About us
We’ve been around since 2008 providing CII exam candidates with immediately accessible, quality learning resources. We have over 60,000 financial services professionals using our exam resources and those numbers keep on growing!
Why use Brand Financial Training?
We offer a varied range of learning resources covering exams from Award through Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diploma levels. Our resource range ensures that there is something that suits every style of learning. These include mock papers, e-mocks, calculation workbooks, revision notes, analyses and more with both free taster and full paid-for versions available.
Our team of highly qualified and experienced individuals author all of our resources and keep them up-to-date. The team’s extensive experience includes working with the CII as authors and examiners.
We are also very active on our blog providing articles, information and comment on financial services exams, and the industry in general.
Our Mission
Through offering a diverse choice of high-quality, affordable CII exam resources complemented by exceptional customer care, our mission is to alleviate stress and boost confidence among our community members, whilst supporting their pursuit of exam excellence.
Our Vision
To be the most trusted provider of high-quality CII exam resources whilst fostering professional excellence and social responsibility.
This means that we are constantly seeking new ways to make sure we are leaving the planet a better place than we found it. Find out more here.
Meet the Brand Financial Training team…
Catriona Standingford
Founder/Chair
Catriona founded Brand Financial Training in 2008 and has grown the business into one of the most highly regarded providers of learning resources for financial services CII exam candidates. After graduating with a BSc (Hons) Information Systems from the University of Leeds, Catriona worked as an IT Consultant worldwide, later changing career and re-training as a financial adviser. Seeing a dire need for help with financial services exams, she later launched Brand Financial Training and has since become an expert in Learning & Development.
Catriona also has Board level experience from startup through to established business dealing with a variety of areas including e-commerce; digital marketing; GDPR; systems analysis; documenting, streamlining and automating business processes; risk management; strategic planning; governance and coaching.
Articles
Michelle Riley
Head of Digital
Michelle joined the Brand Financial Training team in 2012 and has been our Head of Digital since May 2021, developing and maintaining our various systems and websites. She gained her Bachelor of Technology from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 2012 and ensures her skills are kept up-to-date through various online training courses.
Jennifer Dugdale
Managing Director
Jennifer joined the team in 2021 and is responsible for the day-to-day running of Brand Financial Training as well as having management responsibility for projects and strategy. Her previous roles include Head of Training and Head of Academy roles at financial advice and training businesses, providing training for advisers and financial advice apprentices, as well as roles within business development and compliance & training. She holds an MBA from the University of Leeds.
Ann Mora
Technical Support and Content Specialist
Ann has been part of the Brand Financial Training team since 2019, helping CII exam candidates to pass their exams. She is an essential part of our technical authoring team as well as working on the content and administrative side of the business. Ann has a strong numerical and financial services background with a BSc in Mathematics from Exeter University and working in financial services since 1995. During that time she has gained numerous CII qualifications including AF7 Pension Transfers, G10 Taxation and Trusts, G30 Business Financial Planning, G60 Pensions, R06 Financial Planning Practice, FP1, FP2, FP3, SV1 and CF9. Her roles have included IFA Consultant and Corporate Pensions Consultant for Friends Provident.
Technical Author Team
Our technical author team consists of six highly skilled and qualified financial services authors and trainers with backgrounds in training, compliance, financial advice and hold the titles of Chartered Financial Planner, Associates and Fellows of the PFS and CII. Our technical authoring team are highly qualified including the CII Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning, the CII Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning and equivalents, and a number of them also work for the CII as technical authors and examiners. Previous roles include household names such as Aviva, L&G and Friends Provident.
Customer and Business Support Team
The first point of contact for our customers is our Customer and Business Support Team, including Sharon, Lucy, and Patricia. The team has many years of experience in providing excellent customer service and support for our customers but are also responsible for a lot of behind the scenes action. Their knowledge of our customers and needs is unmatched, and they are always happy to help should you need anything. You can contact our Customer and Business Support team by emailing
Why are we different?
Most study materials tell you what you need to know.
We focus on helping you understand how to use it in the exam.
Our resources are built to bridge the gap between theory and application – with realistic questions, clear explanations, and guidance that reflects how exams are actually assessed. So instead of feeling stuck or unsure if you’re on the right track, you can see what’s expected and go into your exam feeling prepared.
The importance of customer service
Providing excellent customer service is extremely important to us. We do all we can to make your exam journey and your experience with us a happy one. If you have any queries or problems, do contact us and we will act as quickly as we can to resolve the situation.We have a fantastic enquiries team at and you can always leave us a message on 0345 680 1682 (Calls are charged at no more than 5p per minute from a BT line, charges from mobiles and other providers may vary and can be considerably more).
Find us on:
We appreciate you!
Finally, we’re not just a faceless company trying to sell you stuff. The entire team here at Brand Financial Training genuinely care about you and your exam journey. We want to know how you’re doing and how we can help. Our aim is to make your exam journey with us a successful one.
We look forward to meeting you!
Need help with anything?
We like to support our customers on every step of their journey. Got a question, then get in touch and we’ll do our very best to help you!
- "Your AF5 analysis would stand anyone in very good stead for passing the exam providing them with a refresher for the key points tested. Of course, you don't know exactly what will come up, or the tack/slant the question will take, but your analysis coupled with some general revision on the key areas highlighted will have helped anyone tremendously."
Peter CainFile Review Manager, RBS Group - The J02 Mock papers were amazing thank you. I ordered them yesterday for the final part of my revision, went through them all and passed the exam today. Hugely grateful!Rebecca Maxwell-HyslopPrincipal Financial Planning
- "I've used your resources for 3 exams so far and have always passed first time. I find these questions help to highlight those areas in which I am weak and which may need further study. I also find that questions in the exam are phrased in a way that I would not normally use, and that reading mock questions helps me to be aware of and alert to these. Your mock papers were invaluable in helping me to prepare for my exams."John BisattAdviser, Palmer Lane, Cardiff
- "I would just like to thank you and the team for the hard work you do in creating such manageable and relevant study notes - they really helped me get to grips with where the gaps in my knowledge were and generally assisted me with supporting the knowledge I already had - and the practise questions, which were a breath of fresh air compared to the basic end of chapter questions in the CII text book and on revision mate. One thing's for sure, I will be 100% using Brand's products to help me with my next exam!"Jon CarterAdministration Assistant, Premier Partnership Ltd, Birmingham
- "I've used Brand resources for all of my exams over the past 2 years and have passed them all! The study notes are a great start to revision as they break down a subject into more manageable chunks. The papers are also a good study aid to check your knowledge is up to scratch. I've recommended them in the past and I will continue to do so!"JenniParaplanner, Surrey
- "The R06 case study analysis was fantastic! There was nothing in the exam that wasn't covered. Brand was recommended to me by a colleague who said "you don't need anything else" and they were correct. I would happily recommend your services."Edward BarstowWealth Account Manager, Aviva, Sheffield
- I passed R06 and very much thanks to your case study analysis which was excellent. I have used numerous training materials that you have produced for the R0 exams and all have been very useful indeed. I have now completed my level 4 diploma.Jonathan HowardTax Manager, Handelsbanken Wealth & Asset Management
- I’m now level 4 qualified and would say the Brand Analysis was extremely useful for my R0’s, particularly R06. I would go as far to say it’s essential for R06, so thank you.MatthewTrainee Financial Planner, IWP Financial Planning Limited, Warwickshire
- I just wanted to say a big thank you for the R03 calculations workbook and mock paper purchased earlier this year which have been invaluable as part of my study. I passed the R03 this morning and have used your material to practice and practice again. Without these, I don't think I would have passed.Andreas NicolaouOperational Tax Manager
- I was having a difficult time with R03 - narrowly missed the pass mark. I’d ordered the CII mock tests and learning materials but something wasn’t clicking. So I ordered your mock exams and could see the difference in the way the questions were written, and I felt like I had genuinely got a tool that would help me get those extra marks. Anyway, I passed and I am delighted with the impact your study material has had. I’ll be using you for R04, R05 and beyond.Paul HudsonBranch Manager, Bolton
Peter Cain
Rebecca Maxwell-Hyslop
