Practitioner of Financial Planning (PoFP®)

You must first submit a file for us to review. We don't mind what kind of business you completed, but it must be a case involving investment - so no non-investment insurance or mortgage advice. However, pensions, investment bonds, ISAs, and GIAs are all in.

You may submit the case to us by e-mail, or another appropriate method such as WeTransfer - Send Large Files & Share Photos Online - Up to 2GB Free

The files you need to submit (as a minimum) include:

• Fact-find
• Risk profiling assessment
• Research and analysis (where relevant)
• Key Features Illustrations (where relevant)
• Suitability report

However, you are free to submit as many files as you like for the case.

We will then review the file in full and complete a detailed written Feedback Report. This assesses your work broadly to SCQF Level 9 Practical Investment Planning standard. Your advice and wider file must be compliant, suitable, and professional.

• Compliant. We will provide detailed analysis and evaluate whether the file is compliant with the various FCA regulations, and whether there are any development points to raise.
• Suitable. We will provide detailed analysis and evaluate whether the advice is suitable, unclear, or unsuitable.
• Professional. We will provided detailed analysis and evaluate whether the file is well-constructed, with strong soft skills and written communication demonstrated.

We will then contact you within three weeks with the result of your file check to provide your Feedback Report and arrange the 1-2-1 Feedback and Coaching Session with you.

The 1-2-1 Feedback and Coaching Session allows us to provide more depth and context to our Feedback Report, and give you additional coaching to hone your soft and practical skills.

Yes.

2/3rds of your firm's Certified staff and Senior Managers must individually hold Practitioner status. For ARs, 2/3rds of the firm's Directory employees must individually hold Practitioner status.

The firm can then contact PFE to request their use of use the Practitioner and PoFP® logo on the firm's website, and with our approval, the firm may identify and brand itself as a Practitioner of Financial Planning firm. There's no additional cost for this.

Yes.

We reserve the right to deny or withdraw Practitioner status if at any time you fail to meet the requirements to hold the title. For example, if you don't pay our fee, you fail to submit your annual File Check, you fail to attend your Feedback and Coaching Session, or your CPD record is insufficient.

If your file review is of poor quality, we will provide your Feedback Report and Feedback and Coaching Session and may, at our discretion, request a further file to review sometime after this to confirm the required improvement has been made. If insufficient improvement is evident, we may decide to withdraw Practitioner status.

We also reserve the right to withdraw Practitioner status for breaches of the FCA's Conduct Rules.  COCON 2.1 Individual conduct rules - FCA Handbook 

We anticipate that withdrawal of Practitioner Status would be extremely rare. So please don't worry - we're here to help and support you, not make your life more difficult!

Yes.

You can cancel anytime without charge within the first 14 days of your subscription and receive a full refund of any monies paid by you for the service.

Thereafter, you can cancel anytime without charge. However, please note that Practitioner status is an annual contract. Therefore, your Practitioner status will expire on the following anniversary of the date you signed up.

If you sign up for £50 per month, and then cancel halfway through a year, you will need to pay the remainder of the full 12-month cost of the subscription. For example, if you cancelled after 7 months, you would need to pay the remaining 5 months x £50 = £250.