Canada Life has launched a CPD training programme in behavioural psychology for Financial Planners.

The retirement provider has partnered with We Are IB to create an e-learning programme to help Planners understand behavioural bias in financial advice.

HumanSense consists of six modules and covers topics including understanding client behaviour, creating emotional resonance and visualising your future self.

Canada Life said the course would help Planners engage in deeper conversations with clients, helping them to build trust and emotional empathy with their clients.

The training programme is free to Financial Planners and provides six hours of CPD qualified training.

Keily Vanstone, head of marketing, brand and communications, at Canada Life, said behavioural psychology was an area more Planners should be focused on understanding following the FCA’s introduction of its new Consumer Duty last year.

Dr Simon Moore, CEO of We Are IB, added: “We know that there are cognitive barriers in the advice industry which are prohibiting advisers from having more human conversations with their clients. Traditionally, facts, figures, and jargon may be used in initial conversations as a means to try win a client’s trust.

"We also know from cognitive neuroscience that humans all make decisions primarily around how they 'perceive they feel about facts and figures' not on the actual logical interpretation of those facts and numbers. This, together with the learnings we’ve gained by looking at the behaviour of clients, shows that there is an opportunity for advisers to upskill in a non-technical space.

“Through our partnership with Canada Life, and speaking to advisers directly, we considered the most valuable tools that would be needed for them to understand the needs of their clients better.

“The HumanSense training will never replace the technical knowledge required for financial advisers – but it is our hope that it may complement what exists and engage both the rational and emotional decision-making system of clients.”

The training programme is available via the Canada Life website.