Paraplanning

Job Title: Paraplanner

Location: Bedford

Salary: Competitive

Job Type: Full Time, Permanent

Punter Southall Aspire is a major investment and savings business that blends a strong customer focused heritage with a modern technology-led outlook.

Uniting pensions consultancy, workplace savings and individual financial advice, we work with employers, trustees and private clients through our regional UK offices to design and manage solutions that meet their unique needs.

Role Overview:

This role is responsible for the provision of technical support to Planners, under the oversight of the Associate Director, Paraplanning, to enable them to provide their clients with outstanding service, including personalised financial planning advice, to help meet the client’s needs, ensuring they always have fair outcomes.

Key duties:

• Review and understand the client information gathered by the Planner and escalate gaps or areas requiring clarification
• Understand from the Planner the research which is required to be undertaken and their proposed advice/recommendation
• Obtain information on the client’s existing products/services as required
• Undertake any research required by the Planner
• Obtain accurate illustrations, related product documentation and forms to support the advice recommendations as requested
• Demonstrate an increasing understanding of provider/product technical material
• Using the business templates draft a Suitability Report for the Planner ensuring that your technical input is accurate and relevant
• Ensure that the Suitability Report is client specific and explains the pros and cons of the recommendation and is fair, clear and not misleading
• Undertake any required follow up after the recommendation is made
• Review research, output from the Cashflow, illustrations and documentation with the Planner
• Undertake cash flow modelling and assist the Planner with presenting this
• Undertake more complex cases
• Support the Paraplanning Director with mentoring the team, as appropriate
• Being increasingly involved in company-wide projects making use of your experience and technical ability

All team members are expected to assist in administration functions at varying levels, for example:

• Supporting in the development and maintenance of client relationships
• Supporting the Planner to ensure fair client outcomes
• Assisting with answering telephones, general administration, filing and post
• Making Appointments for Financial Planners
• Ensuring Anti Money Laundering is up to date and recorded in line with business standards
• Ensuring that the Planner and client have any pre-meeting documentation/ paperwork required
• Attending client meetings as appropriate and assisting the Planner by note taking
• Following up on / delegating any action points resulting from client meetings depending on experience
• Actioning switches and withdrawals as appropriate and dependant on experience

About you:

Knowledge & experience

• At least 3 years’ experience of Paraplanning within an IFA or equivalent environment focused on holistic financial planning for private clients encompassing pensions, investment and protection
• Experience in cashflow modelling
• Proficient in constructing suitability reports
• High standard of competency and knowledge of:
  • Client reporting systems. Previous experience of Intelliflo would be preferable (or a comparable package)
  • IT systems and software, including platform/provider websites/portals

Training, education & qualification

• Good general education, including GCSE Mathematics and English grade B or above or equivalent qualification. Ideally educated to A Level standard or equivalent qualification
• Qualified to Level 4 (Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning or equivalent)

Skills, abilities & personal qualities

• Strong customer service
• Acts professionally with integrity and discretion
• Confident communicator at all levels, with the ability to adapt approach depending on audience, and manage difficult discussions
• Well-developed written communication skills, able to construct logical, clear, fair and concise communications appropriate to given audience
• Have a broad understanding of current FCA regulations, including the Conduct requirements and how they apply to our clients and the company
• Ability to work under pressure and to deadlines
• Highly self-motivated, enthusiastic, flexible and proactive approach
• Able to apply appropriate time matrix allocation to tasks to achieve commercial objectives
• Shows persistence when faced with challenges or obstacles
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills, capable of anticipating, resolving and owning problems through to resolution
• A high degree of accuracy and attention to detail, both written and numerical, is required in order to perform the duties of this role
• Focus on commerciality and time/cost whilst undertaking all chargeable activity
• Maintain technical knowledge and skills through the completion of continued professional development

Please click on the APPLY button to be directed to the company’s recruitment page.

Candidates with experience of: Paraplanning, Financial Planning, Para-planner, Financial Advisor, Finance Planner, Financial Adviser, Cashflow Planner, Financial Services Advisor may also be considered for this role.