Institute of Financial Planning chief executive Nick Cann and FPSB UK director Lucy Courtenay have returned from a Financial Planning forum in Germany.
The meeting of the Financial Planning Standards Board European Forum, of which Mr Cann is chairman, was held in Frankfurt yesterday.
The meeting included representatives from Austria, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Switzerland and the UK, as well as FPSB chief executive Noel Maye.
The purpose of the meeting, which was held in addition to the bi-annual FPSB Council meetings, was to see where there was standardisation between European Financial Planning systems.
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He said: "We did notice some consistencies between us and you can use that prove that doing CFP and Financial Planning is a beneficial to the firm and the individual but also to the consumer."
While all the countries offer the CFP qualification, it was used in different ways.
In Holland, there has been a ban on commission similar to the UK's RDR but Mr Cann said Holland was "finding it difficult" and that adviser numbers had reduced.
In contrast, in France and Germany financial advisers are primarily found in banks and insurance companies and a ban on commission could be problematic. Mr Cann said: "They support the CFP education programme and advisers gaining the CFP qualification as they recognise it produces well-qualified advisers. However, the business model or the regulation doesn't always allow them to practice Financial Planning."
The next FPSB meeting will be held in Hong Kong in April.

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