When choosing a financial planner, qualifications and experience matter. One of the most widely recognised marks of quality a firm can hold is the CII Corporate Chartered Financial Planners designation, often seen as the gold standard for financial planning businesses in the UK. 

It is easy to underestimate the time and effort involved in achieving and retaining Chartered status. Looking back over the six years since we first attained Chartered Firm status, it is fair to say that it takes real commitment, consistency and hard work. 

To qualify, at least 50% of a firm’s advisers must individually hold the Chartered Financial Planner title. Achieving that status requires a Level 6* professional qualification in financial planning, around 600 hours of study across multiple examinations, at least five years of relevant industry experience, and active membership of the professional body. 

At firm level, we also had to demonstrate that Greenstone had been trading for at least three years and had key policies and programmes in place, including a formal professional development programme, a clear statement of values, and a diversity and inclusion policy aligned with the CII Code of Ethics. 

Achieving Chartered status is one thing; keeping it is another. We are required to renew our status every year and confirm that we continue to meet the required standards. Our advisers must also complete at least 35 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) annually. 

It shows that we have made a clear and public commitment to professional standards, ethical practice and high-quality service. 

We strongly believe that financial planning should be recognised as a profession, not simply an industry. Over the past 30 years since I joined the profession (ouch!), it has changed significantly. Many advisers have embraced that change and continued to raise standards, with a stronger focus on professionalism, long-term advice and doing the right thing for clients. 

More firms are now championing financial planning that starts with the individual: your goals, your needs and your aspirations, rather than trying to fit you around a product sale. 

Changing public perception takes time, particularly in a sector often viewed as overly sales-orientated and with its fair share of scandals. However, that perception is evolving. With fewer than 1,000 firms across the UK holding this status, it places Greenstone Financial Planning among a select group committed to the highest professional standards. 

In short, as a CII Chartered firm, we are not only qualified; we are committed to maintaining the highest standards for the benefit of all our clients. 

If you would like to know more about us and the professional qualifications or designations we hold, do please contact us. 

*A Level 6 qualification is an advanced, degree-level credential in the UK (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland) that represents high-level knowledge and professional competence, equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree with Honours