Financial Planning Courses

I just received the email (below) today, it seems there is some name changing in process.
Hope it helps, link to their website also attached.

http://www.kaplanprofessional.edu.au/default.asp

"Over the past 24 months, Kaplan Professional has received strong industry support for the specialist elective streams offered as part of the Master of Applied Finance course. This has been particularly so in the financial planning sector, where the Financial Planning Major in the Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance has become a specialist qualification for professional planners and advisers. To more precisely articulate the professional relevance of the subjects in the Financial Planning Major, Kaplan has been granted government approval to change the name of the Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance with a Financial Planning Major to the Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning. The new title clearly identifies the discipline in which graduates have attained advanced technical knowledge and skills.

No other elective subjects or specialist streams in the Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance are affected in any way by this name change. The content of the Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning and the requirements for course completion remain the same as those currently under the Financial Planning Major of the Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance. Eight compulsory subjects must be successfully completed to achieve the award. These subjects are: FIN111 Financial Markets and Economic PrinciplesFIN112 Law, Regulation and EthicsFIN113 Techniques in Financial AnalysisFIN114 Risk Management for Finance Sector EnterprisesFIN211 Financial Planning FundamentalsFIN212 Investment ProductsFIN213 Superannuation and Retirement PlanningFIN214 Insurance, Succession and Estate Planning. The new qualification title will be introduced from January 2010. However, existing students may elect to graduate with a qualification carrying the old name and Major for a period of time. To help you find out more about your future elective choices and graduation options, several student scenarios have been identified. Choose the scenario below that applies to your circumstances and click on the information link."

Each dealer group that holds an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) determines the minimum education + competency requires for their individual authorised reps.

The dealer group my employer is with requires the Diploma of Financial Services(Kaplan – first 4 subjects) as the minimum, but other groups take into consideration other education and experience.  For example I knew someone who sold timeshare and she became an authorised rep via doing a very simple test – but she was limited to advising on specific products.

The 4 first subjects that make up the DFP are relatively easy – especially if you have completed a Bachelor with any kind of commerce / finance major.  You could probably even see if any financial planning companies are offering cadetships / work experience placements – check their websites.

I beleive a Bachelors degree with a finance major + DFP is probably going to serve you better than a masters.

I hope this helps.