What is Financial Planning Week and why is it important to advisers?

CISI’s annual Financial Planning Week, which is running from 26 January to 1^st February 2026, is a nationwide public outreach campaign to spread awareness of the benefits of financial planning and encourage people to take control of their finances.

It allows consumers to experience the power of financial planning through free, introductory appointments and resources from all UK financial planning professionals including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™practitioners. It is also an opportunity for all financial planners to give back by sharing their expertise free with their local communities throughout the UK.

Tracy Vegro OBE, CISI CEO said: “CISI Financial Planning Week shines an annual spotlight on the value of professional financial planning, financial literacy and helping UK consumers take control of their finances. This year’s campaign follows the release of the government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy. We were delighted to lend CISI’s support to the Economic Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Rigby launch last year, and the team are developing new free key stage three resources, Moneybase, that will offer school students practical money skills.”

Carly Dunningham CFP™ MCSI, Chair of the CISI Financial Planning Forum committee, launched the FP Week call to all UK planners at the annual CISI Financial Planning Conference and said: “This initiative is more than just a date in the diary. It’s a nationwide opportunity to show the public what true financial planning really means – to raise awareness, to share our expertise more widely, and to open doors for people who might not otherwise have access to the support we know can be invaluable.”

Chris Morris Chartered MCSI, CISI Head of Financial Planning, Policy and Engagement said: “As an educational charity and professional body, we understand the consumer concern around money matters, including inflation, interest rates and potential tax rises. CFP™ practitioners have the talents and skills to offer a helping hand to consumers by giving an hour of their time free during Financial Planning Week.

Advisers have also been sharing why they take part in Financial Planning Week, offering personal insights into what motivates them to support the campaign.

Amyr Rocha Lima, Managing Director at Strategic Wealth Partners, has commented: “Financial Planning Week is an important opportunity to pause and reflect on what financial planning is really about. Not products, performance, or predictions… but people and their lives.

At its best, financial planning gives individuals and families clarity. It helps them understand what they have, what they want their money to achieve, and the trade-offs involved in getting from where they are financially to where they want to be. In a world that often feels uncertain and noisy, that sense of direction and confidence is incredibly valuable.

At Strategic Wealth Partners, we see financial planning as a long-term relationship built on trust, evidence, and clear thinking. Our role isn’t to have all the answers, but to ask better questions. Questions about purpose, priorities, and what a “good life” actually looks like for each client. Once that is clear, the financial decisions tend to fall into place.

Financial Planning Week also matters for the profession itself. It’s a chance to raise standards, challenge misconceptions, and show that modern financial planning is about judgement, ethics, and human understanding as much as technical expertise.

As a profession, we have a responsibility to be visible, accessible, and honest about the value we add. If Financial Planning Week helps even a small number of people take that first step towards getting proper advice and a clearer plan, then it’s doing exactly what it should.”

Anthony Villis Managing Director of First Wealth, said: “In the 12 months (to May 2024), just 8.6% of UK adults received regulated financial advice. With so much noise on social media, often from unregulated voices, that’s a seriously worrying statistic. There’s a common assumption that building a financial plan is simply an added expense. In reality it is a strategic investment in clarity.

True financial planning is an exercise in defining what you actually want from life and taking the necessary steps to ensure your capital makes that life possible. Financial Planning Week is a brilliant place to get started, with advisers and planners across the UK offering free resources, guides, and sessions to help bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

It is important to live in the now, but truly living well today and tomorrow means avoiding the ‘live now, regret later’ trap. Psychologically, we are all prone to ‘Present Bias’, the natural human tendency to overvalue immediate rewards while treating our future selves like strangers. Without a plan to counter this, you risk losing control over how your later years unfold.

For many, this isn’t just about ‘saving’; it’s about structure. We see people who have been incredibly successful at building wealth or growing a business, yet they struggle to turn those illiquid assets into a sustainable, tax-efficient income that lasts a lifetime. Without a roadmap, you might find yourself tethered to work longer than you’d like, or facing the ‘Entrepreneur’s Paradox,’ being asset-rich but cash-flow constrained.

As financial planners, we have a responsibility to reframe this process as an opportunity rather than an obligation. Rather than starting with pension technicalities or tax changes, we start with life goals. What matters most to you and your family? What would you regret not doing? What does true financial freedom look like to you?

Once you clarify what matters, your finances simply become the engine for that lifestyle, whether that’s a dream trip, a charitable legacy, or the peace of mind that your loved ones are secure. Life isn’t a dress rehearsal; accumulating wealth for a life not lived on your terms simply isn’t worth it. A good plan ensures your money serves your life, not the other way around.”