Considering a career in financial planning? Do you already work in the industry and want to upskill and specialise in specific areas? Kaplan Professional’s FASEA-approved Master of Financial Planning may be the ideal qualification for you.
In this post, we discuss what a Master of Financial Planning is, whether it’s worth completing the qualification, and what potential career opportunities there are.
 

 
What is a Master of Financial Planning?
Kaplan Professional’s FASEA-approved Master of Financial Planning is a higher education qualification set at the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level 9. This 100% online qualification has been developed in consultation with industry experts with a wealth of experience, ensuring practical and relevant learning rather than solely focusing on academic theory. The Master of Financial Planning consists of 12 subjects – 10 core subjects and two electives. It can […read more]

With the Easter break coming to a close and ANZAC day approaching, we have been given a great opportunity to take a step back from our desks to unwind, unplug and recharge.
As the to-do list at work begins to spiral out of control and we lose our footing in life, we need to remember “balance is not something you find, it’s something you create”.
 

 
Prioritise: You
Balance is required for us to perform at our best, both at work and in our personal lives. Through the chaos at work we need to find ways to keep ourselves centred. This can only be achieved when you draw a line and learn how to put yourself at the top of your ‘to do list’.
If you are one of those people who say ‘Yes’ to everything, you may […read more]

With the week coming to a close we tend to look back and find it difficult to pinpoint what we have achieved. It’s important to reflect on your weekly achievements. Whether it be as small as completing those small administrative tasks you were hoping to get to, or meeting those tight deadlines and projects that have kept you on your toes since Monday.
 

 
In order to stay at the top of our game, you should bring everything to a close, recharge and start with a clean slate for another busy week to come.
 
Be humble, be proud
It’s important to reflect on what you accomplished within the five days of your working week.
Why? It’s proof to yourself you are awesome at what you do! It’s very easy to get down on yourself and to focus on […read more]

In today’s fast-paced world, juggling work and your personal commitments can seem like a see-saw unequally weighted to the former. With constant online access, work isn’t just confined to the office any more. Emails at all hours, Skype conference calls in the wee hours of the morning … combine this with an increasingly demanding work culture in the office – long hours, phones ringing off the hook, unrealistic deadlines … and you’ve got a recipe for an unhealthy work-life balance.
Yes, work is meant to be a challenge. You need to work hard to succeed. You go to work to be busy, etc. but, if you don’t maintain a healthy balance, you’re going to end up with a one-way ticket to a stressed-out existence.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is not only important for your personal health and relationships, it can also improve the efficiency of your performance at work. Work-life balance […read more]

More than half of Australians are social media users and the majority of these users are smart phone owners. If you’re reading this, chances are, you’re probably one of them. However the power of both, used wrongly, can be a recipe for disaster. As our smart phones are within reaching distance the majority of time (yep, even when you’re drinking) and the allure of social media is only a few touches and swipes away … you know where we’re going with this.
 

Why it’s important
Back in the good ol’ days, a well-presented resume and interview were enough to land you the job. However, with a quick Google search, both clients and employers are able to easily scan each candidate’s social media channels in order to get a flavour of […read more]

We bet a lot of you set yourselves goals to achieve daily, monthly and yearly. However, how many of you have actually taken steps to achieve these goals?
Goal setting is something that gets thrown around a lot, but have you ever wondered the importance? Think of the saying ‘how can you get where you want to go until you know where you’re going’.  Setting goals is a fundamental component to long-term success.  Goals help you focus and allocate your time and resources efficiently and keep you motived when something may have led you astray. Additionally, Research indicates a direct link between goals and enhanced performance.
 

 
Developing an objective
Defining an objective is imperative. A clear objective will allow you to focus on what you […read more]

 Some people are natural communicators; others take time to develop these skills. Whether or not you’re already an effective communicator, we’ve compiled a few tips that may help you out.
 

 
1. Listen
Effective communication isn’t just about delivering a clear and concise message. Good listening is integral to communication; it’s all about exchange. Focus on the message being received, which listening not only to the words being spoken but how they are being spoken and the non-verbal messages sent with them. Listening can also help ensure you know what everyone is thinking.

2. Clarity
Speak with direction. If you waffle on or are uncertain with what you are saying, others are less likely to listen to you. If you’re communicating to large group or something important, jot down exactly what you need to say. […read more]

Managing your professional and personal goals often feels like an impossible task.
How can you manage all of your commitments, while feeling satisfied with all?
Work-life balance means something different to every individual, but here we share tips to help you find the balance that’s right for you.
 
 

 
 
Time management
As someone who is juggling work, study, family and social commitments, your time is limited and valuable. This is where a schedule or timetable can be useful:

Take the time to plan weekly
Set achievable personal and professional goals
Have you considered waking up earlier in the morning? Some of the world’s most successful and productive people are early risers.
Reward yourself for achieving daily and /or weekly goals
Timetable more challenging tasks for when you are most alert
Make time for every commitment. Don’t let one facet of […read more]

Christmas is just around the corner.  The upcoming holiday period and time spent relaxing with family and friends is etching itself more prominently into your thoughts.
For many of us, being busy at work isn’t limited to a few periods during certain months of the year; it’s full-on all year round.  We understand it can be difficult to remain 100% focused as the end of the year draws closer by the day, so we’ve compiled a few pointers to help you remain productive.
 

 

Prioritise – Acknowledge that this time of year is a busy period. Therefore, develop a priority list. This will ensure you have a clear focus on the task at hand and more time can be spent being productive and directed towards the most pressing projects. Setting clear deadlines […read more]

You might be an adviser with an outstanding technical knowledge of complicated financial products, however, if you can’t communicate these efficiently to your client, you’re not using this proficiency to maximum effect.
A financial plan that achieves all of a client’s objectives is inept if an adviser can’t ‘sell’ it to their client. Therefore, ‘soft skills’ are vitally important at all stages of the client relationship.
A recent CoreData Financial Planning Shadow Shop report revealed that the most successful advisers from a customer acquisition perspective were those who have the ability the make a great first impression and sell themselves to prospects.

However, the importance of ‘soft skills’ as part of the process doesn’t end there.   Once a relationship between an adviser and a client has been developed, this relationship must be nurtured through the trust gained […read more]