Newsletter for January 2020

We’re now well into 2020 and already some of you are preparing for R06 next week. Don’t forget that you can download our resources at any time of day or night, whether you plan your study well ahead of time, or you’re a bit of a crammer. Either way, we can help!

Wishing you a wonderful 2020.

Best Wishes,

The Team at Brand Financial Training

The price/earnings ratio is a quick way to see if a share you’re interested in is cheap or not. Find out how to calculate this ratio and learn what it means – useful for your CII AF4, AF5, J10, J12, R02 or R06 exam revision.

A share’s current P/E ratio is found by dividing the latest share price by the earnings per share (EPS – which has to be published in all listed companies accounts so easy to find).

If a share I fancy has a current share price of £5 and the EPS is £1, then the P/E ratio is 5. All I’ve done here is compare the current price to one year’s earnings – usually the previous year, so it’s always going to be a historic measure but what does that figure of 5 mean? Basically, it means that as an investor, I’m willing (or not) to pay 5 times one year’s earnings for that particular share. It tells me that if that company keeps making the same level of earnings, then it will take 5 years for me to get my initial investment back. There is never any guarantee that a company will continue making the same amount of money, so often forward P/E ratios are used instead, using a prediction of company earnings for the next 12 months.

As the nation stirs itself from its post-festive torpor, for many, thoughts will be turning back to revision and exam preparation. It’s also, of course, a time of year when the majority of us are thinking of adopting healthier lifestyles to atone for the holiday excesses. Here are some suggestions for managing your food and drink intake during revision.

If you’re studying and the pressure is hotting up, there’s an added incentive to eat and drink well and to exercise properly – after all, nutrition experts agree that what you put in your body can make a real difference to your revision regime. Eating a healthy, varied diet involving different coloured foods beats overpriced supplements and over-the-counter vitamins hands down.

Here are some other suggestions for a healthier approach to revision time:

Don’t skip meals

When you’re busy, it can be all too easy to give lunch a miss ’ but resist that temptation! Regular eating helps maintain blood sugar balance and ensures your brain has the fuel it needs.

Caffeine

Many of us are no stranger to the all-night work crisis complete with coffee pot. But, while caffeine increases alertness, it’s possible to develop a tolerance to it. It can also interfere with blood sugar and raise levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. So, while no one would deny you your morning cuppa and everyone reacts to coffee differently, it may be worth reconsidering how much you consume. Work out how you react to caffeine, try not to drink it after lunchtime, and aim to restrict yourself to no more than a couple of cups or 200mg of caffeine a day.

Water works

One study from two London universities found that staying hydrated could boost attention by up to 25%. Even drinking just 25ml enhanced concentration in tests. As an added bonus, memory and mood also improve.

Testing employees to keep up with CPD requirements and to ensure that your staff have up-to-date knowledge can be difficult. Do you have the time (and energy!) to put together assessment questions and answers? We’ve done the hard work for you.

Our Assessment Testing papers have been developed to meet a range of needs including CPD testing; annual or more frequent knowledge testing; subject-specific testing; providing evidence of current technical knowledge; and knowledge evaluation for potential recruits.

This is a cost-effective, flexible approach to adviser testing. Brand Financial Training’s modular assessment testing offers five tests; each include 20 multiple-choice questions and answers and explanations of the correct answers. They can be used standalone, or together.

Topics are:

• Regulation and Ethics
• Personal Taxation
• Pensions and Retirement
• Investments
• Protection

Ask us about the significant discounts available, depending on your assessment needs.

The next R06 exam is Monday 20 January

...“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 Barstow, Wealth Account Manager, Aviva, Sheffield

Passing R06 isn’t only about having the necessary knowledge and understanding, it’s about being able to apply that knowledge exactly as needed and in a timely manner.

If you go into the exam unprepared, you will lose vital time and marks. It is essential that you have fully prepared for the exam and are ready to answer questions relating to the case studies. With the help of our resources, you can prepare to pass R06.

Case Study Analysis

Our full analysis covers the areas that you are likely to see in the exam. However other questions may be asked, and we strongly advise you to think around other potential areas of questioning. There’s still time before the exam sitting next Monday, we email in PDF format, a full detailed analysis of the case studies issued by the CII for the January exam sitting plus types of questions and examiner’s comments, exam technique and past paper analysis, AND it includes access to email support for 1 working day before the exam (9am-5pm, THIS Thursday 16th January).

Past Analyses

We offer 3 full analyses produced for past exam sittings (Oct 19, Jul 19, Apr 19) to purchase. You can find links to the case studies, question papers and our review of the question papers included for each exam (where available). Types of questions and examiner’s comments, exam technique and past paper analysis are also included.

Calculation Workbook

Focussing on the calculations within the exam syllabus, the calculation workbook provides over 50 pages of calculation questions with full step-by-step answers, detailed explanations and cross-references to the relevant CII study text.

Study Notes

Consider our study notes your condensed and more focussed take on the CII’s exam syllabus and learning outcomes. Our study notes put the exam syllabus into a sensible order, eliminate any ‘padding’ and come with self-test questions.

Why not try before you buy? Download one of our free tasters:

Analysis/Past Analyses Taster

Calculation Workbook Taster

Study Notes Taster

...“Your R06 case study analysis was great & definitely helped significantly – it was good to know that you are revising the right areas & hi-lighted some areas which I hadn’t anticipated – it covered the vast majority of the questions … I have used your resources on RO1, RO2,RO3, RO4,RO5 & RO6 & passed them all first time so would recommend them to anybody taking these exams.”...

Jonathan Woodman, Boroughbridge

J11 is being withdrawn by the CII. The last and only remaining sitting is in April 2020.

You can find out more here.

Want to put in the practice time, so you’ll have a good chance of passing? You can find our resources here.

Articles and Help for All Your Exams

You’ll find that there’s something for everyone when you check out our blog:

• specific topics and how-to articles;
• reviews of recent CII exam papers;
• our Friday Five – a weekly quiz to give you a fun break from reading the study text;
• study techniques that help you to retain your revision and keep your brain working for you, when you need it

Here are the blog posts you might have missed since our last newsletter:

Friday Five – 10 January - Click here.

The CII AF7 October 2019 Exam in Review - Click here.

How to Tackle NIC Questions on your CII Exam - Click here.

Friday Five – 3 January - Click here.

Our Post-Exam Review of the October 2019 CII AF5 Exam - Click here.

The Life Cycles That Impact Protection Levels - Click here.

Friday Five – 27 December - Click here.

The CII AF4 October 2019 Exam in Review - Click here.

Friday Five – 20 December - Click here.

The CII AF2 October 2019 Exam in Review - Click here.

What are the duties of trustees? - Click here.

Friday Five – 13 December - Click here.

The CII AF1 October 2019 Exam in Review - Click here.

There’s such a variety of information on offer to help you as you tackle your CII exams, that you won’t want to miss a single post. We’ve made it easy for you; just click the button below and enter your email details. Be ‘in the know’ with CII-exam-related tips and info – straight to your inbox!

..." Success is simple. Do what's right, the right way, at the right time. "...

"5 Questions in 5 Minutes Every Friday"

This is a bit of Friday Fun where we provide you with 5 questions (and answers) relevant to a mix of CII exams. The challenge is for you to answer the questions in 5 minutes.

Where do I find the Friday Five?

We post each week's Friday Five to our blog first thing every Friday. You can either visit our blog every Friday at https://brandft.co.uk/blog/ or you can simply go there now, and click on the subscribe button in the top right-hand corner of the blog and sign up to receive notifications of our Friday Five posts.

Note that we don't email the Friday Five out to everybody every Friday, so we recommend you sign up to our blog at https://brandft.co.uk/blog/ so that you receive an email notification when it is posted. It will only take you a minute to sign up.

A bit of Friday Fun, but with the added benefit of testing your exam knowledge!

Here’s a reminder that the CII update their study texts throughout the examinable year to either incorporate new legislations, correct errors or clarify information. Many candidates aren’t aware of this, which can result in candidates studying out-of-date information.

To find out if you have the most up-to-date information, visit the CII website, navigate to your chosen exam and click on ‘learning solutions update’ in the ‘Unit updates’ section in the sidebar.

Note that we keep our resources up-to-date with any updates from the CII.