Finding your advisor
You can find qualified advisers local to you using our adviser search. It shows all advisers who are Personal Finance Society members that hold a valid SPS with the Chartered Insurance Institute; it also shows the valid to and from date.
Search for a financial adviser near you
Statement of Professional Standing (SPS)
All financial advisers authorised and regulated by the UK regulator (the Financial Conduct Authority) must hold a valid Statement of Professional Standing (SPS). This annually renewable Certificate validates that the adviser meets minimum professional qualification standards, adheres to a code of professional ethics and has completed a minimum level of continuous professional development. There is currently no requirement for UK mortgage or protection advisers to hold a SPS. International advisers who are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority are not required to hold a UK Statement of Professional Standing, but there may be similar requirements imposed on them by the regulator for their jurisdiction – the adviser will be able to tell you if this is the case. Validity dates are only shown for SPS’s issued in the UK by the CII as an accredited body of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). You will also see each adviser’s qualification level and any specialist areas of advice they may give. Each adviser profile will also show you if the adviser has achieved Chartered status or whether they work for a Chartered firm.
What does Chartered mean?
An adviser who has been awarded with the title Chartered Financial Planner has continued onto a higher qualification level; the Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning. Chartered Financial Planners read an Oath upon graduating and this commits them to the Code of Ethics and a structured programme of continuing professional development. You can trust Chartered Financial Planners, like Chartered Accountants, Surveyors, or Engineers, to be highly qualified, reputable and capable of providing you with quality advice with the utmost integrity.
What does Chartered Firm Status mean?
Chartered firms must ensure staff members acquire and retain the necessary knowledge and skills to deliver the highest quality advice. They must also work in an ethical manner that places clients’ interests at the heart of the advice they give.
