Sharing his insights below, Scott Stevens, Managing Director – Business Development and Marketing at Mattioli Woods, tells us why he believes that, when it comes to CPD, the best advisers see the current 35hour regulatory requirement as a minimum and not a ceiling and why variety is key.
In the world of wealth management, things never stand still for very long. Tax legislation is ever-shifting, pension rules are constantly evolving, and client needs only continue to grow more complex. For financial advisers, keeping pace isn’t just good practice – it’s a regulatory and professional obligation. The best advisers don’t treat continuing professional development (CPD) as a box to be ticked, they treat it as a career-long habit that makes them genuinely better at what they do.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) requires retail investment advisers to complete a minimum of 35 hours of CPD per year, of which at least 21 must be structured learning; a recognition that in this profession, standing still isn’t an option. Markets move, legislation changes, and the landscape advisers are navigating today looks meaningfully different to the one they qualified in.
The best advisers treat those 35 hours as a floor, not a ceiling.
Where to start: CPD that makes a difference
Not all CPD is created equal. The most effective learning tends to be specific, relevant, and applied directly to client work. Some strong starting points for financial advisers include:
- Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) structured learning – formal modules that count towards qualifications and Chartered status
- Technical webinars and provider updates – particularly useful for staying current on tax rules, pensions, and broader regulatory change
- Financial planning case studies and peer discussion – often the most practical form of learning, and frequently underused
- Trade press and research – Money Marketing, Professional Adviser, FCA publications, and managed portfolio service (MPS) provider commentary all count as unstructured CPD
- Advanced qualifications – Chartered Financial Planner, later-life lending, or specialist areas like business protection and Inheritance Tax planning
The key is variety – combining structured and unstructured learning across technical, regulatory, and client-facing skills.
For some advisers, that means going further still.
“Studying towards dual Chartered status to become a Chartered Financial Planner, having already qualified as a Chartered Accountant, is no small undertaking alongside a growing client book – but for me, the two disciplines are deeply connected. Understanding how the advice I give connects to the accountancy side improves the quality of advice I can give. The learning isn’t an add-on to the job; it’s become central to how I think about every client conversation.” — Matt Lawrie, Financial Adviser, Mattioli Woods.
Building a culture where learning thrives
CPD culture doesn’t sustain itself. It needs protected study time, quality resources, peer discussion, and senior voices who model the behaviour themselves.
At Mattioli Woods, we believe learning is not a phase you complete before getting on with the real work. It is the real work – and every hour an adviser spends sharpening their knowledge ultimately benefits the clients sitting across the table from them.
This week, and every week, that commitment is something worth celebrating.
