Lelané Bezuidenhout, CFP®, CEO of the Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa, was the keynote speaker at the launch of a new online training and practice management platform in March 2023, called Trusted Advisor. Founder and CEO, Anton Swanepoel, explains the objective of the new platform, www.trustedadvisor.co.za as follows:
“With the Conduct of Financial Institutions Act at our front door, financial services providers will have to re-set their foundations. Our purpose is to equip every key individual, advisor and intermediary who aspires to be a trusted advisor and desires to establish and grow a successful practice while preparing to transition from being regulated under FAIS to COFI.
“At the outset, our CPD-accredited modules are aimed at laying firm foundations for financial services providers to be successful in an environment that is extremely challenging, highly competitive and increasingly onerous. We believe that FSPs will need guidance and support in four key areas, namely ethics, suitability of advice, compliance and practice management.
“We cater for FSPs who render financial services pertaining to long-term insurance, non-life (short-term) insurance, investment and medical aid products. Our first modules and courses are aimed at establishing sound fundamentals in every area of the business and we will continue to add quality content. We keep it real; we keep it simple, and we make it practical.”
