Industry collab offers educational pathway for advice professionals

Yasmine Raso

Senior Journalist

12 September 2024

A collaboration between AccountantsIQ, the Self Managed Super Fund Association (SMSFA) and Deakin University has produced new educational pathways for advice professionals to meet their requirements.

The organisations are launching two new courses that are approved to meet legislated requirements, with Ethics for Financial Services (Intensive) offered at Deakin University and SMSF Specialist Advisor Program offered by the SMSF Association. The courses are set to be delivered online and will provide up to 77 CPD hours for those who undertake them, with bundle pricing options available and an Associate Membership with the SMSF Association also on offer.

Bronny Speed, Founding Director of AccountantsIQ, will spearhead the Deakin University Ethics for Financial Services (Intensive course).

“Given Ethics is a Compulsory Bridging Unit and many still need to complete it, by offering this subject in a practical, structured and intensive format, many advice professionals will benefit,” she said.

“A key takeaway from the FASEA exam is, do not wait until the last minute. This is a practical and time effective solution for advice professionals to remain on the FAR by meeting the ASIC educational requirements well before the 31 December 2025 deadline.”

The Deakin University Ethics for Financial Services (Intensive) course will be delivered over four half days in November, with enrolments closing on 21 October. The SMSF Association’s SMSF Specialist Advisor Program is a 12-week online program that can be completed at one’s own pace.

“The SMSF Association’s SMSF Specialist Advisor program (SSA) remains the pinnacle of specialist SMSF education within the sector, and completion of this course has been recognised as a credit towards meeting these mandatory education requirements,” Peter Burgess, CEO of the SMSF Association, said.