ISO2222 - Citywire

Robin Keyte - Best Money I've Spent In Years

10:26 | 29 Aug 2008

I am both a Chartered Financial Planner and Certified Financial Planner and more recently have been certified against ISO2222 by Standards International.

The most useful and worthwhile exercise of all 3 was ISO 22222 certification.

I think it is extraordinary how as an industry of practitioners we have become used to dealing with organisations with vested interests, without realising how unhelpful it is.

The contrast is stark when you then deal with a firm that is outside of the usual industry bodies and that is very professional and absolutely focused on you, and helping you.

I would strongly commend the team at Standards International to any practitioner serious about improving the way they do business.

Believe me I thought I was well ahead of the game and have been working on a 'fee-only' basis for a number of years but they were able to bring a 'fresh eyes' approach, untainted by the usual industry views, which has led to improvements which have already paid for the whole exercise.

Robin Keyte - CII's Misleading Press Release

10:47 | 29 Aug 2008

Just a passing shot at the CII press release on 13 August 2008:

http://www.cii.co.uk/app/news/default.aspx?id=882

the headline of which reads "The CII Group becomes the UK's first recognised assessor of BS ISO 22222 Personal Financial Planning"

The main content of the press release does NOT support this headline, saying quite correctly that the CII has been "confirmed as the first Professional Body to be approved assessors of the BS ISO 22222 Financial Planner Certification".

However the "first Professional Body" is a very different matter to the "UK's first recognised assessor".

I am clear in my own view that Standards International were the first assessors of BS ISO 22222 Financial Planner Certification in the UK.

I sat on the BSI technical committe that helped to draft the standard and was keen to involve myself in the development of the certification process for the standard, and Standards International appeared to me to be well ahead.

Finally, as a Chartered Financial Planner and a director of a firm with the Chartered Financial Planners title, I conform to certain required standards of behaviour, and expect the CII to do the same.

So, no more cheap shots at the expense of Standards International please.

A much better response would be to try to match the quality and level of service delivered by Standards International.