Editor's Choice
ASIC sues First Guardian-linked auditors
ASIC has commenced proceedings against Auditeo Australia and two auditors for their involvement in the First Guardian Master Fund failure.
Acclime acquires Melbourne's Polar 993
Acclime, a provider of corporate, governance, advisory and fund services across Asia Pacific and global markets, has signed an agreement to acquire the independent trustee and fund administration business from Melbourne.
Platforms are not solution providers: AZ NGA
AZ NGA group chief executive Paul Barrett warned platforms should stay in their lane rather than overstep to improve financial adviser productivity, reiterating that it is the advice business' responsibility to do so.
Nesta pulls $247m mandate from Northern Trust over climate stance
UK research and innovation foundation Nesta Trust has transferred £120 million ($247m) of assets from Northern Trust Asset Management to Amundi after the US manager withdrew from major global climate initiatives, highlighting the growing commercial consequences of fund managers stepping back from climate ...
Further Reading
Products
Featured Profile

Hugh Killen
MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURAL COMPANY LIMITED
AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURAL COMPANY LIMITED
For Hugh Killen, several life lessons came from spending time on pastoral properties stretching across northern New South Wales and South-West Queensland.







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).