SAQA

All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.

SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

Advanced Postgraduate Diploma: Financial Planning

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
48867	Advanced Postgraduate Diploma: Financial Planning
ORIGINATOR
University of the Free State
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education			HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Postgraduate Diploma	Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies		Finance, Economics and Accounting
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	120	Level 7	Level N/A: Pre-2009 was L7	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		SAQA 06120/18	2018-07-01	2018-12-31
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2019-12-31		2022-12-31

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification.

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

Learners will be competent

to practice as specialist financial planners in the financial planning environment;

to provide specialist professional financial planning services to a range of clients in society and in business; and

to apply knowledge, skills and competence for personal advancement and gainful economic activity in a lucrative professional field, nationally and internationally.

Rationale for the Qualification

In 1983 the need to have a proper program for financial advisors and brokers was fulfilled by the introduction of the then called ILPA advanced certificate.
The rationale then was to educate, train and assess people in specialized fields of financial planning to assure specialized knowledge levels and professionalism in the financial services industry. With the introduction of SAQA and the NQF framework it was decided by industry to get approval of this specialist qualification. The University of the Free State got approval for the program in 2000. The UFS was involved with the advanced certificate as quality assurer and moderator up till then. The rationale for the qualification is still to educate, train and assess people who want to specialize in a particular field for financial planning. This is an important qualification as only few qualifications are available in South Africa offering specialist education in this particular field.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Learning covered in the Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning or a degree with majors in the specific field of study.

Recognition of prior learning (RPL)
Relevant experience confirmed by prior learning assessment will be considered, on condition that it is assessed as equal to a formal 360-credit qualification.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

120 Credits/1 200 notional learning hours

Predominantly core learning - 20 credits fundamental learning integrated in the core modules.

Core learning will consist of the following:

Investment planning elective
> Investment instruments
> Investment products

Estate planning elective
> Succession planning
> Wills
> Tax planning

Employee Benefits electives
> Retirement annuity funds
> Pension, provident and benefit funds
> Applying and reducing the average rate of tax

Health Benefits
> Medical Schemes Act
> Regulations past in terms of the Medical Schemes Act
> Other regulatory issues regarding medical schemes

The following elective learning is provided:
> Employee benefits
> Personal Risk Management
> Health benefits
> Advanced investment planning
> Estate planning

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

The learner will demonstrate the capability

to apply advanced intellectual, value and specialist skills abilities in financial planning for the benefit of clients and society;

to establish a planner and client relationship with the purpose of communicating specialized financial concepts, services and client-concomitant responsibilities to clients;

to assess the client profile in order to be able to provide specialist financial planning advice;

to determine the special financial goals of the client as far as capital risk and investment needs are concerned;

to present for approval, the client with a specialist financial plan as required, and

to implement the recommendations by selecting, managing and monitoring the effectiveness thereof, subject always to the ethical code of the profession.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The learner will have to provide evidence in the various learning modules in different prescribed fields of specialist financial planning, of the ability to view the specific area in context, and specifically in the area of Heath Benefits to

interpret the implications for all stakeholders of medical schemes, contributions and benefits, the relevant regulatory environment, as well as the legal basis of the doctor/hospital/patient relationship;

explain the medical scheme industry;

apply the principles in the basic design of an employee heath benefit scheme;

illustrate how to arrange a health benefit scheme and explain the concepts primary and managed health care;

describe SA's hospital sector, the exercise of quality management in health care, case and pharmaceutical benefit management, managed mental health, the role of the doctor, epidemiology, HIV/AIDS, coding systems and health economics.

In the area of Estate Planning to

calculate estate duty; recommend techniques to reduce estate duty; determine the liquidity of the estate and the income required after death; structure a will to minimize tax and estate duty eliminate friction; address needs of dependents; provide for continuity of business, security for the surviving spouse, possible emigration; implementation of methods to avoid increase in the value of the estate;

In the area of Personal Risk Management to

describe the theory of risk management; apply elementary financial mathematics to simple problems; identify and evaluate personal risks;

describe pertinent legislation affecting personal risks; the fundamentals of all taxes affecting individuals; the social security benefits available to SA citizens; employee benefits in relation to personal risk management; the available private insurances; the available savings and investment vehicles;

devise risk control, self-financing and insurance plans for personal risks, and run an ethical personal risk management advisory practice

In the area of Employee Benefits

advise on retirement fund governance and management and

fund design and financing

In the area of Advanced Investment Planning

advise on asset types and investment instruments and

plan and manage portfolios

Integrated assessment:
A variety of continuous assessment case studies, proposals, assignments, financial plans and summative assessments will be integrated into learning.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

Because of the differences especially in law between affiliated countries, direct benchmarking is difficult. This program compares favourably with similar programs in Australia

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

Postgraduate Studies, for example:

LL M
M Comm
MBA

MODERATION OPTIONS

External moderating will be done by specialists in the field of financial planning who are qualified on an NQF level higher than this qualification.

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

N/A

REREGISTRATION HISTORY

As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2006; 2009; 2012; 2015.

NOTES

N/A

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

NONE

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

1.	University of the Free State