Posted by The Team at Brand Financial Training on September 8, 2020 in Newsletter
8 September 2020
All our financial services resources have now been updated for tax year 20/21, examinable from 1 September. If you purchased 19/20 versions (except for the e-learning videos, which have a 6-month subscription, those resources which have been discontinued, or our R03 hard copy study text), then you may be entitled to an update free of charge. Do take a look at the ‘Out Now’ section below for full details.
Best Wishes,
The Team at Brand Financial Training
Featured Article
Becoming Familiar with Unit Trusts and OEICs
Here, we talk about Unit Trusts and Open-Ended Investment Companies (OEICs) – of interest to those studying for any of the CII AF1, AF4, AF5, CF1, J10, R01, R02, R03, or R06 exams.
One of the major differences between unit trusts and OEICs is the way they can be priced. Unit trusts can quote a bid price and an offer price whereas OEICs only have a single price.
The bid price is the price an investor receives if they sell the units back to the fund manager
The offer price is the price an investor pays to buy units from the fund manager
The difference between the prices is called the bid-offer spread and includes costs.
Unit trust managers can elect to use single pricing using the mid-market price for the underlying investments.
Usually, when we buy something we know what the price is. Open-ended investments however are priced on a forward or on a historic basis.
Forward pricing – where the price is calculated at the next valuation point
Historic pricing – where the price is calculated at the last valuation point
What are happiness hormones – and can they really help?
It may sound corny, but it could equally be an aspect of life that you may not have given much thought to: how much better you work and study when you’re happy.
Oxford’s Saïd Business School, working with BT, found late last year that employees are 13% more productive when they’re happy. This was the first causal field evidence of the relationship between happiness and productivity, providing the strongest proof yet of the existence of such a link.
Indeed, the issue is so important that the United Nations (UN) even celebrates the International Day of Happiness every March.
Meanwhile, an ongoing study at Harvard, which began in 1938, found that happiness, particularly regarding our personal relationships with friends, family, and community, has a profound impact on health. Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert has described happiness as ‘frequent positive feelings accompanied by an overall sense that one’s life has meaning’.
In recent years, educational researchers have started to explore the connection between happiness and academic achievement. In the US, Research Schools International joined forces with St Andrew’s Episcopal School, Maryland, and the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning, and identified a significant link between successful studying and happiness. On average, those who said they were happier produced better grades.
The CII’s new examinable tax year 2020/21 for all financial services exams started on 1 September 2020. We have now updated our resources, so any purchases of our resources will be valid for exams sat on or after 1 September 2020 - with the exception of J11.
Own the previous 2019/20 versions?
If you own Brand Financial Training resources for the examinable year up to 31 August 2020 and would like the 2020/21 versions examinable from 1 September 2020 (excluding R01, R02, AF4, CF1 e-learning videos*, the R03 hard copy study text and any discontinued resources), simply fill in this form (please copy and past the following address into your browser):
https://form.jotform.com/201964832222351
We can only process requests submitted using the above form. If you are entitled to the updated versions free of charge, we will work hard to email the updated versions within 3 working days of a valid request.
* If you have an active R01, R02, AF4 or CF1 e-learning video subscription, you will have gained access to the 2020/21 versions automatically as soon as they became available.
MP3 Audio Masterclasses
..."Your MP3 audio masterclasses were of great quality. I felt they reminded me of some things I had not thought about for some time and prompted some wider study. The content was accurate, relevant and up to date for the exam and the length of each class was very good. The approach was not patronising like so many learning MP3s. I would definitely recommend..."
Richard Baxter, Senior Financial Adviser, Gower Financial Services, Guernsey
Available for AF1, AF4, J02, R01, R02, R03, R04 and R05
Every individual has his/her own learning style. Learning by listening provides an alternative to reading and re-reading the study text, and can help with absorbing and understanding materials. Our MP3 audio masterclasses come in digestible chunks allowing you to listen at home, in the car, at the gym or wherever else you may be.
For a list of each masterclass in your chosen exam, go to:
Last Ever J11 Wrap and Platform Services Exam Sitting
Last ever sitting of J11 is in October 2020. We have confirmed with the CII that they will NOT be updating the CII study text for this exam, so you can continue to use the 19/20 study text as well as our 19/20 resources.
You can find the full information here. Contact the CII directly if you have any questions about this.
Our resources can help you revise for J11. Find out more here.
Did You Miss These Posts on Our Blog?
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:
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!
Quote of the Month
..." Action is the foundational key to all success. "...
Pablo Picasso
Friday 5
"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.
