Probably the most important 10 minutes this year.
As many of you will be aware one of the major objectives of The Paraplanner has been and still is, to raise the awareness, professionalism and standing of paraplanning and paraplanners throughout the Financial Services industry.
This is an objective which is still ongoing and something which Richard and I are still working hard to achieve. The website has certainly raised awareness along with the Paraplanner of The Year awards.
This year will see the culmination of the work done with the Financial Services Skills Council on the National Occupation Standards for Paraplanning meaning that the role will officially exist and there will be a nationally agreed framework of the types of activities a paraplanner does and the skills required to fulfil that role.
From our own personal experience and from our conversations with many of you, it is clear that paraplanners play a far more important role within the industry than they are given credit for. Many of the large insurance companies, fund providers, platforms and wraps still tend to deal exclusively with the Financial Adviser, Financial Planner or Managing Director when in my experience it is the paraplanner who will actually make the decisions as to which product is used, who will be the provider of that product and where the funds will be invested.
Some of you may be aware of a very large and internationally respected Financial Services Consultancy firm, NMG. A link to their website can be found here:
They conduct research for some very large companies and during that research have become increasingly aware of ‘paraplanners’. They approached The Paraplanner with a view to understanding the role, what paraplanners do and how they fit into an IFA practice.
The outcome of this is that they would like to conduct some research which focuses specifically on paraplanners and paraplanning and have devised a survey to do this. This will provide them with a much greater understanding of what a paraplanner does in an IFA practice and their (alleged) importance within that practice.
The survey can only be completed by paraplanners however if you are not a paraplanner please make any paraplanners you do know aware of the survey. The link can be found here:
http://paraplanner.surveydaemon.com/
This is a real opportunity to obtain some meaningful data which will provide insight into the role of paraplanning and paraplanners.
My hope is that it will show that paraplanners play an increasingly important role within the industry.
Prizes
As if this wasn’t incentive enough, NMG have been kind enough to run a prize draw as part of the survey.
If you complete the survey before midnight on Wednesday 6th May 2009 you will be entered into our prize draw with the chance to win one of the following prizes:
Prize Draw
|
|
|
|
|
1st Prize Nintendo Wii console with Wii Fit board and My Fitness Coach game
Wii Fit has been designed to be enjoyed by the whole family, and allows you to combine fitness with fun. With the help of the innovative, simple to use Balance Board, an accessory developed exclusively for the Wii console (included) ,Wii Fit gives everyone in the household the opportunity to add some fun and exercise into everyday life. |
2nd Prize Fine Burgundy Selection box This selection of six very fine white and red wines is a burgundian delight. Presented in an elegant wooden box. |
3rd Prize £100 M&S Gift Card
M&S Gift Cards are the new vouchers! The handy credit card-sized Gift Card will be delivered to you loaded with £100, ready for use in any of our UK stores and online. The gift card is valid for 24 months after last use.
|
No cash alternatives will be provided. Surveys must be complete in order to qualify for entry. Winners will be notified by phone or email the week after the survey closes. All prizes must be claimed within 6 months of notification, unless otherwise specified. We reserve the right to extend the closing date of the survey (by a maximum of 5 days from the closing date specified) if our target sample sizes are not achieved.
NMG, as a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) Company Partner Scheme, abides by the MRS Code of Conduct. Please be assured that your individual comments remain confidential and are never attributed to you.Please click here to go to the survey.If you have any questions about this please feel free to contact either Richard or myself, or Claire Stubings at NMG (details below).
| Yours sincerelyClaire Stubbings NMG Financial Services Consulting Tel: 01780 753270 Fax: 01780 759142 E-mail claire.stubbings@NMG-Group.com Website: http://www.nmg-group.com/ |
|
Thank you in advance for your participation it is really appreciated..
