Home

Search results for "AF7"

  • Exploring Recent Changes to the Pension Commencement Lump Sum

    In the ever-changing landscape of pensions, recent developments have shaken up the system, leaving many individuals wondering about the implications for their retirement plans. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's surprise announcement of the abolition of the lifetime allowance has generated both excitement and concern. While the removal of tax penalties for exceeding the allowance seems like a positive change, there are nuances to consider, such as the frozen tax-free pension commencement lump sum entitlement and its potential impact on real value over time. This article explores the intricacies of these new pension regulations and their potential consequences for individuals and candidates preparing for CII pension-related exams.

  • The CII J05 March 2023 Exam in Review

    In this article, we’re looking at the CII’s Diploma in Financial Planning J05 exam paper that students sat in March – this is the exam on Pension Income Options. This will be useful reading for you if you are preparing to sit this exam in the near future; it will help you to focus your revision on the areas that are likely to be examined.

  • Brand Bitesize: Phased Annuity Purchase

    Are you in the later stage of your revision for the CII AF7, AF5, J05, or R04 exam? This month, our ‘Bitesize’ video is all about phasing retirement and creating an income through phased annuity purchasing.

  • The CII AF7 October 2019 Exam in Review

    We have been reviewing the CII exam papers from the October 2019 sitting and this time, it’s the turn of the AF7 Pension Transfer exam.

  • Changes to the CII’s Pension Transfer Advice Qualification

    This article is relevant to those studying for, or who have previously achieved, the CII’s Certificate in Pension Transfer Advice.

  • Brand Bitesize: Tapered Annual Allowance

    Are you a visual learner who is studying toward the CII's AF1, AF5, AF7, J05, R04 or R06 exams? This month our ‘bitesize’ video is all about the tapering of the annual allowance for high earners. This is great for quick revision!

  • Looking at the Link Between Inflation and Interest Rates

    In this article, we look at the link between inflation and interest rates, and how they both impact investments. This is particularly relevant to the CII R02 and AF4 exams but may also be useful to those studying for R01, CF1, R04, AF7, R06, or AF5.

  • Pension Transfers Starting to Appear on the CII R06 Exam

    In January’s R06 exam, it was interesting to see that one of the questions was very much like one you might expect to see in the AF7 pension transfers exam. Here, we take a closer look.

  • How CII Exams are Tested

    Candidates planning out their exams for the CII qualifications are faced with a bewildering choice. There are many different levels of exams, worth different amounts of credits, which are being tested in different ways. This article looks at the Diploma and the Advanced Diploma units and how they are tested.

  • Paul Hughes, the PPF, and the practical implications going forward

    If you’re wondering who Paul Hughes is then you’re probably not alone. Most pension scheme members have probably never heard of him and the same would apply to many pension transfer specialists. However, a number in both categories might indirectly have a lot to thank him for. This article is relevant to those studying for the CII AF7 exam.

  • 2022 CII Exams: Mapping the Route Ahead

    With the release of next year’s written CII exam dates, now is a good time to think of how different units can contain overlapping content and how this might affect when units are taken.

  • Who wants to be a millionaire?

    This article provides an example showing how the Lifetime Allowance (LTA) for pensions savings would affect someone who is about to retire with pension benefits just over £1,073,100. Useful reading for those studying for any of the CII J05, R04, AF7 or AF8 units.

  • Current CII Exams Pass Rates – as at July 2022

    The CII has now released their pass rates for 2021.  Here, we discuss the pass rates and what we can learn from them.

  • The CII AF7 April 2019 Exam in Review

    We have been reviewing the CII exam papers from the April 2019 sitting, and this week it’s the turn of the AF7 Pension Transfer exam. If you haven’t seen it yet, then the paper can be found here. The AF7 exam is just 2 hours long and carries a total of 100 marks over two sections. Section A has four […]

  • Learning About Collective Money Purchase Schemes

    Collective money purchase schemes are a newly introduced option in addition to defined contribution and defined benefit schemes. These are most likely to be tested in specialist pension papers such as R04 and JO5, but could also come up in more general financial product exams such as LP2 or pension transfer exams like AF7.