Financial planner with federal certificate: overview of schools, tests, success stories, tips

A survey of prospective students revealed the following result for the currently desired form of teaching for the Financial Planner IAF training course:

• One third would like face-to-face teaching at the schools
• A good quarter would like hybrid teaching (face-to-face and online teaching combined)
• A quarter prefer online-only lessons
• the rest have no clear preference

Compared to the previous year, face-to-face teaching has lost five percent of its popularity for IAF financial planner training. Meanwhile, the desire for hybrid teaching has risen by three percent. The proportion of votes for online teaching and no preference each increased by one percent.

The following modules are examined for the financial planner certificate:

• Level 1:
  • Capital formation
  • Pension provision (personal and social insurance)
  • Insurance (property and asset insurance)
  • Real estate/financing
  • Law
  • Taxes
• Level 2:
  • Advanced pension provision and assets
  • Integrated financial planning for private households

IAF financial planners must have comprehensive specialist knowledge in the financial sector, in particular of standard market investment, credit, pension and insurance instruments.

Die Zulassungsbedingungen für die Finanzplaner Weiterbildung mit Berufsprüfung sind:

• Fähigkeitszeugnis einer mindestens dreijährigen Lehre oder gleichwertiger Ausweis und mindestens zwei Jahre Berufspraxis im Bereich der Finanzdienstleistung.

oder

• Erfolgreicher Abschluss einer zweijährigen Grundbildung und fünf Jahre Berufspraxis, davon mindestens zwei Jahre im Bereich der Finanzdienstleistung.

oder

• Mindestens fünf Jahre Berufspraxis im Bereich der Finanzdienstleistung.

und

• Nachweis der folgenden Modulabschlüsse oder Gleichwertigkeitsbestätigung als Finanzplaner / Finanzplanerin bis 30 Tage vor Prüfungsbeginn: Vermögensbildung, Vorsorge (Personen und Sozialversicherungen), Versicherungen (Sach- und Vermögensversicherungen), Immobilien / Finanzierung. Die Modulabschlüsse dürfen nicht älter als 32 Monate sein.

Die Berufspraxis muss während der Finanzplaner Weiterbildung bis zum Beginn der Finanzplaner-Prüfung erbracht werden. Das BBT entscheidet über die Gleichwertigkeit von ausländischen Ausweisen und Diplomen.

According to a survey of those interested in IAF financial planner training on this educational platform, the following distribution of learning types emerged:

• One third are visual learners, who learn most easily by seeing (graphics, videos or pictures)
• One third are motor learning types, who learn fastest by doing (learning by doing)
• A quarter are communicative learners who learn best through conversation or discussion
• The rest are auditory learners who learn fastest through active listening (audio listening, listening in class and reading aloud)

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

Absolventen / Absolventinnen einer Finanzplanerin / Finanzplaner Ausbildung mit eidgenössischem Fachausweisverfügen über die notwendige Fachkompetenz, insbesondere rund um die Thematik der Vermögensbildung, der Vorsorgeplanung und der Aufbau- und Pensionsplanung, um private Haushalte umfassend zu beraten und zu betreuen. Solide Kenntnisse in den Bereichen Steuern, Recht, Versicherungen und Immobilien runden das Kompetenzprofil ab.

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.

In a financial planner training course, you learn the following about due diligence:

• it takes a great deal of trust on the part of the client to give the financial planner access to their assets
• Customer dossiers are confidential data
• bears great responsibility with regard to diligence and confidentiality
• must exercise due diligence and comply with legal regulations
• should observe the interaction and dynamics of financial markets and economic processes in the media and in the specialist press

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

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.

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".

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