Financial Planning Mastery: Skills for Client Success

The next course starts on 13 April 2025 and is suitable for:

  • All financial advisers using cashflow with clients

    If you are advising clients using a cashflow tool, this will challenge your approach and help you become a better planner. It also provides actionable information to ensure your business processes are up to speed.

  • All in-house and outsourced paraplanners using cashflow tools

    If you are a paraplanner who creates financial plans for clients, this will enhance your planning skills and will improve your approach in client meetings. If will also help you ensure that the businesses you work with have sufficiently clear processes in place to support your role.

  • Anyone preparing for CFP™ Certification

    If you are embarking on the CFP pathway with CISI, we recommend that you complete this course before starting the L7 case study. It will make you much better prepared for the L7 case study assessment and make your life less stressful whilst working on your submission!

What does this course cover?

  1. 1

    • Before you start this course, please answer this survey

    • Welcome to the course

    • What is financial planning?

    • Why financial planning is so much more than cashflow planning

    • © CEG Worldwide and CEG Insights: Are You Helping Your Clients Live Their Best Lives?
  2. 2

    • Critical thinking: How it can help you

    • Train your brain to think critically

    • Why critical thinking is so important when creating financial plans for clients

    • Developing your growth mindset

    • Quiz: Testing your understanding
  3. 3

    • Why your own behaviour matters in the client decision making process

    • The types of biases both you and clients can exhibit

    • Recognising your biases in the financial planning process and what to do about them

    • How understanding the psychology of money can help you give better advice

    • Diary of a CEO podcast:The Mindset Doctor - Professor Steve Peters

    • Assignment: Bringing awarenesses to your own behaviour (Expected time to complete = 30 mins)
  4. 4

    • Structuring client meetings

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    • Client meeting preparation: Dos and don'ts

    • During client meetings: The art of asking questions

    • Asking great client questions

    • Four pillars of great client questions for happier clients

    • During client meetings: Active listening techniques

    • Practical tips to improve your interactions with clients

    • After client meetings: Reflecting and seeking diverse perspectives

    • BitFamous - Penny Haslam's list of great questions

    • Assignment: What are you going to do differently? (Expected time to complete = 30 mins)

    • Book your 30-minute 1:2:1 session with Emotional Finance
  5. 5

    • Structuring financial plans for clients

    • Challenging your thinking: Structuring your financial planning offering

    • Avoiding the pitfalls of the FCA's Retirement Income Review report cashflow findings

    • The structure of financial plans

    • Creating the text of your financial plan

    • Quiz: Consolidating your understanding
  6. 6

    • The importance of assumptions in cashflow modelling

    • How economics impacts the assumptions you make in client cashflows

    • How to set the assumptions for your financial plan

    • How to set and reason your assumptions

    • The dangers of erring on the side of caution and what to do instead

    • Nominal and real rates of return

    • Documenting assumptions

    • Evaluating the assumptions and resulting cashflow outputs

    • Quiz: The implications of assumptions
  7. 7

    • Reflecting on your journey through this course

    • Assignment (Expected time = 20 mins) - Please bring the results to our group session

    • Resource library

    • Become a Certified Financial Planner - discount off a CFP course with us

    • Join our next live online group session here

    • End of course survey

Extra activities to help enhance your skills

  • Assignments and quizzes

    To quizzes to help reinforce your understanding and assignments to help with reflection. These are designed to support the development of your financial planning skills.

  • Supercharge your skills

    30-minute individual 1:2:1 skills session with Emotional Finance to help you further develop your relational skills with clients

  • Monthly live online group session

    To practice your newly honed skills in a supportive environment with fellow course attendees.

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FAQs

  • If I book this course, how to I get my discount off a CFP course?

    The discount code will appear on screen after checkout. Apply that code to any CFP Certification course booked with us before end of December 2025. All the courses are on the website and available to book now.

  • I have previously completed a CFP course with you. Can I get a discount off this course instead?

    Yes you can! Email us for a special discount code that applies until end December 2025.

  • How does the course work?

    It is 100% online. You have three months access to the course. There are a mixture of materials including videos, podcasts, interviews, documents to read along with assignments and quizzes. There is also a monthly group session. A 30-minute 1:2:1 skills coaching session with Emotional Finance is also included with this course (booked using the link in the course platform only).

  • Is this course eligible for CPD?

    Yes. It has 8 hours of structured CPD. You will automatically receive a CPD certificate once you have completed all the lessons.