CISI says financial planning is for all consumers as practitioners sign up to offer free, professional advice sessions to UK public

A nationwide campaign has been launched to help improve the UK’s financial fitness by encouraging consumers to sign up for free financial advice sessions available as part of CISI Financial Planning Week 6^th June.

The free sessions, many of which are being offered by the CISI’s CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM  professionals, Chartered Wealth Managers and CISI Accredited Financial Planning Firms^TM , can be booked directly by visiting the CISI Wayfinder website  http://www.financialplanning.org.uk/wayfinder or by emailing those firms listed below.*

The free financial advice sessions are available for consumers in person, via Skype or over the phone. Thirty one financial planning firms throughout the UK have so far signed up to offer the free financial advice surgeries.

The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) is the not-for-profit, professional membership body whose members include financial planners, Chartered Wealth Managers, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM  professionals and Accredited Financial Planning Firms^TM. The free financial advice sessions are being offered as part of Financial Planning Week 6^th June to raise the UK public’s awareness of the benefits of financial planning for everyone – and not just the wealthy.

The week commencing 6 June represents a national initiative to bring financial planning to the consumer forefront. The drive will endeavour to unify CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM professionals, Chartered Wealth Managers, Accredited Financial Planning Firms^TM, financial planners, schools and industry media in a bid to improve the financial fitness of the British public. 

One of the aims of the event is to highlight the fact that financial planning is a very relationship-based process and the key is to help people organise their finances to achieve specific life goals.

“Our aim is to help the UK public draw up their own, personal, financial master plan, incorporating all of life’s milestones, whether that be preparing for retirement, buying a home, being newly-wed, or starting a business. This is something everyone can benefit from, not just the wealthy,” said Rebecca Taylor CFP^TM Chartered FCSI, CISI Board Director and Managing Director of Aurea Financial Planning.

Financial planning firms across the UK will be offering:

• Free consultation surgeries, either in person, via Skype or over the phone.
• ‘Ask a Planner’ online sessions, enabling consumers to put their financial planning queries to advisers anonymously and receive a response within 48 hours
• Talks to schools across the country about financial literacy and the merits of the financial planning profession

The week also gets the support of the financial planning industry media which, alongside financial planning firms, will be relaying polls, quizzes and surveys highlighting consumer themes and money management issues.

Consumers can access their free sessions online http://www.financialplanning.org.uk/wayfinder , review tips and tools and learn more about how true financial planning can be a life changing experience. 

Ms Taylor said: “The CISI and the financial planning community are very much focused on promoting the value of financial planning. People are starting to understand what financial planning is all about and are asking for an overall plan, not just for someone to have a look at their investments. The CISI will hold Financial Planning Week, commencing 6 June – a national initiative to show that financial planning and money management is not just reserved for the wealthy and is a practice everyone can benefit from.”

Those firms which have offered their commitment to date are below, with more financial planning surgeries being added every day. Consumers are being urged to email fpweek@cisi.org if there are not surgeries shown in their area.