Professional Organisations
The Personal Finance Society (PFS) is the largest professional body for financial services in the UK with just over 24,000 members. The PFS is part of the Chartered Insurance Institute Group. The Chartered Insurance Institute has 90,000 members worldwide and is the awarding and examination body for the Financial Services industry. Members are required to comply with a Code of Ethics and Conduct and undertake a programme of Continuing Professional Development to ensure that their knowledge is up-to-date.
The Institute of Financial Planning (IFP) promotes professional standards in personal financial planning. An Associate member of the IFP must hold a combination of various qualifications including AFPC, hold the Diploma in Financial Planning (DipPFS) and at least 3 years relevant experience. As members we have to adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and undertake continuing education to stay current with developments in the financial planning profession.
Accord Consultancy Ltd is a specialist compliance consultancy firm offering practical support and services to firms who operate within the Financial Services Sector. As Independent Financial Advisers, Austen Birkett Financial Planning can literally choose from thousands of products across the whole of the financial market. We use Accord Consultancy, to support us with regulatory compliance, enabling us to focus on our service and advice to clients.
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is an independent non-governmental body, given statutory powers by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. It regulates the financial services industry in the UK. The FSA website lists information on all registered individuals and companies.