Blue Chip Journal, Issue 77

FOREWORD Lelané

FOREWORD Lelané Bezuidenhout CFP®, CEO, Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa What’s happening at the FPI? Planning for the first-ever FPI Professional Digital Convention 2020 enters the final phase. And an MOU with the Actuarial Society of South Africa. Greetings from a slightly warmer Johannesburg. I can’t believe it has been three months since I last wrote to you. 2020 has been unique in many ways and the full reliance on technology during lockdown opened so many doors via quite a few digital platforms, enabling us to stay in contact with our members and key stakeholders. We are busier than ever and between planning the Convention and doing our bit to help our members (and their clients) navigate the economic wake of the pandemic, we are focusing on fully embracing the lessons we learned from these shaping, turbulent few months. Covid-19 highlights the value of an FPI membership With the growing national budget deficit and real GDP expected to plunge, you don’t need me to tell you that times are tough. Financial planners and advisors may not be frontline workers in the conventional sense of the world – but we certainly are at the coalface of the economic struggle facing many normal South Africans. The advice we give our clients and the strategies we implement for them could very well be the difference between making it through the pandemic unscathed and being financially devastated by it. Now, more than ever, your clients need a financial advisor they can trust; someone who can implement a tailormade financial planning strategy that will help each family to weather the Covid-19 storm as effectively as possible. At times like this, clients need to know that they have entrusted their wealth and financial wellbeing to the very best in the business – you, a proud professional member in good standing with the Financial Planning Institute. Our first digital FPI Convention is just around the corner Planning the Professionals Convention is always timeconsuming – but we don’t usually have to conjure up a venue out of thin air! Putting together our first digital event of this magnitude hasn’t been easy, but it has been extremely educational and it has also been richly rewarding to see how our team has pulled together to come up with an event that promises to deliver a very successful 31st convention. As always, we have a fantastic blend of local talent and international speakers covering the latest trends in financial planning including: • Integrating coaching and financial planning • How to succeed in the new game of business • Transition to fee-based practices • Succession planning • Embracing Financial Planning technology (FPtech) into your practices • Behavioural coaching • Regulatory updates, and much more Then, one of the biggest decisions has been choosing a platform to host the Convention on, and I am happy to announce that we have partnered with the best of the best. Asset TV has years of experience in connecting the financial community digitally and their virtual conferencing platform will not disappoint. We have recorded previous sessions with Asset TV and feel very comfortable that the financial planning event of the year is in very good hands. The Convention provides 11.5 verifiable CPD hours and will take place on 27 and 28 October 2020. Don’t miss out! Register at www.fpicpd.co.za 4 www.bluechipdigital.co.za

The advice we give our clients and the strategies we implement for them could very well be the difference between making it through the pandemic unscathed and being financially devastated by it. Take care of your CPD requirements with our Convention package To assist you in complying with CPD requirements – whether Regulatory and/or FPI professional member CPD hours, FPI has put together an affordable and extremely convenient package that will help you to obtain most of your verifiable CPD hours in one fell swoop. The package to members and non-members includes: MEMBERS • (Online) FPI Professionals Convention • Estate and Tax Online Forum • Retirement and Investment Online Forum • Annual Refresher (face-to-face event) Stronger together: We’ve signed an MOU with ASSA In giving further effect to our strategy and mandate, FPI recently signed an MOU with the Actuarial Society of South Africa (ASSA) that will see us work together to improve the long-term financial wellbeing of all South Africans and their families. For decades, both organisations have worked hard to give input on regulatory changes, to educate consumers and generally improve the financial health of all South Africans. But now we will support each other’s views as it relates to our respective mandates for the greater good of the consumer. If the last few weeks are anything to go by, I am convinced that combining our skillsets will be great for all of our members and the South African public. Onwards and upwards While the first wave of the pandemic seems to be tailing off, all of us in the financial planning industry know that the real hard work is yet to come. As financial planners, we need to band together to help South Africans to not just withstand the economic impact, but to emerge stronger from it. Hope to “see” you at the Convention… Warm regards, Lelané Bezuidenhout CFP® CEO, Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa NON-MEMBERS • (Online) FPI Professionals Convention • Estate and Tax Online Forum OR Retirement and Investment Online Forum • Annual Refresher (face-to-face event) At times like this, clients need to know that they have entrusted their wealth and financial wellbeing to the very best in the business – you, a proud professional member in good standing with the Financial Planning Institute. SAVE THE DATE! FPI Professional Digital Convention 2020 This year our FPI Professionals Convention will take place entirely online. Members can log in to the event on 27-28 October 2020. Visit fpi.co.za and download the awards guide for more information. www.bluechipdigital.co.za 5