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IFM raises Atlas Arteria's bid, urges shareholders to accept
|IFM Investors has raised its bid for Atlas Arteria to its maximum consideration of $5.10 per security, calling it the best and final offer in the absence of a competitive offer.
ASIC secures record $300m penalty over 'egregious' CFD misconduct
|The Federal Court has imposed record penalties totalling more than $300 million against collapsed contracts for difference (CFD) issuer Union Standard International Group and two of its former authorised representatives.
ASX to pay $23m, admits misrepresentation over CHESS replacement
|ASX has admitted that it misled and exposed market participants to financial risk in an announcement related to the delivery of the CHESS replacement project in early 2022, despite realising the delay would occur as early as 21 December 2021.
ACCC approves Magellan, Barrenjoey merger
|The ACCC has greenlit the merger between Magellan Financial Group and Barrenjoey Capital Partners.
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Featured Profile

Brian Redican
CHIEF ECONOMIST
NEW SOUTH WALES TREASURY CORPORATION
NEW SOUTH WALES TREASURY CORPORATION
What makes an economist an economist? TCorp chief economist Brian Redican reflects on over three decades of navigating Australia's economic cycles. Riddhima Talwani writes.







Was anybody else surprised when they found out that the CFP is a designation and not a qualification? Since one has to study quite hard for it I am not sure about the distinction. I also never before heard that the CFP was not a qualification - I may have missed it but I never saw such a disclaimer before and I have been an FPA member for a while. Does anybody have any insights about this?
One pointer to the CFP not being a qualification is that a lot of people were grandfathered into it who only had a diploma of financial planning. It is one reason I only ever did CFP 1 (out of CFP 1-4) (to gain the life risk specialist - I presume - designation and not qualification?).
How is the CFP already at a Masters level?
Masters degrees are at Australian Qualifications Framework Level 9.
Graduate Certificates and Graduate Diplomas are at Australian Qualifications Framework Level 8.
The Certified Financial Planner is not even awarded as a Graduate Certificate. Hence its not even AQF Level 8. If it was why wouldn't the Financial Planning Association have got it formally recognised as a Graduate Certificate?
The Chartered Accountants Program is only 5 subjects and is awarded as a Graduate Diploma. Hence all the talk of designations versus qualifications is rather confusing. It's not clear at all why the Certified Financial Planner can't be awarded as a Graduate Certificate at least. With the certifications its effectively 5 subjects or at least 4 subjects (CFP1-4).