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  • The CII AF1 September 2022 Exam in Review

    The CII has released their papers from the exam sittings that happened in September.  In this article, we look at what was tested this time round in AF1: the Personal Tax and Trust Planning paper.

  • Brand Bitesize: Residence Nil Rate Band (RNRB)

    Watch this short, informative video designed to help you prepare for your CII exam. This one is all about Residence Nil Rate Band - perfect for your CII R03 or AF1 exam revision.

  • CII Exam Combinations to Consider

    For those of you starting to plan your exam journey for 2024, you’ll be pleased to hear the CII have released the exam dates for all their written exams. We use the word ‘written’ in its modern sense as, post-COVID, all these exams, except AF4, are actually written online rather than with pen and paper. The CII refers to them as ‘written’ to distinguish them from their multiple-choice exams. The multiple-choice exams can be taken at any time throughout the year. Now we’ve cleared that up, in this article, we thought we’d give you some food for thought about some of the exams you may want to consider sitting close together as you plan your route towards the Advanced Diploma in 2024.

  • Friday Five Focus on Taxation – 5 Questions in 5 Minutes – 17 Jul 2026

    Each week, we ask questions relating to one of these topics: Investments, Taxation, Pensions, Protection, or Regulation. This week, our Friday Five is relevant to Taxation; this is useful as you prepare for the CII's R03 or AF1 exams. The challenge is for you to answer them in 5 minutes.

  • Financial Planning After Divorce

    When a marriage ends in divorce or a civil partnership in dissolution, there are a significant number of financial planning implications. In this article, we look at the impact on existing Wills, the laws of intestacy, nominations for death in service, and pension death benefits - useful reading for CII J02, R06, AF1, and AF5 exam takers.

  • Friday Five Focus on Taxation – 5 Questions in 5 Minutes – 12 Jun 2026

    Each week, we ask questions relating to one of these topics: Investments, Taxation, Pensions, Protection, or Regulation. This week, our Friday Five is relevant to Taxation; this is useful as you prepare for the CII's R03 or AF1 exams. The challenge is for you to answer them in 5 minutes.

  • Diploma to Chartered in 10 Months: A Fast Track Strategy

    At Brand Financial Training, we're proud to support professionals on their journey to Chartered status. Recently, one of our customers, Peter Spence, a research analyst at Windsor Private Office, achieved something particularly impressive, progressing from the CII Diploma to Chartered status in just 10 months. Peter kindly shared his experience with us, and we’re pleased to pass on his key insights: what worked, what didn’t, and how the right resources helped him pass every exam on the first attempt.

  • How the Dividend Allowance and Personal Savings Allowance (PSA) work

    The dividend allowance and personal savings allowance (PSA) can help reduce the amount of tax you pay on investment income, but they operate in different ways. This article explains how each allowance works, who can use them, and provides practical examples to show how they apply in real-life tax calculations. This is useful reading for your CII R03 or AF1 exam preparation.

  • National Insurance Employment Allowance

    In this article, we look at the Employment Allowance. This is particularly relevant to the CII R03 exam and may also be tested in the AF1 and AF5 exams.

  • Friday Five Focus on Taxation – 5 Questions in 5 Minutes – 8 May 2026

    Each week, we ask questions relating to one of these topics: Investments, Taxation, Pensions, Protection, or Regulation. This week, our Friday Five is relevant to Taxation; this is useful as you prepare for the CII's R03 or AF1 exams. The challenge is for you to answer them in 5 minutes.

  • Chargeable Events on Bonds Held in Trusts

    In this article, we examine how an investment bond in trust is taxed when a chargeable gain occurs following a chargeable event. This is particularly relevant to the CII R03, R06, AF1 and AF5 exams.

  • Current CII Exams Pass Rates – as at June 2025

    The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) has released its exam pass rates for 2024. In this article, we examine the latest figures, compare them to previous years, and highlight what these trends might mean for candidates planning their qualification route.

  • Friday Five Focus on Taxation – 5 Questions in 5 Minutes – 3 Apr 2026

    Each week, we ask questions relating to one of these topics: Investments, Taxation, Pensions, Protection, or Regulation. This week, our Friday Five is relevant to Taxation; this is useful as you prepare for the CII's R03 or AF1 exams. The challenge is for you to answer them in 5 minutes.

  • Friday Five Focus on Taxation – 5 Questions in 5 Minutes – 27 Feb 2026

    Each week, we ask questions relating to one of these topics: Investments, Taxation, Pensions, Protection, or Regulation. This week, our Friday Five is relevant to Taxation; this is useful as you prepare for the CII's R03 or AF1 exams. The challenge is for you to answer them in 5 minutes.

  • Pensions and IHT – The Practical Impact

    In this article, we examine the impact of the legislation changes that will see pensions no longer being exempt from inheritance tax. This is particularly relevant for candidates studying towards the CII R03, R04, R06, AF1 and AF5 exams.