Certificate in Financial Admin

Certificate in Financial Administration - CFA
If you're already working in financial services - perhaps as an administrator for a financial adviser, bank or building society - studying for the Certificate is a great way to sharpen your skills and strengthen your promotion prospects.

If you're a new entrant, gaining the Certificate could gain you your first job in financial services.

Our training programme lets you choose your preferred career path. Once you've completed module 1, which gives you a solid grounding in the financial services industry, you can select either a module on Life Offices Administration or a module on Pensions Administration.

Qualification
At the end of your course you will be ready to sit and pass the exam for the Chartered Insurance Institute Certificate in Financial Administration (CFA). If you chose to study Module 2A you will be awarded the CFA (Life). If you studied Module 2B, you will be awarded the CFA (Pensions).

Your CFA studies will let you take control of your career, growing and developing your skills at a pace to suit you. The course will also make your CV stand out to potential employers. It demonstrates your understanding of the UK financial services sector, shows you are keen to maximise your personal development and are committed to acquiring knowledge about this dynamic field. It's a great way to help you find your dream job.

Course Contents
(CF1) UK financial services, regulation and ethics

At the end of this unit, candidates should understand the:

* purpose and structure of the UK financial services industry;
* different financial asset classes and product types;
* process of giving advice and the main areas covered;
* ethics, regulatory processes, rules and legislation underpinning UK financial services;
* use of the FSA's regulatory powers and responsibilities to protect the market's integrity and the impact on individuals and firms of the FSA's regulatory powers.

(FA1) Life office administration

At the end of this unit, candidates should understand the:

• basic product types, including group life;
• principles of financial and medical underwriting;
• policy issues likely to arise with life policies;
• administration of life policies, including the different payment methods and consequences of non-payment;
• handling of life policy claims.
OR
(FA2) Pensions administration

At the end of this unit, candidates should understand:

• the regulatory and legislative environment governing pensions;
• the basic principles of pension taxation and administration;
• the basic pension product types, including group pensions;
• with-profits and unit-linked investments;
• the different pensions and options available when taking benefits.

Your course material will cover a wide variety of topics and subjects.

This course is made up of two modules. The first module gives you a background to the financial services industry. For the second module you can choose between Life Offices Administration and Pensions Administration, depending on your interests.

Your course is designed to allow you to learn logically, at your own pace. Each new study unit builds on the knowledge you gain in the earlier units. This makes it easy to monitor your own progress as you work through the material. You don't need to know anything about the subject before you start.

1. Benefit administration
2. Use of the FSA's regulatory powers
3. Long-term life insurance and assurance market and its products
4. New business administration
5. Policy administration
6. Administration of new and existing business
7. Ethics, regulatory processes, rules and legislation underpinning UK financial services claims administration
8. Development and nature of pensions provision
9. Knowledge of the range of pension products