Financial planner (FPE)  (Region Zürich):
4 Provider

A recent survey of those interested in the IAF financial planner training program shows which forms of teaching are currently most popular:

• A third of those surveyed would like face-to-face teaching in schools.
• A good quarter prefer hybrid lessons, i.e. a combination of face-to-face and online lessons.
• A quarter would like to have purely online lessons so that they can learn anywhere and at any time.
• The remaining share has no clear preference and decides flexibly depending on the offer or personal situation.

The proportion of those in favor of face-to-face teaching has decreased slightly over the last few years. At the same time, interest in hybrid teaching has risen slightly, while the desire for online teaching and the group with no clear preference have increased slightly.

This development indicates that participants in the IAF financial planner training program are increasingly placing value on flexible and combined forms of learning. Depending on personal learning styles and time constraints, face-to-face, hybrid or online teaching may therefore be the right choice.

Graduates of a financial planner training program with a federal certificate have the necessary expertise, particularly in the areas of asset accumulation, pension planning and retirement planning, to provide private households with comprehensive advice and support. Solid knowledge in the areas of taxes, law, insurance and real estate round off the competence profile.

Interest in a "Financial Planner (BP)" training course is triggered for various reasons. According to the training survey conducted by Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch, this happens equally often for the following three reasons:

• 80 % as the financial planner qualification with a federal certificate is mentioned in many job advertisements and is required for corresponding jobs.
• 17 % to compare further training with their own wishes and needs.
• 3 % showed interest in this further training in financial planning because it was recommended to them.

Various modules are examined in two stages for the Federal Certificate in Financial Planning IAF. These cover all the central topics of modern finance and pensions and form the basis for holistic financial advice.

• Level 1 - Basic modules
  In the first stage, the most important specialist areas of financial planning are taught and examined:
  • Capital formation
  • Pension provision (personal and social insurance)
  • Insurance (property and asset insurance)
  • Real estate and financing
  • Law
  • Taxes
• Level 2 - In-depth and integration modules
  The second level builds on the basic knowledge and focuses on practice-oriented application:
  • Advanced pension provision and assets
  • Integrated financial planning for private households

The examinations test whether prospective IAF financial planners have comprehensive specialist knowledge in the areas of investment, financing, pensions, insurance and tax planning. The ability to analyze and plan complex client situations holistically is also assessed.

Note:
The modules and exam content are based on the official specifications of the Interest Group for Training in Finance (IAF). Careful preparation for all modules - ideally via a recognized course provider - is crucial to successfully passing the final exam.

Graduates of the specialist certificate in financial planning are eligible to attend the SME financial expert course with a federal diploma.

As a financial planner IAF with a federal certificate, you can provide private individuals with comprehensive financial advice and support throughout the entire life cycle up to retirement as part of private financial planning. This means creating a financial plan for:

• Build-up planning (financial planning build-up) - personal financial plan or strategic financial planning
• Financial plan for house purchase
• Pension planning

Those preparing for the IAF Financial Planner training learn most effectively when their own learning strategy matches their personal learning type. An internal survey of interested parties on this training platform has shown that participants can be divided into four main groups:

• Visual learning types (32 %)
  The best way to learn is by seeing and observing. Graphics, charts, learning videos or color flashcards help to understand complex financial relationships.
• Motor or kinaesthetic learning types (34%)
  Understand content most quickly by trying it out in practice. Exercises, case studies, calculation examples or playing through real customer situations provide optimal support for this type of learner.
• Communicative learner types (25 %)
  Learning is most successful through exchange and discussion. Group discussions, learning groups or explaining content to others significantly promote understanding.
• Auditory learning types (9 %)
  The best way to memorize information is through active listening - for example during lessons, listening to podcasts or learning content read out loud.

Incidentally, most people are mixed types who benefit from a combination of different learning methods. If you know your preferred way of learning, you can optimize your preparation for the IAF Financial Planner exam in a targeted manner - be it through video lessons, group work, practical tasks or audio learning materials.

Tip:
Try out different learning methods during your training and observe which ones help you achieve the greatest learning success. Consciously adapting your learning strategy can anchor the material more sustainably and make exam preparation much more efficient.

The topic of due diligence plays a central role in continuing education, further training for financial planners. Participants deal intensively with the legal, ethical and professional requirements associated with the responsible management of client data and asset matters.

The focus is on the following topics, among others:

• Trust is the foundation: financial planners gain deep insights into personal financial circumstances
• Handling customer dossiers requires the utmost confidentiality
• It is important to take responsibility for careful and discreet action
• Legal requirements and professional duties of care must be consistently observed
• Developments on the financial markets and in the economy should be monitored on an ongoing basis and included in the advisory process

These topics form the basis for a professional and responsible activity in the field of financial planning.

As each school has its own slightly different focus beyond the guidelines of the examination organization, it is advisable to clarify this directly with the respective education provider. A question can easily be forwarded to the desired school via the contact form.

Financial planners with a federal certificate carry out the following activities:

• create an individual financial plan for those seeking advice based on a current life event (marriage, divorce, early retirement and real estate financing)
• Analyze the client's financial situation (income, expenses, assets, debts, taxes and life risks)
• Find out the customer's personal objectives, needs and problems
• show different products such as funds, life insurance, property and asset insurance or mortgages
• point out risks when buying a home and recommend additional protective measures
• present complex issues in an understandable way using graphics as a basis for finding solutions
• Achieve sales deals
• Clarify opportunities to create new assets and invest if interested
• More targeted organization of capital-forming and existing assets as well as pension provision - use for income generation and life risk cover
• check the flexibility of financial investments, their return, risk and liquidity
• Clarify the customer's disposal wishes
• Optimizing the tax and legal situation and determining the economic, ecological and social sustainability of financial investments
• Close cooperation with tax, insurance and legal experts

We have clarified this question about the financial planner course for you. According to a survey conducted by the education platform Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch, the reasons given by participants varied:

• 44 % read an online review
• 36 % already knew the school/s
• 20 % received a recommendation from a school for further training to become a financial planner

Further impacts are provided to us via text responses: "curiosity", "proximity to school" and "through job offer".

The admission requirements for the Financial Planner continuing education, further training with Federal Professional Examination are:

• Certificate of a vocational apprenticeship of at least three years' duration or an equivalent qualification and at least two years' professional experience in the financial services sector.

or

• Successful completion of two years of basic training and five years of professional experience, at least two of which must be in the financial services sector.

or

• At least five years of professional experience in the financial services sector.

and

• Proof of the following module qualifications or confirmation of equivalence as a financial planner up to 30 days before the start of the examination: asset formation, pension provision (personal and social insurance), insurance (property and asset insurance), real estate / financing. The module qualifications must not be older than 32 months.

The professional practice must be completed during the financial planner continuing education, further training until the start of the financial planner examination. The SFBI decides on the equivalence of foreign certificates and diplomas.

The professional examination for financial planners with a federal certificate is suitable for employees from the financial services sector. The certificate qualifies them as specialists in comprehensive advice and support for private households in all insurance and financing matters.