On 31 December 2012, the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) was introduced. It made clear how much consumers pay for financial advice, what they pay for, and improved professional standards by introducing a new increased minimum level of qualification for all Financial Planners. The aim was to professionalise the industry and I believe this was a good place to start in improving the reputation of the industry.

Over the last few months I have increasingly been reading articles about efforts to encourage women into a career in Financial Planning. As more women are seeking financial advice, I think it’s important that the demographics of the industry mirror this, writes our guest columnist Financial Planner Chloe Moran who is studying to become a Chartered Financial Planner.