S4:E7 How passing the CFP has helped me evolve my role as a paraplanner

In this week's podcast we are back to talking all things CFP certificate related with Carmen Bacaoanu, Head of Paraplanning at Wealth Matters.

We talk about her journey in the financial advice industry, how she was treated, how she found people to support her and how she became a career paraplanner.

Carmen also shares why it was important for her to gain her CFP certification and why she believes that it's a qualification for all, not just for client facing planners.  Along the way we discuss various tips and pitfalls of working on the CISI L7 case study financial plan assessment and the do's and don'ts to pass.

This is a great episode if you are a paraplanner interested to know whether it is worth embarking on the CFP and employers who want to better support their teams.

Carmen's Bio:

I started my career in Financial Planning in 2018 as a trainee paraplanner and prior to this I worked in retail banking for 8 years.  I came into the Financial Planning industry with very little experience, however, within four years I have completed my industry exams and qualified as a Certified Financial Planner, accredited by the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment.

My current role is Head of Paraplanning and I manage a team of four Paraplanners. We have recently started training graduates in the role, who often have little or no financial services experience. My focus is on my team and using my skills and experience to help them thrive professionally and personally by helping them blend work commitments with family life.

I also interact with clients, dealing directly with them and presenting in meetings to reassure them about their portfolios. Although I’m a Paraplanner by trade, a lot of my role involves relationship management, and I pride myself on my people skills.

When I am not spending time helping our clients, I am with my daughter and our pets. I also enjoy painting and am very proud to have many of my artworks present in my friends’ homes.