This 79th issue of Blue Chip focuses on the art, science and business of investment. Blue Chip is the financial planner’s chaperone to everything investment and this edition is a smorgasboard of the choices, decisions, lessons and associations that relate to it.
FOREWORD Lelané
FOREWORD Lelané Bezuidenhout CFP®, CEO, Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa What’s happening at the FPI? The CEO of the Financial Planning Institute reflects on what has been a busy start to the year, before looking forward to what the rest of 2021 has in store for the South African financial planning industry. Welcome to this edition of BlueChip magazine. What a year this has been so far… not much easier than 2020, but there’s hope on the horizon. Read on for a rundown of some of the highlights of Q1, as well as details of a few upcoming dates to diarise… Reflecting on Q1 Reflecting on the past quarter, I am immensely thankful for the support from our members, our corporate partners, and our professional practices. You have all supported us tremendously by turning out in full force for our Annual Refresher, the Budget Trilogy, and our POPIA online webinars. If you missed any of these events, simply log into your member profile and register for the event in question to obtain access to the recordings. We received fantastic feedback on the POPIA webinars. If you missed any of them, you really do need to listen to the webinar discussions which are available at no extra charge for professional members of the FPI. I also want to congratulate all the professional members who have renewed their memberships. Please note that you have until 31 May 2021 to upload your 35 FPI CPD hours. Also be aware that new FPI membership regulations now apply (available on www.fpi.co.za ). Other highlights of Q1 In March, we hosted a successful sitting of the Professional Competency Examination, with almost 300 candidates writing the exam. The next sitting is in June and the last one for the year is in October. Would-be candidates will be interested to note that we have introduced a recognition of 8 www.bluechipdigital.co.za
Entries for the Financial Planner of the Year award (not to mention all our other awards) are open. prior learning (RPL) concept into the exam this year. If you write in February or June and fail just one case study, you need only rewrite the case study you failed. This exemption only applies if you rewrite the case study you failed in the same academic year. From a public policy point of view, we responded to quite a few regulatory matters, including: amendments to the General Code of Conduct for Authorised Financial Services Providers and Representatives; the fit and proper requirements; critical skills; and a call for comment on government’s plan to professionalise civil servants with the assistance of SAQA Recognised Professional Bodies. Looking ahead to Q2 As you must know by now, the FPI is moving membership systems and renovating our offices. A year from now, the FPI will have a completely new look and feel (both online and offline) that will revolutionise the member experience. The new system will make renewing your membership and obtaining CPD hours a walk in the park. Our websites (www.letsplan.co.za and www.fpi.co.za) are also getting a facelift. (Please be aware that there will be an interim website while we are working on the new sites. Thank you in advance for understanding that it will take a bit of time to put all these new systems in place.) As some members have noticed, the curriculums and competency profiles are currently being updated globally. The FPI is part of a group of FPSB affiliates that will participate in a global Job Analysis Survey (JAS) to see where and how our curriculum and competency profiles for financial planners need to change/be updated. Please support us by completing the JAS survey when it comes out in April 2021. Dates to diarise The FPI Professionals Convention 2021 is happening on 25 and 26 October. If you haven’t booked your spot yet, you’d best act swiftly to avoid disappointment. There will only be a limited number of seats available for the face-to-face event and these will be allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis. Everyone else will have to register for the online event that will be streamed as the live event is taking place. With the FPI turning 40 year this year, it promises to be yet another breathtaking experience! Entries for the Financial Planner of the Year award (not to mention all our other awards) are open and winners will be announced at our gala dinner on the evening of 25 October. There are so many good things to look forward to. But before the year runs away with me, let me take the time to wish you great health, wealth, and special times with your loved ones in these… different times. (I will resist the urge to call it the “new normal”.) Until we meet again, Lelané Bezuidenhout CFP® CEO, Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa www.bluechipdigital.co.za 9
