Personal Finance Society launches revamped awards programme
31 May 2016
The Personal Finance Society has launched a revamped annual awards programme, broadened to offer additional recognition to those who have championed the interests of consumers in the personal finance sector.
Formerly known as the Chartered Awards, this year’s Personal Finance Awards will for the first time include five categories for excellence in trade and national media, recognising the importance and influence of personal finance journalism in raising consumer awareness of personal finance issues.
As well as introducing media categories, the eighth consecutive Personal Finance Society annual awards programme sees the professional body expand its list of practitioner awards to recognise specialist advisers across its membership.
Excellence in the specialist areas of retirement and later life advice, investment advice and mortgage and protection advice will be recognised with new awards, adding to the Chartered Financial Planning Firm of the Year, Paraplanner of the Year and flagship Chartered Financial Planner of the Year categories. Stage one entries to these six awards are now open and close on 12th August 2016.
Personal Finance Society chief executive Keith Richards says the expanded awards programme recognises the important role the media plays in educating and informing consumers about the ever-changing regulatory and personal finance landscape.
“Consumer awareness and protection sits at the very heart of the Personal Finance Society’s main objective and we wanted to use our flagship annual awards programme to recognise those who have contributed to developing a more informed and educated public,” he said.
“We’ve assembled an expert judging panel, which has already started reviewing some of the outstanding reporting being done by personal finance journalists across the country.”
The expert judging panel will select winners of two national media awards and a consumer champion category from a shortlist of finalists to be announced on 1st July. Voting for the two trade media awards will be opened to members of the Personal Finance Society during the summer.
To reflect the success of the Personal Finance Society’s MoneyPlan initiative - which offers pro bono financial guidance to consumers who would not otherwise have access to any form of advice - a MoneyPlanner of the Year award has replaced the annual pro bono award in this year’s programme.
“Our members have generously devoted their time and expertise to the MoneyPlan initiative, which has been successfully rolled out to close to 100 Citizens Advice bureaus across the country since being established last year,” Mr Richards said.
“Pro bono work is an important part of our ongoing campaign to build public confidence and trust in the advice profession, and the MoneyPlanner of the Year award is our way of thanking those members who have gone above and beyond to help this cause.”
Last year’s Chartered Financial Planner of the Year, Simon Glazier of Anderson Anderson & Brown Wealth, urged other advisers to enter this year’s awards programme.
“When I saw the calibre of the other finalists it made my winning this award all the more valuable,” he said.
“The respect of my peers, the confidence of my clients, the enhanced standing with professional connections and the pride of my team have all made it more than worth the effort.”
The Personal Finance Society Personal Finance Awards will be presented at a gala dinner in November. To enter or for more information about the awards visit www.thepfs.org/pfsawards
Stay up to date with the latest news about the awards by following @pfsconf on Twitter or including #pfsawards in your Tweets.
2016 Personal Finance Society Personal Finance Awards – full list of categories
Chartered Financial Planner of the Year
Chartered Financial Planning Firm of the Year
Paraplanner of the Year
Retirement and Later Life Advice Specialist of the Year
Investment Advice Specialist of the Year
Mortgage & Protection Advice Specialist of the Year
MoneyPlanner of the Year
National Newspaper Personal Finance Journalist of the Year
National Newspaper Specialist Consumer Journalist of the Year
Personal Finance Consumer Champion of the Year
Trade Press Personal Finance Journalist of the Year
Trade Press Personal Finance Publication of the Year
Special Award for Outstanding Contribution to Financial Services
Last year’s winners – 2015 Personal Finance Society Chartered Awards
Chartered Financial Planner of the Year: Simon Glazier FPFS – Anderson Anderson & Brown Wealth
Chartered Financial Planning Firm of the Year: Carbon Financial Planners
Paraplanner of the Year: Helen Parker FPFS – Clay Rogers & Partners
Pro bono Award: Tom Ryan APFS - Astute Wealth Management
Highest Achiever in the Advanced Diploma: James Manning APFS - Saunderson House
Highest Achiever in the Diploma: Rachel Nimmo DipPFS - Standard Life
John Ellis Award: Brian Steeples ACII - Turris Partnership
