CERTIFICATE HOLDERS

As a financial advisor at FINUM Private Finance I simply want to advise our clients at the highest possible level. The EFA certificate helps me to achieve this goal in three ways: Firstly, it is simply an excellent education; secondly, the implemented training commitment helps me to maintain quality at a high level; and thirdly, and this is a very important point, our clients can rely on this seal of quality.

During my daily work, I am facing a lot of problems to solve, such as clients’ portfolio management, reacting to rapidly changing market as well as corporate goals achieving. Does EFA certificate help when performing these duties? In my opinion it helps a lot, even more, it gives you self-confidence, that you are professional and ethical. First of all, during the course, you gather quite a wide range of knowledge, form macroeconomics to Elliot…

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While I was on manger position, I decided to start EFPA certification. Someone could ask the question why? At that time, it seemed the most appropriated to me. That time I was to be responsible for the work of financial advisors. It was important, at the beginning what financial advice should actually be defined and what standards it should meet. To be able to become a partner for the customer and also gave full support for advisers…

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I’m responsible for Private Banking in the Waldviertler Sparkasse Bank AG with a colleague of mine; in our teams work 8 advisors. Private Banking is not selling securities or saving accounts; it is to accompany our customers through their whole life-cycle. In the best case a financial advisor should work like a “family office” and ideally follow clients throughout their life and be part of a person’s life. The customer can benefit from a broader range of services. The EFA is an important Standard as a quality feature.

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The reasons that led me to get the EFA certification in 2003 and the EFP certification in 2009 were mainly two. Firstly, attending a high education course that would have certainly brought me to a greater professional role. Secondly, being part of a group of professionals even outside Italy, sharing values and knowledge at European level…

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By completing the courses and passing the EFA / EFP exams, I certainly gained a lot of new and deeper information and professional knowledge. Overall, I have certainly moved forward both professionally and personally and thus gained a new perspective of financial advice and planning. My profession became therefore more inspiring, fulfilling and also binding. People around me, including many clients, have responded very positively to this increase in my expertise. I feel the same positive reaction when I introduce myself to new clients. Financial advice must be based on mutual trust and it is certainly strengthened by this level of professional education. Without doubt it is not and cannot be just about the title. Personally, I feel greater responsibility for my work, which reflects on my clients by more trust, calmness and satisfaction.

The preparation and actual certification of EFA has fundamentally boosted me in my present career. The scope of knowledge has allowed me to deal with significantly more confidence, with creditworthy clients who are much more sophisticated than retail clients and require a certain level of expertise. With the passage of time, I have multiplied the volume of investment and total assets under management.
Additionally, I very much welcome the opportunity to meet regularly with other experienced advisors with a similar approach to work. Often, I can learn a lot including a completely new insight from a colleague from a competing company. EFPA also allows me to take part in various projects and events that I, as an individual, would never have had the chance to get to.

I see lifelong learning as very important for the work of a financial advisor. This helps the advisor himself, his clients and the overall reputation of the industry. Therefore, I recently welcomed the opportunity to obtain a professional EFA certificate. Thanks to this step I have expanded my knowledge especially in the field of financial planning, investment consulting and life insurance. That is, in three areas that have a significant impact on the satisfied life of my clients. Today I am really glad that I own an EFA certificate. I see it as a sign of professionalism and expertise in my career. I therefore recommend to all those who want to continue to develop and provide professional services in their careers to take advantage of EFPA training.

As our economy and the world itself changes, so does the business of finance. Bank clients are not only looking for return, they also want to know what they are actually investing in. Today, the impact an investment has, matters more than ever. As a financial consultant, focusing on ESG criteria just as much as on return, is the name of the game. With the help of the European Financial Planning Association, certified consultants, experts in their line of work, become visible to investors who think long term and take investing one step further.

After 20 years of working in finance, it was simply time for a change – a new impulse. And then suddenly, the offer came to take an EFA course.
During the 9-month course, I travelled 12 800 km (Michalovce in eastern Slovakia – Prague), I spent 16 nights on the train, experienced 104 hours of in-person lectures and 32 hours online, 40 hours of group work, I read almost 1000 pages from 7 books of professional literature, spent many hours of self-study and exam preparation. I was willing to go through all this to obtain the prestigious EFA degree.
Finally, the “D-day” arrived, and the EFA title was finally mine!!!!
It was tough, but I don’t regret it at all. It was worth it!
The preparation course “opened my eyes”. Gradually I gained very valuable know-how necessary for my work, met new interesting people, and was presented with new opportunities and projects. I know that my investment in the course (both money and time) will pay me back several times over.

I started my adventure in Finance in 1992, with the beginnings of the Warsaw Stock Exchange. In 1995 I joined Private Banking and since then have taken on many different roles.
I have been EFPA EFP certified since 2013. For me, the certificate is a confirmation of my competence and professional experience. EFPA membership also gives me the opportunity to constantly educate myself, participate in many interesting events, exchange experiences network with people from the financial industry.
I really appreciate the relationships I have built with my clients over the years and I know that customers value working with a trusted person.
I am also glad that so many women participate actively in the interesting world of finance and through EFPA certification they can obtain a demonstrable ¨seal¨ for their professionalism.

The certification has improved my advisory skills because I have learned to systematise planning models that until now we did in a somewhat intuitive way. This accreditation should be a goal for anyone who wants to aspire to truly high quality advice in the financial world, in which they should stop being a seller of financial products and even go beyond mere financial advice and portfolio management. With this certification you can aspire to real financial planning, which is very rare for most savers and even for some institutional investors.

EFP is considered the highest professional accreditation and makes the difference with the rest because it is the one that provides the most knowledge in the field of financial planning. It is also the certification that accredits the passing of the most demanding tests and, in general, it is usually accompanied by a proven professional background or experience. It is true that MiFID II does not require the EFP as a mandatory requirement, but the aim is to achieve professional excellence.

The EFP certification essentially differentiates us in the great added value we bring to our clients. It qualifies us to help customers make the best decisions throughout their life cycle. Thanks to this certification, we have become a benchmark and our clients take our opinion very seriously. On a practical level, we can say that we move the needle for our clients, as they trust us to accompany them in their ‘moment of truth’, providing them with solutions and creating a lasting environment of trust.

Having the EFP is highly recommended. Firstly, because of the personal satisfaction of having reached the end and having the highest qualification. And on the other hand, because knowledge always adds up. The more complex the environment, the more training the financial advisor needs, and this training is very comprehensive because it covers the whole life cycle of the person. The main requirement is a good attitude and, above all, perseverance. You need to create a study habit of at least two or three days a week.

EFPA allows me to constantly update my knowledge, share my concerns and all this under a clear ethic within the financial sector, to help train and inform my clients. Training in financial planning has given me the essential nuance to make a difference.

The multidisciplinary knowledge behind the EFP certification makes it the most valuable toolbox I have to do my bit to help people achieve their goals and, ultimately, to be a little bit happier.

For me, the EFP certification meant a change in the way of understanding the role of the financial advisor, from thinking about financial products to thinking about people and their financial needs.

Without a doubt, studying the EFP syllabus and obtaining it was a qualitative leap in my profession as a private banker. Within the field of financial advice, it is one of the most complete and practical certificates for my day-to-day work with clients. I am grateful to the association for its continuous training and for making available to its members the updates demanded by the market.

Having the EFP independent certification guarantees both the entity we work for and the regulator and especially the client that the professional advising them has the necessary knowledge to do so. The code of ethics we have signed obliges us to be aligned with the client, to defend their interests ahead of our own and those of the institution we work for.

Having this accreditation means great recognition and prestige within the sector. It also gives the professional greater visibility by belonging to a directory of accredited professionals. EFP gives a competitive advantage over other professionals with lower level accreditations. The ‘Planner’ has a global vision that other certifications do not have in relation to the investor’s assets and the way to achieve financial and fiscal optimisation of this according to the risk profile and its time horizon.

10 years ago I completed my training to become a qualified financial advisor. This training is unique and a true asset. It gives me the opportunity, as an expert, to examine financial topics from a 360-degree perspective for customers and to establish long-term customer relationships. This is added value for everyone – the customers, the advisor and the respective employers such as banks and financial companies. By attending association events, you always stay up to date and it is a pleasure to meet professional colleagues.

The EFA training imparts practical and subject-oriented skills that can be used in the best possible way in client advice. The communication of ethical standards and rules of conduct are also part of protecting client interests.

Klaus Haiderer, EFA, CFP, ESG

Through my training as a certified financial planner, I gained a holistic view of my clients’ total assets. It is important not only to look at the customer’s securities assets, but also to include other areas such as insurance, retirement provision, real estate or tax aspects in the holistic financial planning. Regular further training and recertification are the prerequisite to make sure that clients always deal with highly trained and informed advisors.

Bernd Reiter, EFA, CFP, ESG

Highly qualified training, years of experience and constantly updated specialist knowledge lead to the highest level of quality in the financial services industry: the focus of advice is not on quick profits or quick product sales – but solely on the client, his needs, wishes and goals!

Günther Wagner, EFA

Thanks to the great training and ongoing updates, I am always well prepared to answer client questions.

Mag. Claudia Hager, EFA, CFP

After a long-term career in other European countries, returning to Austria and switching from global institutional banking to a private bank, the training was the logical next step for me. In particular, the combination of conveying legal and tax framework conditions and a holistic view of Austria-specific content was extremely important for me in order to be able to cope with the new challenges.

Rene Fahler, EFA

As an industry leader in Südsteiermark, ongoing training and further education is my top priority. The Austrian Association of Financial Planners is one of the best platforms for this, which I highly recommend.