• A Personal Message from Catriona
• Featured Article : Look Around You
• Out Now : CF3 Audio Masterclasses
• What's Around the Corner?
  Audio Classes, Calculation Workbooks & Distance Learning Programs
• Exam Update
• We Recommend...
• Quote of the Month

Firstly I’d like to say a big THANK YOU to all of you who responded to our distance learning survey last month. You have given us a very good feel for what you need to help you pass your exams first time. We’re now working on a development plan to meet your exact needs and we hope to launch some new distance learning programs in the not too distant future.

This month is an exciting one for us as we are now the sponsor of two exam forums. These are great places to “meet up” and discuss exam issues and we have pin-pointed these two forums as being the best at meeting your needs.

Firstly, we’re sponsoring the exam forums on IFA Life - the acclaimed social networking website for financial planners and IFAs. Financial advisers use the site to network, share best practice, debate industry issues, read news and find events, get marketing tips and to provide help and support to one another. Thousands of IFAs have already signed up - join us at http://www.ifalife.com/Exams

Secondly, we’ve teamed up with The Paraplanner to provide help and assistance to their readers who are sitting exams. Paraplanners have risen in prominence and numbers in recent years as more advisers have come to recognise the value and skills a paraplanner can bring to their business. The Paraplanner has been designed and developed with the aim of being the primary source of information and comment for paraplanners. You can view the forum at http://www.theparaplanner.com/forum/

Why don’t you visit the most relevant forum to you now, and get posting!

Your comments and ideas are also always welcome via email. Please do email me at Catriona@BrandFT.co.uk

Did you know you can now follow us on twitter? Find out what we’re up to and how we can help you pass first time! http://www.twitter.com/catrionabrand

Catriona.

If you have any questions or comments, or any suggestions as to what can be included in this newsletter to help you maximise your potential and pass first time, please contact me directly at Catriona@BrandFT.co.uk  I would love to hear from you.

Look Around You

This article is relevant to anybody who wants to further their career in the financial services industry, whether you are at Certificate Level or Diploma Level.

On a recent posting to an exam forum I asked what readers would like to see in a distance learning program. There was an interesting response from one reader who stated that there is already a training company providing distance learning programs, so there is no need for us to do the same.

This was a pretty amazing response as it demonstrated the fact that some people believe that any one learning resource is much the same as another. This is certainly not true. This is like saying that every political party is much the same as another. If that were true, our country would be living in harmony with all our politicians agreeing on every issue.

There are other training companies out there, and I think we all bring a good mix to the marketplace. But it would be unwise to think that what Company X provides is the same as Company Y. Learning resources come in many different shapes and forms. Let’s take a distance learning program for example. Some providers may put together a powerpoint presentation which they email you and call a ‘distance learning program’. Others may put together a very slick and very expensive DVD which they call a ‘distance learning program’. Yet another may put together an interactive video and call that a ‘distance learning program’. They all have the same label, but they are all very different.

In the same vein, a lot of people are now asking what the differences are between the CII Diploma in Financial Planning and the IFS Diploma. Same name, but very different. I won’t go into the intricacies here, but the CII’s method of tackling a Diploma qualification and the IFS’s methods are very very different. The important point being is that some methods suit some people, and different methods suit a different type of person. They have the same name, but the process and method of gaining the qualification are very different.

It’s important when studying for your exams that you step back and take a look around you. What is out there to help you? What is behind a name? Are any of your colleagues studying for the same exam? Can you form a study group? Is your boss interested in helping you out? What learning resources are available? Does your company provide any? Will your company pay for your resources or will you have to pay yourself? Who can you turn to if you’re really stuck? Where can you find out how to do an income tax calculation? Who can you bash about the head with the study text?... Look around you and pin-point all possible sources of help and information. Struggling with investment trusts? Go to google and type in ‘investment trusts’ and see what comes up. It’s amazing what useful information is out there if you spend a few minutes looking for it.

Don’t just rely on your CII study text. If you do I can guarantee that you’ll a) die of boredom, b) sleep a lot, c) lose the will to live. Find out what’s out there and make the most of it.

You can make a start by ensuring you have all of the free learning resources that Brand Financial Training provides. Simply visit http://www.brandft.co.uk and use the menu to navigate to the exam you are taking.

“Maximise Your Potential” is a fre-e monthly newsletter from Brand Financial Training.  It is for individuals studying for the CII's Certificate and Diploma level exams, in financial services and general insurance, who want to be kept up-to-date and discover how to get motivated and pass first time.

Sign up now for your FREE copy at www.BrandFT.co.uk

Audio Masterclasses – CF3

Now available are five separate audio masterclasses covering important elements of the CF3 exam syllabus. A great way to vary your study methods, make studying more interesting, and increase knowledge, understanding and information retention. You can listen on your PC, transfer to your MP3 Player or iPod, or burn onto a CD.

Topics include types of life policy, processes of life policy administration, trusts and wills, health insurance and general protection insurance.

You can find out more and download a FREE SAMPLE at http://www.brandft.co.uk/cf/cf3mclass.asp

Audio Classes – CF4

The finishing touches are being put in place. Look out in your inbox for an email when they are available.

Calculation Workbooks – CF3 and CF4

We’re going to start work on these very shortly, thanks to many of you requesting that we produce them. We listened! Watch this space!

Distance Learning Programs

Due to the very positive response to last month’s survey, we are now putting together a development plan for distance learning programs for a variety of CII exams. We can’t give you a date for completion, but we will of course let you know as things progress.