LIBF Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA®) | Banking & Finance | 100% Online (2024)

There are no entry requirements.

However, you need to be satisfied of your ability to study in English at RQF Level 3.

We recommend that you are at least 18 years old as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will not let you practice as a recognised financial adviser before then.

100% online course, the Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers gives you the flexibility to qualify tobecome a financial adviser from home or on the go.

You'll study 6 modules (and 11 units in total) that will explore the fundamental skills, knowledge and expertise that you'll need to qualify as a financial adviser. These include:

• Module 1: Financial Services Regulation and Ethics (FSRE)
• Module 2: Advanced Financial Advice - Taxation (AFAT)
• Module 3: Advanced Financial Advice – Investment (AFAI)
• Module 4: Advanced Financial Advice – Protection (AFAP)
• Module 5: Advanced Financial Advice – Retirement Planning (AFAR)
• Module 6: Advanced Financial Advice – Coursework (AFAC)

Like your course, your DipFA assessments are 100% online.

You will be assessed for each module by a mixture of multiple-choice online exams and coursework.

• Module 1: Financial Services Regulation and Ethics (FSRE) – one two-hour exam, split into 2 units. Each unit will include 25 multiple-choice questions and 3 case studies, each with 5 related multiple-choice questions
• Module 2 to 5: Taxation, Investment, Protection Retirement Planning – for each module, you will complete a 1.5-hour exam (split into 2 units) consisting of 20-question multiple-choice questions and 2 case studies, each with 5 multiple-choice questions related to each case study.
• Module 6:Coursework – the assessment for this module consists of a pre-release fact find and will require an essay response. When you register you will choose your coursework submission date. Please note, however, that a new coursework session starts every 6 weeks and you will have 4 weeks to complete the coursework assignment.

You will have a 12-month registration period in which to sit your multiple-choice exams for modules 1 to 5. The multiple-choice exams will be administered on behalf of LIBF by Pearson VUE and you can choose to sit them in a test centre, or at home by remote invigilation.

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We understand how difficult it can be to fit study around full-time work, parenting duties, or managing a busy schedule. That's why we build our courses for real people, living real lives.

The London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF) are a professional body with taught degree awarding powers.

Founded in 1879 as the Institute of Bankers, it provides internationally recognised executive training and professional qualifications to support the banking and finance sector around the world.

They focus on lifelong learning; equipping individuals with the knowledge, skills, and qualifications to achieve what they want throughout their career and life.

Their qualifications are relevant for a range of roles regardless of experience and allow individuals to tailor their learning, so they have the building blocks and professional skills to progress with pace.

They provide a balance of experience, insight and thought leadership for today’s financial world, delivered by industry leaders, thinkers, and members of our community.

The Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA) is aimed at professionals who are looking to start a career as a financial adviser.

Exploring the key information you'll need to qualify as a financial adviser, you'll examine:

• The purpose and structure of the UK financial services industry
• The role and aims of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
• Regulation regarding financial advice through to risk
• Analysing data
• Creating and managing financial plans
• Communicating financial advice

If you're looking to qualify as a financial adviser, this course is the perfect place to start. It brings content to life by breaking down learning into easy-to-manage bite-sized chunks.

This DipFA course is the first of its kind to be digitised, allowing you to study and access support resources entirely online.

If you’re funding the course yourself, our flexible 0% payment plans* allow you to spread the cost with interest-free* monthly instalments.

If your employer is funding all or part of your course, we can invoice them directly for your course fees – just let your course advisor know and we’ll arrange everything.

Totaling £1380, the LIBF registration fee covers everything you need to complete your course, including:

• Your course registration fee
• One attempt at each of your individual module exams (resit fees apply)
• Access to LIBF's learning platform, Brightspace (which includes mandatory reading and unit e-books), that supports the Digital Academy and underwrites the additional resources ICS Learn provides for the DipFA

You must register with LIBF first and pay your full registration fee to them before continuing your studies with ICS Learn. This ensures that you'll have the access you need to LIBF's learning platform, Brightspace, as well as your assessment information. You'll need both to successfully complete your DipFA course.

When a student registers with LIBF, they will have immediate online only access to Module 1 (FSRE), available through www.mylibf.com.

For modules 2 to 6, however, students will have the option to order a hard copy of the study materials if they prefer. If a student registers online, they will be offered the option to include the hard copy study text, free of charge. If a student is registered through a corporate registration or via their employer, they will have the option to order the Advanced Financial Advice (AFA) study hard copy study text, free of charge, once they’ve registered.

You can also verify that your course is budget-friendly when you use our handy affordability calculator.

Yes! You can study Module 1 of the Level 4 DipFA individually, or Modules 2 to 6 combined.

Module 1, the Financial Services Regulation and Ethics (FSRE) module,is an ideal introduction to the UK's financial services industry, regulation and ethics.

Over the module, you'll explore the key parts and relationships present in the financial system, regulatory frameworks, the concept of risk, how the FCA approaches ethics and aspects of providing advice.

It's a great place to start if you want to find out more about how financial services work in the UK.

The module will cost £670 to study and you'll receive student support for 6 months. Payment plans can help you spread the cost over a deposit and 5 monthly payments.

Modules 2 to 6, on the other hand, make up the Advanced Financial Advice (AFA) modules, which include Taxation, Investment, Protection, and Retirement Planning modules as well as the Coursework module.Together they will help you to create and maintain better financial plans for customers by deepening your knowledge of the financial system and the various influences that can inform the advice we offer.

It explores the commercial and regulatory environment, as well as legislation, products, and services that inform the financial advice process, in addition to how risk influences decisions and making informed choices about financial products.

The modules will cost £749 to study and you'll receive student support for 10 months. You can spread payment over 6 months with a deposit and 6 monthly payments.

If you’re looking to study Module 1 individually or Modules 2 to 6 combined, please contact our LIBF course advisors for more details.