PFS Fellowship Recognition

Becoming a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society shows that you have attained and maintained the most prestigious level of professional achievement. Fellows can demonstrate this to their peers and clients by using the designatory letters FPFS.

Progressing from PFS Associate level membership to Fellow

Associate-level members must have completed the Level 6 Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning qualification, with 290 CII credits. Progressing to Fellowship requires a total of 350 credits. You can achieve this by either:

Passing additional CII personal finance qualification units, or
Recognition of prior learning for non-CII (regulated) qualifications

Alternatively, you can apply for PFS Fellowship membership credits, which is similar to recognition of prior learning but for non-regulated qualifications. The credits are membership credits and do not count towards CII qualifications.

Eligible qualifications, accreditations and certifications:

Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA) Later Life Adviser Accreditation: 2 sets of 15 PFS Fellowship membership credits
Society of Trust and Estates Practitioners (STEP) Advanced Certificates that make up the following Diploma qualifications: 1 set of 15 PFS membership credits per Advanced Certificate
- Diploma in Trusts and Estates in England and Wales
- Diploma in Trusts and Estates in Northern Ireland
- Diploma in Trusts and Estates in Scotland
- Diploma in International Trust Management
Society of Trust and Estates Practitioners (STEP) Postgraduate Diploma in Private Wealth Advice: 2 sets of 15 PFS membership credits
Society of Will Writers (SWW) Wills and Estate Planning Certificate or Introduction to Wills and Estate Planning Certificate: 1 set of 15 PFS membership credits

We will add to this list as more qualifications, accreditation and certifications become eligible.

NB A maximum 30 PFS membership credits are available per awarding organisation. A maximum 30 PFS membership credits may be awarded for assessed learning within the same area, practise or specialism.

Application process

Read the PFS Fellowship Recognition scheme rules before applying.

Get your supporting documentation certified
Make your application (5 mins)
CII vets your application and confirms the outcome (offer) (15 working days - may take longer for complex applications)
Claim your offer by paying the fee (purchase within 30 days)
View your updated CII learning statement

Step 1 - Get your supporting documentation certified

Scanned paper versions must be correctly certified as true copies of the originals. Regardless of whether your certificate and results transcript are digital or scanned paper, they must be uploaded into the application form.

Scanned qualification certificates and results transcripts

Make copies of your supporting documentation and show the copies, together with the original documents, to the person certifying them as true copies.

Who can certify your documents?

Current CII or Personal Finance Society members* - must write their name, CII PIN number and handwritten signature on each page of each document
Solicitors or notaries - must include their contact details (including employer name, work address, email address and telephone number) on each page of each document
Representatives of the awarding body - their email must confirm that the documents attached are true representations of the documents they issued

It is your responsibility to ensure that these details are legible and that your application is complete. Your application documentation must include:

A certified copy of your qualification completion certificate (eg graduation certificate)
A certified copy of your results transcript confirming your exam passes
A certified copy of the official document confirming your change of name, eg marriage certificate or deed poll (where appropriate)

* Ensure the person's membership is still current by checking their status.

If you are experiencing difficulty getting your documentation certified because you rarely meet CII or Personal Finance Society members, please refer to the certifying supporting documentation page.

Step 2 - Apply

Complete the PFS Fellowship Recognition application form
Upload your certified supporting documents
Submit

Step 3 - CII vets your application and confirms the outcome

Providing your application is complete and accurate, we will send you an offer within 15 working days.

Step 4 - Claim your offer by paying the fee

Purchase within 30 days of receiving your offer
We will add the PFS Fellowship Recognition to your CII learning record

Step 5 - View your updated CII learning statement

View your updated learning statement

Fees

The fees are the same as the recognition of prior learning fees: £95 per set of credits awarded (PFS members, 2024)

To apply

Complete the PFS Fellowship Recognition application form.

Challenging the outcome

Find out more about challenging an unsuccessful application.