The Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI) has called upon financial planners to sign up to this year’s Financial Planning Week.
The annual campaign, which allows consumers across the UK to see a financial planner for a free session, will run from the 11-17th October.
CISI is encouraging financial planners throughout England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands to join the campaign to highlight the benefits of financial planning. As part of the campaign, financial planners can offer one-hour complimentary surgeries via video call, over the phone or in person and take part in “Ask a Planner” online with written responses to individual queries.
In addition, CISI is encouraging participants to connect with local radio stations and local schools to share the merits of financial planning.
Sally Plant, head of financial planning at CISI, said: “Financial Planning Week is the opportunity to empower so many to build their confidence to take control of their financial goals and dreams by making all-important financial decisions, big and small.
“It highlights to consumers the importance of identifying qualified financial planners through not-for-profit, professional body directories, thereby obtaining fair and professional financial guidance.
“Our financial planning community including our Certified Financial Planners are best placed to share their expertise to support the public in doing so. By offering free personal financial planning sessions, the community will be helping people of all ages and incomes to put plans in place for their future.
“Our planners’ are committed to giving their pro bono guidance to all consumers to help convey the true positive benefits of having a financial plan.”
Amyr Rocha-Lima, chair of CISI Financial Planning Forum, added: “The aim of the CISI’s Financial Planning Week is to promote the benefits of planning ahead financially in areas such as savings, retirement, protecting loved ones and setting money aside for a rainy day.
“Through this campaign we can genuinely help people by highlighting the simple steps they can take to build an emergency fund, to protect their assets in case of an early death or diagnosis of a critical illness, to fund a retirement that might last 30 years and to leave a tax-efficient legacy to their loved ones and the charitable causes they care about.
“These are the real things that real people really yearn to accomplish, and don’t know how. After all, we may not have the answers people want, for example, ‘what will the stock market do next?’ but, much more importantly, we do have the questions they need.”
