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Blue Chip Issue 78 - Jan 2021

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FOREWORD Lelané

FOREWORD Lelané Bezuidenhout CFP®, CEO, Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa What’s happening at the FPI? At the end of a year like no other, the FPI celebrates many memorable firsts… Not least successfully hosting the first-ever digital FPI Professionals Convention and running its first-ever online exam session. Wow! Can you believe 2020 is almost behind us? While the year has had its challenges, with the benefit of hindsight I can honestly say that it’s been a positive time for the FPI. Not only have we seriously upped our technology game (necessity is the mother of all invention), but – with the support of our incredible members – we’ve also continued to enhance the reputation of the financial planning profession in the eyes of all South Africans. Read on for a rundown of some of the highlights of Q4, as well as details of a few upcoming dates to diarise… Our first digital FPI Professionals Convention was a great success One of the biggest challenges posed by the pandemic was when, how and whether to host our convention. Deciding to go digital was a massive leap of faith… But judging by the feedback we’ve received from everyone who attended, it’s one which has paid off. In many ways, going digital made it easier for members to attend the convention and learn from our excellent speakers. While we’re not planning on going digital for all future conventions, it’s great to have a new trick up our sleeves. The gift that keeps on giving One of the biggest benefits of hosting a digital convention is that attendees can go back and watch the talks again and/or catch up on sessions that they missed the first time around. Attending the convention qualifies you for 11.5 CPD hours. Remember that you only earn CPD points for sessions that you watched. All of the recordings and materials from the live convention will be available on the Asset TV site until March 2021. Better yet, even people who didn’t attend the convention “live”, will still be able to register for the convention – please contact events@fpi.co.za for more info on how to register. Online exam session 2020 also saw us run our first-ever online exam session, and this too went very well. In 2021, we will run three different exam sessions to give candidates more opportunities to pass the PCE. The first sitting – which will remain online – has been moved from February to March to give our educational providers enough time to wrap up the hectic 2020 year. Contact certification@fpi.co.za for information on the format of the exam going forward. Other events to watch out for While 2020 has taught us how much video conferencing has to offer, I think you’ll all agree that nothing can ever completely replace face-to-face interaction with real colleagues. Which is why we’re thrilled to announce that our annual refreshers in the last week of January will – depending on government regulations – be in-person affairs. This fantastic one-day event doesn’t just provide you with the technical updates you need to stay ahead of the competition, it also earns you much needed technical verifiable CPD hours. Watch out for our ever-popular tax update sessions in February 2021 – dates for these will soon be confirmed on our CPD site. Please visit www.fpicpd.co.za for more information. 2 www.bluechipdigital.co.za

Being a member of the FPI doesn’t just strengthen our collective bargaining power and heighten our professional profile, it also comes with considerable individual benefits. Don’t forget to renew your membership now to lock in 2020 prices In a year of such unremitting financial pressure, you will be pleased to know that members who renew their membership before 31 December will pay 2020 rates for the 2021 year. From 1 January 2021, a 4% increase will be applied to all membership categories. And remember: being a member of the FPI doesn’t just strengthen our collective bargaining power and heighten our professional profile, it also comes with considerable individual benefits, not least discounted rates on our excellent events and CPD offerings and access to an incredible pool of knowledge, which is always only a phone call away. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Of course, none of this would have been possible without the unflinching support of our wonderful members who – despite the challenges of a global pandemic – continued to give of their time, their energies and their support to our collective cause. A big thank you goes out to every single one of you… You know who you are. Now all that remains is for me to wish each and every one of you a restful and blessed festive season. I hope you manage to find the time to truly unwind with your nearest and dearest. I think we’ve all earned a proper holiday this year! Take care, and see you in 2021. Lelané CONGRATULATIONS HESTER Hester van der Merwe CFP ® claimed the coveted FPI Financial Planner of the Year award 2020 The Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa would like to congratulate Hester van der Merwe CFP ® . Don't miss the interview with Hester on page 8. www.bluechipdigital.co.za 3

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