CeFA or CII Cert in financial planning?

Leezo_2

Hi all

I’ve decided to change direction in my career and I’m looking to study for a professional qualification that will help me gain employment in the financial sector with a view to becoming an IFA in the future.

I was thinking about studying for IFS CeFA or CII Certificate in Financial Planning.

Can anyone tell me if this is the best place to start?

If so, which course should I do?

Aegis

dunstonh is an Independent Financial Adviser in the Savings and Investments part of this forum. His thoughts on this seem to be that taking CertFP is a generally better option than CeFA because it is more common and perhaps better thought of than CeFA. Also because it leads on naturally to the Diploma and Advanced Diploma awards.

I went down the other route and did CeFA, partly because the employer I wanted a job with at the time used CeFA as its basic qualification but mostly because it worked out cheaper to get more or less the same qualification. The price may have changed since then, so check first before being persuaded by that!

All in all, it's the same level of qualification and it's just the basic entry-level adviser award, so I wouldn't get too hung up on the differences to be honest. Just go with the one you prefer the look of!

Leezo_2

Thanks Aegis,
with the lack of response to this thread i did a little more digging and found that there is a lean towards the CII route, like you say because of the deploma.
I think that the way I'll go.