and support services.
  • The ethics and key principles of the advice process, and different client propositions and advice models, including independent, restricted and non-advised.
  • Responsible and sustainable investment solutions.
  • The financial services regulatory framework and its application in the advice process.
  • Systems and controls to protect the client and the firm, including internal licencing, and service and quality assurance standards.
  • Regulated advice standards, methods for building and maintaining client relationships, and the paraplanner or financial planner’s responsibilities in terms of these.
  • Methods of researching and analysing financial products and solutions in the UK market, including the intended target market, features and benefits, risks and disadvantages, and suitability for individual clients.
  • The significance and importance of Knowing Your Client (KYC), including establishing personal and financial circumstances, level of financial knowledge and experience, and potential vulnerabilities.
  • How to establish and prioritise a client’s financial needs and objectives.
  • Methods and approaches to assess a client’s knowledge and understanding of investments, attitude to investment risk, capacity for loss, and understanding of their vulnerabilities in relation to their needs and objectives.
  • Principles of data analysis, data security, and cyber security to support collation, analysis, and compliant handling of data, the implications of non-compliance, and the importance of working safely online in a financial planning or paraplanning context.
  • Purpose, scope and limitations of any in-house or third-party tools used within the financial planning process, and how emerging digital tools could impact the advice process in the future, for example attitude to risk questionnaires, cash flow modelling tools, cost comparison tools, digital tools, AI tools and digital visualisation tools.
  • Communication techniques, methods and strategies and the importance of adapting communication style to facilitate understanding for financial and non-financial stakeholders
  • How to analyse performance data and metrics effectively using qualitative and quantitative methods.
  • Principles and policies of equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and their impact on the organisation and their customers.
  • Financial Planner – The requirements and practical implications of the Statements of Principle for Approved Persons (APER) and the Fit and Proper Test for Approved Persons (FIT).
  • Financial Planner – Approaches to structuring client meetings, handling objections, and providing the required regulatory disclosures.
  • Financial Planner – Strategies to establish a client’s views on responsible and sustainable investing, and the impact this may have on available solutions and outcomes.
  • Financial Planner – Methods for training, competence, and continued professional development activities for becoming and remaining a regulated adviser.
  • Paraplanner – Methods and approaches used to create personalised client-facing documents tailored appropriately to the audience and in line with regulatory and firm standards.
  • Paraplanner – How to review and validate the methodology and conclusions drawn from research and analysis.
  • The role of the financial planner, paraplanner and other supporting roles, for example administrator, compliance officer.
  • The structure of the financial services market, including product providers, technology providers and support services.
  • The ethics and key principles of the advice process, and different client propositions and advice models, including independent, restricted and non-advised.
  • Responsible and sustainable investment solutions.
  • The financial services regulatory framework and its application in the advice process.
  • Systems and controls to protect the client and the firm, including internal licencing, and service and quality assurance standards.
  • Regulated advice standards, methods for building and maintaining client relationships, and the paraplanner or financial planner’s responsibilities in terms of these.
  • Methods of researching and analysing financial products and solutions in the UK market, including the intended target market, features and benefits, risks and disadvantages, and suitability for individual clients.
  • The significance and importance of Knowing Your Client (KYC), including establishing personal and financial circumstances, level of financial knowledge and experience, and potential vulnerabilities.
  • How to establish and prioritise a client’s financial needs and objectives.
  • Methods and approaches to assess a client’s knowledge and understanding of investments, attitude to investment risk, capacity for loss, and understanding of their vulnerabilities in relation to their needs and objectives.
  • Principles of data analysis, data security, and cyber security to support collation, analysis, and compliant handling of data, the implications of non-compliance, and the importance of working safely online in a financial planning or paraplanning context.
  • Purpose, scope and limitations of any in-house or third-party tools used within the financial planning process, and how emerging digital tools could impact the advice process in the future, for example attitude to risk questionnaires, cash flow modelling tools, cost comparison tools, digital tools, AI tools and digital visualisation tools.
  • Communication techniques, methods and strategies and the importance of adapting communication style to facilitate understanding for financial and non-financial stakeholders
  • How to analyse performance data and metrics effectively using qualitative and quantitative methods.
  • Principles and policies of equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and their impact on the organisation and their customers.
  • Financial Planner – The requirements and practical implications of the Statements of Principle for Approved Persons (APER) and the Fit and Proper Test for Approved Persons (FIT).
  • Financial Planner – Approaches to structuring client meetings, handling objections, and providing the required regulatory disclosures.
  • Financial Planner – Strategies to establish a client’s views on responsible and sustainable investing, and the impact this may have on available solutions and outcomes.
  • Financial Planner – Methods for training, competence, and continued professional development activities for becoming and remaining a regulated adviser.

Skills

  • Use software packages and digital tools to deliver financial advice or paraplanning services in line with cyber and data security requirements, using data securely and safely.
  • Provide services to clients in line with the business proposition, adhering to Consumer Duty and Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) principles.
  • Prepare financial recommendations in accordance with risk, regulatory, and governance requirements.
  • Comply with service and quality assurance standards for the business, for example complaints procedures and productivity.
  • Communicate with clients and colleagues using methods appropriate for the intended audience, including verbal, written, digital, and virtual.
  • Interpret and communicate financial and business information in a way that facilitates understanding for the intended audience, for example finance and non-finance stakeholders.
  • Build and maintain collaborative, professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders to deliver advisory tasks and achieve successful customer outcomes.
  • Plan and prioritise work to support positive outcomes for both the customer and the firm.
  • Provide individual advice relevant to clients in line with regulatory requirements.
  • Use feedback to reflect on own practice and identify opportunities for continuous professional development (CPD).
  • Financial Planner – Conduct KYC activities to fact-find relevant information and establish clients’ financial needs and objectives, including identifying when and where clients may be experiencing vulnerabilities.
  • Financial Planner – Establish overall risk profiles for clients through an understanding of the clients’ financial knowledge and experience, attitude to investment risk, capacity for loss, and understanding of their vulnerabilities.
  • Financial Planner – Identify, prioritise, and address clients’ needs in line with regulatory requirements.
  • Financial Planner – Deliver advice solutions that support clients in achieving their financial objectives.
  • Financial Planner – Collaborate with customers to create new opportunities for business growth, for example through referrals and networking.
  • Financial Planner – Establish clients’ views on responsible and sustainable investing and the impact this may have on available solutions and outcomes.
  • Paraplanner – Analyse clients’ current circumstances and research appropriate solutions to meet their needs, objectives, and attitudes to risk.
  • Paraplanner – Provide financial planning support to colleagues using appropriate market knowledge and available software and research tools.
  • Paraplanner – Conduct technical product and fund analysis.
  • Paraplanner – Create personalised client-facing financial planning reports that are tailored appropriately to the audience and in line with regulatory and firm standards.
  • Paraplanner – Securely maintain client files with evidence of any research and analysis undertaken.
  • Use software packages and digital tools to deliver financial advice or paraplanning services in line with cyber and data security requirements, using data securely and safely.
  • Provide services to clients in line with the business proposition, adhering to Consumer Duty and Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) principles.
  • Prepare financial recommendations in accordance with risk, regulatory, and governance requirements.
  • Comply with service and quality assurance standards for the business, for example complaints procedures and productivity.
  • Communicate with clients and colleagues using methods appropriate for the intended audience, including verbal, written, digital, and virtual.
  • Interpret and communicate financial and business information in a way that facilitates understanding for the intended audience, for example finance and non-finance stakeholders.
  • Build and maintain collaborative, professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders to deliver advisory tasks and achieve successful customer outcomes.
  • Plan and prioritise work to support positive outcomes for both the customer and the firm.
  • Provide individual advice relevant to clients in line with regulatory requirements.
  • Use feedback to reflect on own practice and identify opportunities for continuous professional development (CPD).
  • Financial Planner – Conduct KYC activities to fact-find relevant information and establish clients’ financial needs and objectives, including identifying when and where clients may be experiencing vulnerabilities.
  • Financial Planner – Establish overall risk profiles for clients through an understanding of the clients’ financial knowledge and experience, attitude to investment risk, capacity for loss, and understanding of their vulnerabilities.
  • Financial Planner – Identify, prioritise, and address clients’ needs in line with regulatory requirements.
  • Financial Planner – Deliver advice solutions that support clients in achieving their financial objectives.
  • Financial Planner – Collaborate with customers to create new opportunities for business growth, for example through referrals and networking.
  • Financial Planner – Establish clients’ views on responsible and sustainable investing and the impact this may have on available solutions and outcomes.

Behaviours

  • Acts professionally, ethically, and with integrity.
  • Seeks learning opportunities and continuous professional development (CPD) in line with industry requirements.
  • Works flexibly and adapts to changing circumstances, including overcoming challenges and responding to setbacks.
  • Takes personal responsibility for sustainable outcomes in how they carry out the duties of their role, with reference to environmental good practice.
  • Supports an inclusive culture and treats colleagues and external stakeholders fairly and with respect.
  • Acts professionally, ethically, and with integrity.
  • Seeks learning opportunities and continuous professional development (CPD) in line with industry requirements.
  • Works flexibly and adapts to changing circumstances, including overcoming challenges and responding to setbacks.
  • Takes personal responsibility for sustainable outcomes in how they carry out the duties of their role, with reference to environmental good practice.
  • Supports an inclusive culture and treats colleagues and external stakeholders fairly and with respect.
Apprenticeship category (sector)
Legal, finance and accounting
Qualification level
4
Equal to higher national certificate (HNC)
Course duration
24 months
Maximum funding
£13,000
Maximum government funding for
apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
Job titles include
  • Financial adviser
  • Financial planner
  • Independent financial adviser (ifa)
  • Paraplanner
  • Wealth manager
  • Wealth planner

View more information about Paraplanner and financial planner (level 4) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.