QFA exams

Alfred Borden

thinking im going to do these in January, do you just pay 295 per module or does the membership have to be paid at the start when your a first time user? thinking of doing two so could anyone advise me maybe the two most manageable ones first? am i leaving it too late to start studying?

dricko_lim

Its €50 per year membership and then €295 per module. You'll pay €345 to do the first one. I only have financial planning left, just finished Loans & regulation last week.

I found them ok but I work in the industry so did not find studying for them overly difficult (apart from GTA V trying to get in the way!). I did two at a time twice and didn't find it too difficult to manage so one should be ok for you!

booking for January now should not be be an issue. I found loans and investment the easiest but that's just me.

Alfred Borden

dricko_lim wrote: »

Its €50 per year membership and then €295 per module. You'll pay €345 to do the first one. I only have financial planning left, just finished Loans & regulation last week.

I found them ok but I work in the industry so did not find studying for them overly difficult (apart from GTA V trying to get in the way!). I did two at a time twice and didn't find it too difficult to manage so one should be ok for you!

booking for January now should not be be an issue. I found loans and investment the easiest but that's just me.

thank you very much, i think ill do two so will see what are the handiest, would three months study be plenty enough? are they useful? do you have to keep paying the annual membership even after passing the exams?

freeze4real

I was going to do the QFA but i realized its a big scam.

The supply side of the QFA is to much surpassing the demand of it.

Plus attaining the QFA does not mean that you know something in-fact majority of those who own it do not know ****.

If you want top working in banking thaen maybe do it, but if you plan on taking the accountancy route I don't know what benefit it will serve.


Take a look at the CFA, over 55% of those who have the QFA will not go near it as its more rigorous.

The QFA is a scam and a joke.

Pablo Sanchez

freeze4real wrote: »

I was going to do the QFA but i realized its a big scam.

The supply side of the QFA is to much surpassing the demand of it./

Plus attaining the QFA does not mean that you know something in-fact majority of those who own it do not know ****.

If yopu want top working in banking thaen maybe do it, but if you're in accountancy I don't know what benefit it will serve.


Take a look at the CFA over 55% of those who have the QFA will not go near it as its more rigorous.

The QFA is a scam and a joke

What?

dricko_lim

Raf32 wrote: »

thank you very much, i think ill do two so will see what are the handiest, would three months study be plenty enough? are they useful? do you have to keep paying the annual membership even after passing the exams?

Three months is plenty so nothing to worry about. they're a lot easier than you think! The membership is to be paid every year but most companies will pay that for you!

Alfred Borden

thank you and they are worth doing? and if i dont the 50 for example in three years time is it still worth something? im doing them on my own time have no company sponsoring me. i did accounting but want to broader my options because not sure i want to go the accounting route.

Pablo Sanchez

The QFA is the industry standard for anyone advising on or selling the products it covers (Life insurance, income protection, pensions, savings, investments, loans, home insurance, credit cards etc). The minimum competency requirements from the central bank mean that you need to be qualified before you are let loose on the public, whether as a financial broker or as an employee of a bank or a life co.

If you are a accountant im sure that you would already be qualified to offer advice on most of the above topics, check with your professional institution.

You need to be a member of the institute of bankers or the LIA and fulfil their CPD requirements in order to maintain your QFA status so if you were to give up your membership you would no longer be considered to be a QFA, although you would still have a the qualification of 'professional diploma in financial advice' from the UCD school of professional finance.

Certainly the QFA is no longer the qualification it once was, it used to be a plus to have it, but now it is seen as essential- plenty of people have had to move roles if they are not willing to achieve it.

The CFA is a tough qualification and costly, but it will in turn become the new industry norm for people who want to stand out as it covers more areas of wealth management in far more detail than the QFA.

freeze4real

Sorry about the earlier post. My iPhone has its own mind.

The QFA value is diminishing at an increasing rate. If you are doing it out if your own pocket I won't advise you to do it.

So many in the market are holding the QFA and with other contributing factors I believe its on its last legs.

There are some solid masters in UCD, UL & trinity or the CFA.

I must warn you the CFA is sweat, tears and blood.

But in the end it's worth it.

If you're doing the QFA for the ssake of having it take a look at diploma in stockbrocking.

Again this all spends if you want to end up in asset management, stockbrocking banking etc.

Accountants are take the CFA as well.

Alfred Borden

i was looking at hedge funds maybe. think im going to do the QFA's just so i dont waste a year out and perhaps do a masters next year or the CIMA exams.

freeze4real

Raf32 wrote: »

i was looking at hedge funds maybe. think im going to do the QFA's just so i dont waste a year out and perhaps do a masters next year or the CIMA exams.

Hi Raf32,

What are you doing now ? In college or taking the year off ?

I think its important to know what you want to get into.

You can take the hedge funds route and still complete your CIMA buy once you get into funds it's hard to get out.

Alfred Borden

freeze4real wrote: »

Hi Raf32,

What are you doing now ? In college or taking the year off ?

I think its important to know what you want to get into.

You can take the hedge funds route and still complete your CIMA buy once you get into funds it's hard to get out.

im just finished college, so debating what to do now, not sure i want to do audit or tax so kind of want to open more options but not sure at all.

freeze4real

Raf32 wrote: »

im just finished college, so debating what to do now, not sure i want to do audit or tax so kind of want to open more options but not sure at all.

K. To get a job. Don't leave many gaps in your CV. Try the funds route to see if you like it.

blueblood1

do most people take 2 exams at a time or do most take a bulk or all in first sit?

Pablo Sanchez

blueblood1 wrote: »

do most people take 2 exams at a time or do most take a bulk or all in first sit?

I have never seen anyone sit more than two in one sitting. Obviously if one didnt have to worry about going to work, more is possible!

JMB88

I have registered for loans and regs in Jan! How hard are they? Am thinking now I should have just done loans in Jan and left regs till May!

JMB88

How's everyone's study coming along?

Graciefacey

JMB88 wrote: »

How's everyone's study coming along?

Financial planning next weekend and I'm panicking ! Book and webinars done to death so I'm focusing on past papers for the next week!

dricko_lim

Financial Planning exam was reasonable enough, quite happy when I turned the page!

Graciefacey

dricko_lim wrote: »

Financial Planning exam was reasonable enough, quite happy when I turned the page!

Wasn't expecting tracker bonds it threw me

dricko_lim

Graciefacey wrote: »

Wasn't expecting tracker bonds it threw me

How did you get one?

Passed mine

Tramps Like Us

Hi guys, how hard are the modules/exams in comparison to those of a bachelors degree? (e.g law).

Trying to decide how many to do in one go.

Graciefacey

dricko_lim wrote: »

How did you get one?

Passed mine

Passed too delighted! Feels great to have them all done

dricko_lim

Tramps Like Us wrote: »

Hi guys, how hard are the modules/exams in comparison to those of a bachelors degree? (e.g law).

Trying to decide how many to do in one go.

They're reasonable, handy enough. I did a business degree and found those more difficult. I did two at a time with pensions on its own then the last one - financial planning

JMB88

Quick question: passed loans and regs in jan! Got an email today to invite me to join APA for €105. I'm not currently working in MCC area and don't need it in my current role. I am hoping to pass all QFA exams over next few months. Just wondering if I don't accept to pay for APA qualification, will I have to resit again in a few years if I got a role in a MCC area?

Graciefacey

JMB88 wrote: »

Quick question: passed loans and regs in jan! Got an email today to invite me to join APA for €105. I'm not currently working in MCC area and don't need it in my current role. I am hoping to pass all QFA exams over next few months. Just wondering if I don't accept to pay for APA qualification, will I have to resit again in a few years if I got a role in a MCC area?

Would your employer pay this fee? Most financial services employers pay these professional fees for employees

JMB88

Graciefacey wrote: »

Would your employer pay this fee? Most financial services employers pay these professional fees for employees

No, had to pay for these myself as my employer wouldn't cover the cost!!

Graciefacey

JMB88 wrote: »

No, had to pay for these myself as my employer wouldn't cover the cost!!

I know that if you fail to do your annual cpd return you lose your designation because my hr manager is always worrying one of us will fail to keep up with our hours. No harm to contact the iob

Tramps Like Us

If I register to do some of the modules in September how long will it take for the books to arrive?

Am I right in saying that if I do the APA in, say Loans, then to get the QFA I just do the other 3 modules which are optional for the Certificate in Financial Advise, and then the financial planning one?

speedygirl

Hi there, just noticed this post. Would you happen to have any past papers on Financial Planning i could get ? i am doing the exam in a couple of weeks and need all the help i can get ....