RDR chief says qualifications not 'sole' concern

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The FSA is seeking to find the right balance between adviser qualifications and on the job experience to improve professionalism, RDR head Amanda Bowe says.

Speaking at the Financial Services Distribution Summit today, Bowe tackled some of the misconceptions surrounding the July discussion paper. On the subject of professionalism, she says the regulator is not solely concerned about examinations. “We are interested in a range of things that constitute professionalism including ethics, competence, experience, and so on,” Bowe says. “Identifying how best to achieve this balance is one area where the industry could usefully take the lead.” Another contentious area Bowe discussed was regarding the term ‘independence’. “Some IFAs we have s...

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