The Certified Personal Financial Planning Program (CPFP)

Introduction

The design of the Certified Personal Financial Program (CPFP) is the product of the IOB’s identification and definition of the Profession and the market need for licnensed/certified practitioners based on the competencies, skills, knowledge and application necessary for a career in Financial Services.

Objectives

The CPFP program has been designed to help financial services institutions develop a cadre of professional financial planners capable of giving sound professional financial advice that meets the expectations of their clients, inspiring confidence in them and building stronger customer relationships for the mutual benefit of the client and the financial institution. It also allows individual employees to earn themselves a career-based diploma that recognizes their aptitude and professional competence in dispensing financial advice.

Assessment

Candidates to this program are awarded a Diploma after passing all six modules of the program and a Designation upon successful completion of an Apprenticeship phase and a comprehensive Final Qualifying Exam. ( See diagram)

 

Content and Structure

  1. Module I - Interpersonal Relationship Skills
    • Personality Types and their impact on communication behavior
    • Cultural dimensions of communication
    • The communication process
    • Client advisory relationship model in Financial Planning
    • The role of ethics and the building of trust
  2. Module II - Personal Financial Situation Analysis
    • Constructing the personal financial profile of the client
    • Evaluation of the client’s current financial situation
    • Forecasting the personal financial situation of the client (Pro-Forma Analysis)
  3. Module III - Non-Financial Risk Management
    • Risk exposure and protection
    • Personal risk
    • Property risk
  4. Module IV - Fundamentals of Investment and Capital Markets
    • Nature and characteristics of investment instruments
    • Valuation of generic investment instruments
    • Fundamentals of portfolio management
    • Investment strategies (matching the client’s goals to different investment products)
    • Capital markets and indicators
  5. Module V - Alternative Investments
    • Types of alternative investments.
    • Funds.
    • Real Estate investing.
    • Options.
    • Behavioral Finance.
    • Technical analysis.
  6. Module VI - Legal Aspects of Financial Planning
    • The Saudi legal system
    • The Saudi judicial system
    • Saudi taxation policies
    • Investment business regulations
    • Products and services
    • Policies, procedures and business practices

Program Pre-requisites

Candidates to the Financial Planning Program must fulfill the following requirements:

  • Candidates must have a minimum of a four year college degree.
  • Candidates must have an English language proficiency equivalent to IOB level 6 (Advanced).
  • Basic knowledge in Computer Skills, Mathematics, Principles of Accounting and General Economics.
  • Two years of banking experience in relevant function.

English language courses, computer skill courses and Foundation courses and challenge exams in Math, Accounting and Economics, are available at the Institute of Banking.

Forms & Materials :