Consumers throughout the UK came out in force to make the most of the free, professional financial guidance offered during CISI’s Financial Planning Week 8-12 May.

The annual initiative, run by the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) highlights to consumers the importance of seeking a qualified financial planner or Accredited Financial Planning Firm^TM and also to show that financial guidance is not just for the wealthy but for every consumer.

The five day campaign encouraged consumers nationwide to sign up for free financial planning sessions during which a qualified CFP^TM professional helps them work through their financial life goals.

Highlights of Financial Planning Week 2017 include:

• Over 300 consumer telephone calls to CISI, with many more received directly by individual UK financial planning firms
• 600 consumer emails received by CISI – with many more sent directly by consumers to firms
• Over 80 supporting financial planning firms
• 73% increase in Twitter followers on @WayfinderCISI
• 928,945 Twitter impressions for #FPWUK
• 800+ viewings across two Facebook Live webcasts, with 167 reactions, comments and shares and a total of 7,550 people reached

In addition, the UK national media support was impressive with articles and mentions in the Financial Times, Daily Mail, Sun, The Times and The i. Broadcast interviews included Claer Barret, Personal Finance Editor of the FT’s Money Show podcast, Share Radio and BBC Radio Scotland’s John Beattie Show.

Jacqueline Lockie CFP^TM Chartered FCSI, CISI’s Deputy Head of Financial Planning said: “We are delighted with the support received from firms for this annual campaign and would like to thank everyone who got involved. Due to the volume of appointments made last week we appreciate that many firms will be seeing these new consumers and keeping their promise to offer a free hour of planning advice over the coming weeks. This year has been particularly exciting as we introduced some new initiatives, including broadcasting Facebook Live, which was successful in reaching consumers. My early discussions with financial planners indicate that their phones and emails were red hot with consumer enquiries from a wide national demographic.

“Families, retirees, millennials, students, divorcees, newlyweds: we all need help with managing money at every stage of our lives. Trust and professionalism go hand in hand with financial guidance and our CFP^TM professionals are keen to help consumers understand that engaging a qualified professional is the key.”