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Financial Planning candidates rank top five in Professional Competency Examination

01 November 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

Henda Kleingeld, Programme Director of the Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration (PGDIP) in Financial Planning, is incredibly proud of the candidates who ranked top five in the CFP® Professional Competency Examination.

To become a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), a candidate with a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning or a BCom (Honours) in Financial Planning must, among others, pass the Professional Competency Examination (PCE) of the Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa (FPI).

It was recently announced that the top five CFP® Professional Competency Examination candidates (for the June 2022 examinations) are alumni of the School of Financial Planning Law (SFPL) at the University of the Free State (UFS).

On the right trajectory

According to Henda Kleingeld, Programme Director of the Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning Law in the Faculty of Law’s SFPL, they are incredibly proud of the candidates.

“Being rated as the top five PCE candidates indicates that we are on the right trajectory with the outcomes and assessments for our diplomas. If the top five PCE candidates are alumni of the SFPL – we are doing something right. We have made many changes in our approach to financial education, and it seems like it is paying off.”

“We now need to ensure that we provide our students with the proper academic background and support to continue to excel. This will seal our status as the oldest and one of the leading educational providers of financial planning education in the country,” Kleingeld adds.

Confidence in the qualification

The PCE sets candidates on the path towards becoming certified financial planners. The online exam consists of two case studies that test the candidates’ financial planning skills, knowledge, and competent performance in the defined competency areas for financial professionals.

In its Professional Competency Examination Policy, the FPI states that there are six Financial Planning components: Financial Management, Asset Management, Risk Management, Tax Planning, Retirement Planning, and Estate Planning. It strives to prepare professional competency examinations that will provide candidates with the opportunity to demonstrate core or professional competence at a standard appropriate for entry into the financial planning profession.

According to the FPI, the CFP® qualification – an internationally recognised standard for financial planning professionals – gives consumers confidence that the financial planner they are dealing with is suitably qualified to provide advice and information and gives the assurance that they remain up to date with developments in the industry.

First academic institution to offer diploma

Kleingeld says the SFPL was the first academic institution in South Africa to offer the Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning, and financial education has been its main focus and passion over the past 20 years.

“Keeping up with industry trends is very important to us. Our team of academics and industry experts assists us with maintaining a balance between the academic requirements and how they are translated into the workplace,” she explains.

Kleingeld is of the opinion that the graduates who have passed their qualifications are doing exceptionally well in the industry, with many prominent industry leaders being alumni of the UFS SFPL. “The school has a reputation in the industry as forward-thinking and innovative. We keep our fingers on the pulse of industry developments, which get incorporated into our curriculum.”

News Archive

Meet the person behind the title – your new FaceOfFacebook

2015-04-29

Kovsies #FaceOfFacebook was born three years ago out of a need to engage with students, and become a virtual friend. Auditions are held every year to choose the new ‘face’ representing the UFS on Facebook. The successful candidate holds the title as #FaceOfFacebook for the next 12 months, attending events, and filming short video clips to post on our Facebook page.

The votes have been counted, and we have a winner. After much excitement and a close contest, Nompumelelo Maseko (whose name, fittingly, means ‘success’) emerged victorious from the top six contestants selected by our panel of judges. We sat down with the soft-spoken Mpumi – as her friends call her – to get a sense of the person who will be our ambassador for the next year.

What is your field of study, and how far along are you?

I am studying for a BSc degree in Genetics, and I’m currently in my second year. I have a particular interest in the forensic sciences, which fascinate me!

Are you originally from Bloemfontein?

No, I am originally from Pretoria.

How is it that you ended up here, studying at the UFS?

Before leaving school, I applied to various universities, but my desires and ambitions brought me here.

How do you find your residence?

Akasia ladies are big on sisterhood, very supportive. Res life is very enjoyable.

What do you hope to accomplish during your term as the #FaceOfFacebook?

I would like to help people become aware of what is taking place on campus. There are many opportunities to be more engaged with what is happening at the varsity. For instance, there are still many people who don’t really know what the #FaceOfFacebook is, and I would like to help inform them about it.

What is your motivation in your studies, in taking part in this contest, and in life?

I am intrigued by the function of life forms, the differences that exist at a cellular level.
For this competition, I fed off my love of people, even though I am shy. I also enjoy presenting.

I have my parents to thank as my motivation, as well as meeting and engaging with people. I find that I achieve a broader perspective when I don’t restrict myself to my own opinions, but strive to be open to differing views.

Nompumelelo will be appearing in one of her first Facebook videos shortly, so be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook page.

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