Rob's key qualifications
- Chartered Financial Planner
- Certified Financial Planner™
- Fellow of the PFS
About Rob's experience
Rob is a Certified Financial Planner™ and a Chartered Financial Planner with more than 35 years of experience in financial services.
Rob was fortunate to join the profession as part of Pointon York’s annual school leaver intake in 1987. Upon joining, he successfully lobbied for them to upgrade their apprentice offering to include day release college, in order to meet the entry requirements for future professional qualifications. He made the most of it, quickly achieving professional qualifications.
Today, he is both Certified Financial Planner™ and a Chartered Financial Planner. Beyond general financial planning, he specialises in complex pensions issues, and working with senior academics and knowledge workers, applying an engineering mindset to solving problems.
Away from the office
Rob and his wife Tina have been together since their teens, and they have three children at various stages of being “grown up”.
While he once enjoyed long-distance running and cycling, he now prefers leisurely activities like yoga, swimming, walking, and cycling to actually get to places (who knew?). He’s even taken up dancing recently!
A fun fact about Rob is that he used to be in bands and has played around a thousand gigs. However, these days, he plays in a literal “garage band” just for fun.
We asked Rob
Your team of experts
Chartered Financial Planner
Certified Financial Planner™
Qualifications
Financial Planning Certificate
A recognition offered by the Chartered Insurance Institute in the United Kingdom. Individuals who hold this qualification have satisfied coursework and testing requirements set by the organisation.
DipPFS (Diploma in Financial Planning)
This level 4 diploma meets the FCA’s qualification requirements for retail investment advisers, demonstrating core technical knowledge and financial planning capabilities across six core areas.
Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning
This qualification enables professional advisers to develop specialist planning capabilities, and covers topics such as: personal tax and trust, business financial, pension and investment planning.
Advanced Financial Planning Certificate
To have completed this qualification, individuals were required to obtain three units. These could have been selected from any combination of the available units at that time but must have included the compulsory G10 unit – Taxation and Trusts.
Level 3 Award in Long Term Care Insurance
This level 3 award develops the knowledge and understanding of long-term care cover, including legal, taxation and regulatory issues and the responsibilities of local authorities.
Level 3 Award in Financial Administration
This RQF level 3 award provides the essential knowledge and skills needed by those working in administrative and operational life or pensions roles. The Award offers the choice between life or pensions administration, each satisfying the FCA qualification requirements for overseers of certain administrative life and pensions functions.
Award in Pensions Update
This single unit qualification develops and tests knowledge of pension reforms and how they impact at-retirement advice.
Certificate in Mortgage Advice
The level 3 certificate in Mortgage Advice meets the FCA’s qualification requirements for mortgage advisers. It develops an understanding of the sector and the mortgage process, enabling advisers to meet individual client needs.
AF1 (Personal Tax and Trust Planning)
This examination assesses the candidate to develop in depth financial planning skills related to personal tax and trusts.
AF3 (Pension Planning)
This examination assesses the candidate to develop in depth financial planning skills related to personal and corporate pensions.
AF5 (Financial Planning Process)
This examination assesses the candidate to develop an understanding of the financial planning process when advising clients.
G10 (Taxation and Trusts)
This examination assesses a knowledge and understanding of the UK tax system, the law and practice of trusts, but also an ability to advise individual clients on the tax treatment of their investments and the use of trusts to meet their current and foreseeable future needs.
G60 (Pensions)
This examination enhanced general pension knowledge, particularly in pension transfers and opt-out business.
K10 (Retirement Options)
This examination assessed knowledge and understanding of income generating options and applying the knowledge to retirement planning situations.
J02 (Trusts)
At the end of this unit, candidates should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the: legal principles associated with the creation and management of a trust; main types of trusts that are common in the UK; taxation considerations relevant to trusts.
J07 (Supervision in a Regulated Environment)
At the end of this unit, candidates should be able to demonstrate an understanding of: the supervisor’s role in a regulated organisation; recruitment, training, attaining competence, maintaining competence and supervising competence; management information and performance standards; Financial Conduct Authority rules and guidelines in respect of competence and supervision; the legal and regulatory aspects of employment and supervision.
MAQ (Mortgage Advice Qualification)
This qualification assesses the knowledge and understanding of the UK regulation environment in the financial services industry together with types of mortgage products and repayment options and the giving of mortgage advice.
R03 (Personal Taxation)
This qualification assesses a knowledge and understanding of the UK taxation system, and the ability to analyse the taxation treatment of individuals and trusts during the investment advice process.
R04 (Pensions and Retirement Planning)
This qualification assesses a knowledge and understanding of and ability to analyse pension and retirement planning issues.
R08 (Pension Update)
This qualification focuses on pension reforms and how they affect advice, including the new legislative, compliance and reporting requirements.
FP1 (Financial Services and their Regulation)
Assesses an understanding of the financial services industry, including regulation and legislation.
FP2 (Protection, Savings and Investment)
Assesses an understanding of protection, savings and investment products.