When thinking about becoming a financial planner, most people picture regulated advisers selling investment products, pensions, and insurance. But what if you could build a rewarding professional career in financial planning without ever recommending or selling a financial product?
That’s the key message my good friend Dave Robinson wanted to get across in a recent video shared by BWD, a recruitment firm specialising in financial services. While Dave’s video was packed with valuable advice for aspiring planners, an important distinction was lost in editing:
👉 You don’t have to be FCA-authorised or achieve Competent Adviser Status (CAS) to build a professional career in financial planning.
In fact, a growing number of financial planners are choosing an alternative route—one that focuses entirely on client-centred planning, without product recommendation or sales. It’s a pathway gaining recognition, professional standing, and demand.
Two sides of the financial advice fence
Dave explains that in the UK, financial planning sits on two philosophical sides:
- Product-based advice: Regulated advice requiring FCA authorisation to recommend financial products.
- Planning-led advice: Professional financial planning that stops at the advice stage, empowering clients to implement solutions themselves—no product recommendation, no regulation required.
For those drawn to holistic, independent financial planning, the second path offers a powerful alternative. You can still achieve professional qualifications, belong to a professional body, and build a sustainable, fulfilling career—without selling products or being tied to a regulated sales environment.
A professional pathway without regulation
Professional bodies like the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) have paved the way for planners who want to focus purely on planning. Through qualifications like the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP) certification, it’s possible to earn globally recognised professional standing while staying independent of product sales and FCA regulation.
At the Academy of Life Planning (AoLP), we’ve long advocated for this alternative path. Our Holistic Wealth Planner (HWP) model and partnership with CISI enable planners to:
✅ Focus on financial life planning, human capital, and client well-being
✅ Gain professional qualifications (including CFP) without regulatory authorisation
✅ Join a supportive, global community committed to client-centred advice
✅ Operate ethically, transparently, and independently
This pathway doesn’t mean taking shortcuts; it demands high standards of professionalism, continuous learning, and a deep commitment to ethical, unbiased client service. But it frees planners from sales quotas, conflicts of interest, and the pressures of product-driven advice.
Why this message matters
The video Dave shared has already inspired many aspiring planners. But as Dave rightly pointed out, the nuance of this non-regulated, product-free pathway wasn’t emphasised enough—and mention of the Academy of Life Planning’s role in supporting this route was unfortunately cut.
So let’s set the record straight:
👉 You don’t have to become FCA-regulated to be a professional financial planner.
👉 You can earn respected qualifications like the CFP™ via CISI without advising on products.
👉 You can build a meaningful, professional career in financial planning focused solely on helping people plan their lives—not sell them products.
A growing movement
At AoLP, we’re proud to support planners who want to make a difference—not a sale. Through our community, training, and partnerships with CISI and other global bodies, we’re helping financial planners redefine what it means to be ‘qualified’ and ‘professional’ in this space.
If you’re an aspiring planner disillusioned by the product-driven status quo, know this:
✅ There’s a professional home for you here.
✅ There’s a proven pathway that values planning over products.
✅ There’s a growing demand for truly independent, client-centred financial planning.
For more information on how to build a career as a holistic, product-free financial planner, visit www.aolp.info or message me directly.
Let’s embrace a future where financial planning is a profession, not a sales channel—and planners are valued for their wisdom, not their product quotas.
Your Money or Your Life
Unmask the highway robbers – Enjoy wealth in every area of your life!
By Steve Conley. Available on Amazon. Visit www.steve.conley.co.uk to find out more.
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