How to become an independent financial adviser

Becoming a financial adviser is not just about managing money. Building trust and managing good relationships is as important. Money skills are crucial but people skills are equally so.

Once you have a client and they feel comfortable with you, your customer base often grows organically by recommendation via friends, family and colleagues.

Become an independent financial adviser

Qualifications

Legal & Medical would like you to have a Diploma in Financial Services (level 4), and there are various ways you can achieve this qualification:

These first two routes have grown in popularity in recent years.

  • Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning at level 4 – offered by the Chartered Insurance Institute.
  • Diploma for Financial Advisers (DiPFA) at level 4 – offered by The London Institute of Banking & Finance
  • Investment Advice Diploma at level 4 – offered by the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment

Although optional, increasingly financial advisers are going a step further and working to become chartered. We have many chartered IFAs at Legal & Medical and expect to see that number grow over the coming years.

Your experience

As a specialist firm, we would like our advisers to have a strong knowledge of working with medical and dental professionals. A good knowledge of the NHS pension scheme would be beneficial.

Your values

As we work mainly with the medical sector providing specialised financial advice to doctors and dentists, and these people are professionals in their field, a reliable, professional and approachable person is fundamental for our business. Our advisers should have an excellent knowledge of financial products and services and intend to keep them relevant to our specialist market.

Your goal

In recent years, Legal & Medical have gone from strength to strength. We are seeking advisers who want to grow with us on our journey – people who are looking for a long term relationship with an established financial advisory company.

What we offer

Our values

Longevity of our client/adviser relationship is at the heart of providing the best possible service. One that’s centred around our clients’ best interests; this belief is reflected in our very low turnover in staff.

Our culture

We provide an environment where you can run your own business with the necessary support to make you successful.

The potential

There is potential for the right adviser to become an owner in the business.

My Journey…

“I’ve been working with medical and dental professionals since I joined financial services in 2016, delivering financial educational talks including; covering the NHS pension scheme to many delegates. I’ve found that having confidence in public speaking and networking can be very helpful, especially at the start of my career. I qualified as a financial advisor in late 2018.

One of my core values is to always treat each client as an individual, as no two meetings are the same and no two clients are the same. I joined Legal & Medical as I wanted to offer my clients the best service with no restrictions on providers or services so I can always act wholly in my clients’ best interest.

Working at a company where we are all genuinely independent, where we specialise in providing medics and dentists with bespoke financial advice, is where I want to be. A company where I get support and can add value. Clients in my previous employment always spoke positively of Legal & Medical. This encouraged me to contact Richard Major, the Managing Director. When I found his email address on the company website, I told him that I believed I could add something to the company and that we would work well together.

Personally, I want to work for a company that will grow with my career and always remain at a high standard for my clients. Stability, with a reliable and adaptive employer, will help ensure that I can continue to provide positive financial outcomes for my clients in the long term”.

Do you have what it takes to become a financial adviser? We are always interested in hearing from talented individuals, do send a covering letter and your c.v. to Richard Major.

This article was written by Harry Pym

Harry Pym is an independent financial adviser at Legal & Medical Investments providing investment and mortgage advice to doctors and dentists in the south west. He holds the Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning (DipPFS), alongside the Certificate in Mortgage Advice Cert CII (MP) and a Bachelors in Law.

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