The RDR report stated, "Effective and consistent CPD is arguably as important as raising the benchmark knowledge requirement." In response, Phil Hall, Head of Media & Public Affairs at the ifs said, "Membership of the Institute of Financial Services offers members access to a dedicated online CPD tool which allows the recording, validation and management of CPD activity via a simple user-friendly interface. This is precisely the type of activity that the RDR report seeks to encourage."
The RDR also contains several references to ethics and good behaviour. For example, "At present, all advisers are bound by the FSA's rules and the general Principles that the FSA has enunciated. If they are a member of one of the Professional Bodies, they will also be expected to comply with a Code of Ethics"
Hall added, "All members of the Institute of Financial Services are obliged to sign up to a set of good practice principles that provide reassurance to customers and clients of appropriate behaviour at all times. Again, this satisfies another of the important aspects of the RDR report."
There are a range of additional benefits of Institute membership which are not specifically related to the RDR but will be of great benefit to the adviser community. For example, all members gain affiliation to an ifs Regional Network, which will provide opportunities to connect with other financial services professionals in a members local area. Members also get access to a wealth of relevant industry knowledge that can help keep them up to date with the latest developments and market news in the form of the ifs' online library, ifs Knowledgebank.
