For some people, their professional body is just a means to retaining the letters after their name or a Statement of Professional Standing. This is part of what our professional bodies do, but it’s not the only thing. They are far from just being certificate-generating exam providing organisations.

As a Paraplanner I’m looking to develop not just my knowledge, but my skills as a professional. There are many places that I can go to do this, and I think it’s important that we draw on a broad range of resources. For example, I recently participated in the Professional Paraplanner Team Leaders Day to work on my leadership and management skills.

I’ve been part of the CISI Paraplanner Interest Group for a number of years and recently became chairman of the Committee that helps run it. So, what exactly does CISI do for Paraplanners and how might you get involved?

We are probably best known in the community for the CISI Paraplanner Conference.

This is a great opportunity for Paraplanners to gather, learn and get to know each other. The committee members set the content and help find speakers to deliver it. Behind the scenes a team of event planning professionals work hard to make it all run smoothly. Throughout the year we also put on half day CPD events in different locations across the country.

This year is the year that the conference comes to London!

The main conference day will be Tuesday 12 May and kicks off at 9am. By the end of the conference (5 pm) delegates will have engaged with 6.5 hours of quality CPD covering technical and soft skills.

The social side has not been forgotten and we will be gathering the night before for darts at the Flight Club. The program is having a few final tweaks before the details are released, but tickets are already going quickly. This year the conference is FREE for CISI members too. For more info visit https://www.cisi.org/pp20

We also offer one of the few Paraplanner specific designations – Accredited Paraplanner (APP). It’s available to members who hold the CISI’s Certificate in Paraplanning (or any other level 4 qualification).

As part of the application process you’ll be asked to complete CPD modules on Paraplanning and Financial Planning. I’ve sat CISI’s exam as part of my continuing journey towards Certified Financial Planner status and found it helpful.

I’d love to meet you at the conference or one of our events during the year and find out what we can do to support you better. There are opportunities to get more involved with the committee – if you’d like to find out more drop us a note at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dan Atkinson FPFS APP Chartered MCSI | Chartered Financial Planner and Head of Technical at EQ Investors, London @DanAtkinsonUK. e: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.