IFS DipFA Coursework (Due 02/05/14)

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Some pointers…

The IFS Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA®) Coursework due for the beginning of May focuses on the opportunities for tax efficient financial advice available for higher earners.

This is an important area for any existing or aspiring Investment Adviser, and thus the IFS have provided students with a highly relevant topic for this submission.

In preparation for one of our courses, the IFS Study Folders contain an excellent starting point for research on why and how the UK taxation regime operates, and the effects on higher earners.  By combining this knowledge with relevant product knowledge that shows the reader how to legitimately mitigate and reduce tax liabilities, students will go a long way to providing a well researched essay.

It is essential for students to understand the referencing and bibliography requirements, and focus on a good, solid structure.

Further support can be found by booking attendance at one of Futuretrend’sDipFA courses, via the remote support option.

Paul Davis, Dip. PFS, Futuretrend Tutor.

Some pointers for IFS DipFA Factfind Exam 10/10/13

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by Paul Davis

IFS DipFA Exam (date 10/10/13)

Some pointers…

The Fact Find presents us with a fictional scenario for a Mr and Mrs Clark.  In my opinion the scenario and advice requirements in this exam are actually fairly close to many “real life” cases that many Advisers may have seen during their career.  Additionally, the Fact Find presents a number of challenges for students, mainly around the retirement objective and the interest only mortgage, amongst others.

However, regardless of how life-like or not Students may feel the scenario is; it is of course actually there to test your knowledge, and crucially, the application of that knowledge to the client’s circumstances and the suitability of your advice.

This blog summarises some of the key issues students will need to consider for this exam, and some pointers that students may find useful to review and refresh themselves of in addition to other study – this blog is not a comprehensive guide to the exam but should get you started.

As always, a solid understanding of taxation is required.  Anyone not fully clued up on the tax treatment of income and investments should immediately head to the IFS Study Folders (issued by the IFS when they started the DipFA course), and look up the Taxation folder.  This is particularly crucial as Mr Clark is a high earner.

Additionally, in preparation for one of our courses, some of the required subject specific areas to consider for further study are;

  • Mortgage Advice around re-mortgaging and the suitability of interest only mortgages
  • Inheritance Tax Mitigation
  • Retirement Planning
  • Protection Advice
  • Investment and Portfolio Planning

This is most definitely not a comprehensive list, and of course don’t forget, anything in the syllabus can be considered relevant for the exam.  The amendments on the day can cover any issue covered in the Study Folders, or related to these areas.  Students would be well advised to at least review the sections of the Study Folders for areas of advice they are not familiar with prior to the exam itself.  According to recent Examiner’s reports, many students are missing out on marks as a result of not sufficiently addressing the amendments on the day.  If there are gaps in your knowledge compared to the syllabus, you run the risk of being caught out!

Further support can be found by booking attendance at one of Futuretrend’s Dipfa courses, or  requesting info about the remote support option.

Good Luck.

Paul Davis, Dip. PFS, Futuretrend Tutor.

Win a FREE Training course at Futuretrend

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 Do you fancy winning  a FREE Training course at Futuretrend?

 Be one of Five lucky winners to win a FREE instructor-led training course of your choice.
Simply enter by visiting our Special offers page on the main Futuretrend website.

Courses available:

Adobe Dreamweaver: Introduction, Adobe Dreamweaver : Intermediate, Adobe Photoshop: Introduction, Adobe Photoshop Intermediate, Adobe Illustrator: Introduction, Adobe InDesign: Introduction, HTML & CSS, WordPress Essentials, HTML5 & CSS3, PHP & MySQL,CeMAP 1, CeMAP 2 & 3

How to enter:

  1. First See the selected course list to identify which course you would like to win.
  2. Next, use the Widget to make your entry. You will be asked which course you would most like to win.
  3. You can also gain additional entries to the competition by tweeting, liking on Facebook etc

Closing date: 12.am on Friday 12th July 2013

Winner announced: 5pm Monday 15th July 2013

Enter the competition here!

Entry into the competition is free and you can earn bonus entries by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter too.

5 winners will be selected at random. Good luck!

Reasons to learn adobe Illustrator

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As an avid Adobe illustrator user and tutor I have recently had a few people contact me wanting to know if they should consider learning illustrator.

Graphic designers use different programs or software to generate their graphics. Most people agree that Adobe Illustrator ranks as one of the most popular vector graphic design software packages.

However, popularity alone wouldn’t convince an aspiring graphic designer to select illustrator as their preferred software package. Below are some top reasons why you should consider learning illustrator especially if you are into web design, logo design or any other profession which calls for creating graphics from scratch.

It allows you to freely express your ideas

One of the things a graphics specialist wants to do when designing an advert or poster is freely express an idea which connects with their targeted audience. Illustrator allows you to create your designs from scratch which implies that you can create virtually anything as long as you have the skill and knowledge.

Easily create logos

Illustrator is a vector graphic editor which implies that one can easily use it to do their art work which places the programs among the best in logo design. The pen tool allows you to create shapes while the isolated background feature enhances your work. You should however note that logo design requires adept skill and therefore obliges to go through viable illustrator training if they wish to create captivating logos.

Draw your own icons

Illustrator has a powerful grid system which allows you to draw attractive icons using different shapes which are fitted into the grid. After arranging the shapes, it is relatively easy to color them using tools made available in Illustrator. If you are in the process of developing a website, software package or anything else which requires icons for navigation, you will certainly need to familiarize with adobe illustrator.

Come up with great infographics

As the name suggests, infographics are used to represent information on a graphical chart. In most cases, they are used on newspapers and magazines to support the content written in text. Of late, internet marketers now use infographics to capture the attention of their audience on blogs and informational pages on their websites. With illustrator, you can either choose to create an infographic from scratch or you can use the programs templates and create equally appealing charts by just entering data. Remember, how good your info graphic looks depends on your skills which gives another reason why it would it would be worthwhile to take an illustrator course.

Draw maps

With Adobe Illustrator, you realize that you can draw actual maps using the pen and line tool. At first it might prove difficult to use the pen tool but as time advances and with more practice, it becomes easier as you perfect on accuracy.

Finally,
Always bear in mind that graphic design can be a well paid profession. As a budding graphic designer or web developer, agencies and companies are looking for people with a wide range of skills. You need to develop these to become more marketable. This will probably make you appreciate the importance of learning  Adobe illustrator or enrolling on an Adobe Illustrator course that will help you acquire the necessary skills..

Creating websites with WordPress? 10 excellent tips you must check out

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WordPress is not just the choice CMS for nothing. It is user friendly, easy to build web sites with, easy to navigate and allows you to include thousands of plugins to improve visitors’ experience. Learning to create websites with WordPress can be a little bit more effective if you abide by some simple rules as follows:

Keep it simple

With so many images, graphics, photos and plugins to play with its usually very tempting for you to want to overdo things. Make your WordPress design as simple as possible so it doesn’t look too cluttered or design heavyartificial. Remember people need the information more than the design.

Logins

If you don’t want attackers hunting down your WordPress site then you need to tweak the login details. Delete the default admin account and create a new one; without forgetting to move the old posts. On your blog use a nickname instead of your administrator name.

Choose the right theme
Wordpress sites and blogs are built based on themes.
Whether you are choosing free themes off the many wordpress theme sites or you go to a wordpress training course to learn how to create your own theme to put your site design in the right perspective ensure that you select the right theme. The theme for an entertainment site will be different from that of a business site.

Install the right plugins

With WordPress there is a plugin for everything from managing social network profiles to counting how many people are visiting your site. SEO plugins are very important so don’t forget to add them. Make sure the plugins you’re adding are doing something for you. If not they should be removed.

Use keywords

Every part of your content should have keywords in them. The title, mega descriptions, tags, images, subtitles, article body, videos and URL should all have niche relevant keywords .

Use alt texts for the images

Because the images you upload also counts in search engine optimization you’ll be doing yourself a lot of favours by using alt text to write their description. They appear when the image is not found, but make sure there is no space between the words.

Use SSL

To further protect your WordPress site from attacks try to make use of SSL and force SSL login. This certificate login might cost a little but it will give you peace of mind.

Socialize

Social media is becoming very much irresistible if not indispensable. To make your WordPress site more visible and popular you must integrate it with the other popular social networking platforms including Facebook, twitter and YouTube.

Sitemaps

Sitemaps are great because they help search engines crawlers locate, browse through and index your site. This is good for your SEO ranking and in helping new site users find what they’re looking for, with ease.

Back up

Please understand that no matter how much site security you implement or WordPress training you receive it can never be completely secure. There is no such thing as a 100% secured site. This is why you have to back up all your files right from the start. Depending on the volume of content of your site and your needs you will need a daily or monthly back up plan.

You can get more tips and tricks on  our wordpress essentials  and wordpress advanced training courses

7 Essential Dreamweaver Features that make life a whole lot easier for designers/developers.

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 Dreamweaver (DW) is web development software, made by Adobe, that lets web developers code,

test, run, and preview their programs within minutes. This web development software has tons of features and We’ll explore some of these in this blog.Most of these features are guaranteed to make your Web Development life much easier.

The top 7 features of Dreamweaver IDE:

1. Code Minimization

Whenever you are coding a web page that consists of more than hundreds, and even thousands, of codes, you may get overwhelmed and lost while navigating through different sections of the page. The Dreamweaver code minimization [-] feature makes it easier for you to select a chunk of code and, well, minimize them, so that you don’t have to bother with it until you decide to use (expand) it.

2. Code Formatting

While creating a web project, particularly the bigger ones, it’s not uncommon to see your code and its structure get tangled, disorganized, and clutterred. This clutter may not cause you problems straight away, but later on, especially during code editing and debugging phase, you will definitely wrack you brain because you can’t seem to locate different sections of codes inside the page. But with Dreamweaver’s ‘code formatting’ feature, order is re-established.

Here’s how you format code: Select the chunk of code, and under the ‘Commands’ menu at the top, click on the ‘Apply Source Formatting’ and viola, everything looks clean, organized, and clutter free!

3. Code Navigator

Dreamweaver offers a user-friendly and easy to understand interface development environment (IDE) to code projects, build apps, and create websites. Code navigator, for example, tells you exactly where you are in the site, and above all, styles important elements surrounding it, making it easier for you to navigate around the murky and complex algorithms inside the page.

4. Code Snippets

Web developers frequently use scripts and small programs (code snippets) that intermix together to create a giant working engine. Although coding each of these code snippets would be fun, why not use Dreamweaver’s built-in snippets instead. Not only will you save tons of time, but you’ll also utilize DW to its maximum.

5. Insert Menu

Just like code snippet, DW also offers ‘insert menu’ option that has a bunch of cool pre-written codes to integrate small applications into your web project. For instance, to make your web page SEO-friendly, you can use the meta keyword option, or insert web form and its elements (radio buttons, text fields, hidden fields, and so on) for contact us page, or create a smooth rollover navigation bar. You really don’t have to Google every time you require to use small and simple codes, DW has it all… and its recommended you use ’em!

6. Easily Find Embedded Files

If there are any Stylesheets or JavaScripts you have referenced in the web page, then the new DW IDE will help you access them, easily! This means that you no longer have to open dozens of tabs all at once. Instead, you just have to open the right one, and you’re good to go!

7. Find Replace Tool

During web development, you end up in situations where you might want to add a class to a bunch of list, or remove the class all together from all the files. Instead of opening every single file, all you do is use the Find and Replace tool, select the folder where you want DW to look for the matches, and look…you’re done!

8. Bonus: Live View

Developers often need to see a preview of their coding right away! And opening up the browser and checking for the change would be frustrating sometimes. Don’t worry! DW will let you preview your work live, and also shows the changes right away! Amazing, isn’t it?

To learn more tricks and tips that will make your programming life much easier you can consider joining our Dreamweaver training course.

IFS DipFA Exam (date 16/0513)

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IFS DipFA Exam (date 16/0513)

Some pointers…

The Fact Find presents us with a scenario for a Mr & Mrs Atkinson.  The scenario presented provides a number of challenges for students across a diverse range of advice areas.  Students must remember that the scenario presented is there to test your knowledge, and crucially, the application of that knowledge to the client’s circumstances and the suitability of your advice.

This blog summarises some of the key issues students will need to consider for this exam, and some pointers about specific parts of the IFS DipFA Study Folders that students may find useful to review and refresh themselves of in addition to other study – this blog is not a comprehensive guide to the exam but should get you started.

Anyone not fully clued up on taxation basics should immediately head to the IFS Study Folders (issued by the IFS when they started the DipFA course), and look up Topic 2 and Topic 3 in the Taxation folder.

Additionally, in preparation for one of our courses, some specific areas to consider for further study are;

  • Defined Benefit (final salary) schemes, in Retirement Topic 5.3.2
  • Tax efficient saving and investing, in Investments Topic 12
  • Protection Planning, in Protection Topic 9
  • Clients attitude to Risk, in Investments Topic 14.2.1
  • Retirement Planning Topic 7

This is most definitely not a comprehensive list, and of course don’t forget, anything in the syllabus can be considered relevant for the exam.

You will be presented with amendments to the Fact Find on the day.  The amendments on the day can cover any issue covered in the Study Folders, or related to these areas.  Students would be well advised to at least review the sections of the Study Folders for areas of advice they are not familiar with prior to the exam itself.

Further support can be found by booking attendance at one of Futuretrend’s DipFA Fact find courses, or on the remote support option.

Paul Davis, Dip. PFS, Futuretrend Tutor.

 

Some pointers for IFS DipFA Exam (07/03/13)

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IFS DipFA Exam (date 07/03/13)

Some pointers…

The Fact Find presents us with a scenario for a Mr and Mrs Franey.  In my opinion the scenario in this exam is not a million miles removed from any number of real life cases that many Advisers may have seen during their career.

However, regardless of how life-like or not Students may feel the scenario is; it is of course actually there to test your knowledge, and crucially, the application of that knowledge to the client’s circumstances and the suitability of your advice.

This blog summarises some of the key issues students will need to consider for this exam, and some pointers about specific parts of the IFS DipFA Study Folders that students may find useful to review and refresh themselves of in addition to other study – this blog is not a comprehensive guide to the exam but should get you started.

In this scenario, the clients have exposure to income tax and national insurance as both an employee and as a sole trader.  A solid understanding of the rules relating to Income Tax and National Insurance (N.I.) is essential.  Anyone not fully clued up on these basics for both employed and self employed clients should immediately head to the IFS Study Folders (issued by the IFS when they started the DipFA course), and look up Topic 2 and Topic 3 in the Taxation folder.  Also be aware of N.I. Contributions once over State Retirement Age.

Additionally, in preparation for one of our courses, some of the required subject specific areas to consider for further study are;

  • Defined Benefit (Final Salary) pensions.  See Retirement Topic 5.3.2
  • Needs Based Protection Planning.  See Protection Topic 9
  • Investment Advice.  See Investments Topic 14

This is most definitely not a comprehensive list, and of course don’t forget, anything in the syllabus can be considered relevant for the exam.  The amendments on the day can cover any issue covered in the Study Folders, or related to these areas.  Students would be well advised to at least review the sections of the Study Folders for areas of advice they are not familiar with prior to the exam itself.  According to recent Examiner’s reports, many students are missing out on marks as a result of not sufficiently addressing the amendments on the day.  If there are gaps in your knowledge compared to the syllabus, you run the risk of being caught out!

Further support can be found by booking attendance at one of Futuretrend’s DipFA Exam Workshops, or on the remote support option.

Good Luck!

Paul Davis, Dip. PFS, Futuretrend Tutor.

IFS DipFA Coursework (Due 01/03/13)

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IFS DipFA Coursework (Due 01/03/13)

Some pointers…

The Coursework due for the beginning of March has taken a topical regulatory issue from the last couple of years, that is, the assessment of risk that involved in saving and investing, and the assessment of the level of risk a client is able or chooses to take.

As such, there is actually a wide range of material out there for enterprising students to discover and read.  This is an important area for any existing or aspiring Investment Adviser, and thus the IFS have provided students with a highly relevant topic for this submission.

This blog summarises some of the key background research students will need to consider for this Coursework, and some pointers about specific parts of the IFS DipFA Study Folders that students may find useful to review and refresh themselves of in addition to other study – this blog is not a comprehensive guide to the Coursework but should get you started.

In preparation for one of our courses, some specific areas to consider for further study are;

  • Investments Topic 7 on Risk
  • Investment Topic 13 on Assessing Performance
  • Investments Topic 14 on Advice

 

Additionally, the FSA have issued guidance on this subject in the last couple of years and students would do well to be aware of the Regulators thinking in this area.

 

This is most definitely not a comprehensive list, and of course don’t forget, the Coursework submitted must be a comprehensive and concise piece of work that fully covers this area.  There are also the three additional questions to cover.

Further support can be found by booking attendance at one of Futuretrend’s DipFA courses, or on the remote support option.

Paul Davis, Dip. PFS, Futuretrend Tutor.

Some pointers for IFS DipFA Exam (14/02/13)

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IFS DipFA Exam (date 14/02/13)

Some pointers…

The Fact Find presents us with a scenario for a Mr Teague.  As usual, the IFS Exam Fact Find details a client scenario that stretches the imagination…the client is 28 years old with a child to provide for and yet has somehow managed to accumulate some £129,000 in liquid assets in his own name!

However, the scenario is of course not necessarily meant to be representative of real life, it is actually there to test your knowledge, and crucially, the application of that knowledge to the client’s circumstances and the suitability of your advice.  So, as usual, let’s not get hung up over how realistic or not the scenario is.

This blog summarises some of the key issues students will need to consider for this exam, and some pointers about specific parts of the IFS DipFA Study Folders that students may find useful to review and refresh themselves of in addition to other study – this blog is not a comprehensive guide to the exam but should get you started.

  • In this scenario, the client has exposure to income tax and national insurance as both an employee and as a self employed freelancer.  A solid understanding of the rules relating to Income Tax and National Insurance is essential

Anyone not fully clued up on these basics for both employed and self employed clients should immediately head to the IFS Study Folders (issued by the IFS when they started the DipFA course), and look up Topic 2 and Topic 3 in the Taxation folder.

Additionally, in preparation for one of our courses, some specific areas to consider for further study are;

  • Investments including Investment (Stocks & Shares) ISA accounts see Investment Topics 12.1 for ISAs; and 10.2 for Unit Trusts as well as 11.2 for With Profits Investments
  • Student Loan repayments and liabilities
  • Enterprise Investment Schemes see Investments 12.5
  • Warrants see Investment Topic 5.1

This is most definitely not a comprehensive list, and of course don’t forget, anything in the syllabus can be considered relevant for the exam.  The amendments on the day can cover any issue covered in the Study Folders, or related to these areas.  Students would be well advised to at least review the sections of the Study Folders for areas of advice they are not familiar with prior to the exam itself.

Further support can be found by booking attendance at one of Futuretrend’s DipFA Factfind Course, or on the remote support option.

Paul Davis, Dip. PFS, Futuretrend Tutor.