In Australia, the National Information Centre on Retirement Investments (NICRI) is charged with improving the retirement planning information that is offered to the general public. A key characteristic of the NICRI is that it acts entirely independently from the government and the finance industry. According to the NICRI, financial planners in Australia need to be licensed by the Australian Financial Services (AFS) or an authorised representative. They may operate independently or work for a financial services group (private or institutional). Always ensure that your financial planner’s qualifications are nationally accredited, such as the financial planning courses offered by the University of Queensland, which is based in Brisbane.

Financial planning courses in Brisbane

The Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, offers financial planning-related courses, such as its Bachelor of Business (Finance), which includes capital planning, stock broking, funds acquisition and investments management; and its Master of Business (Applied Finance), which includes corporate finance, security analysis, portfolio management and trading and risk management and is ideally suit for those who want to be financial advisers.

Kaplan Professional, which has a location in Brisbane, offers a Diploma of Financial Planning which includes courses in insurance and risk protection, superannuation and investment products. It also offers an Advanced Diploma of Financial Planning, which includes courses on taxation and estate planning, and complex financial planning, and a Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning, which covers matters unique to the industry in Brisbane and the rest of Australia. Furthermore, Kaplan offers a Master of Applied Finance, which includes courses on superannuation and retirement planning, insurance, succession and estate planning, investment management, futures and options markets and trading, and technical analysis.

The Investment Banking Institute (IBI) Australia offers a number of financial planning courses in Brisbane and other major cities in Australia. Diploma of Financial Services (Financial Planning) and Advanced Diploma of Financial Services (Financial Planning) courses are available on demand in Brisbane. The IBI also offers short courses online, such as the eight-day Diploma of Financial Planning, and longer courses, such as the Advanced Diploma of Financial Services (Financial Planning), which includes taxation planning, estate planning, investment planning, and advanced financial planning advice.

The field of financial planning constantly evolves, so planners have to commit to continuous professional development (CPD). CPD is a requirement when you join professional industry associations, but you should also have a personal interest in ensuring that you stay on top of developments, trends and changing regulations on local, national and international levels. There are a number of diploma financial planning courses that will also help you keep on top of things like superannuation, as well as provide add-on skills like how to sell advice or how to develop fee-for-service programs.

Search TafeCourses.com.au to find financial planning courses in Brisbane.