Graduate Certificate of Financial Planning

About this unit

This unit provides an insight to the elements of the financial planning profession. Students will learn about the necessary acumen of analysing economic factors and their impact on individuals’ financial plans. This unit also examines the regulatory environment and contemporary issues within the financial planning industry and underpinning elements of an adviser’s professional capacity and conduct. Financial planning strategies, processes and related due diligence will be investigated in this unit. Additionally, students will be introduced to financial planning technologies and ethical principles.

Content

• Economic environment
• Overview of financial planning industry
• Financial advice regulatory and legal obligation
• Financial advice process
• Scopes and strategies to generate advice
• Construction and presentation of strategic Statement of Advice
• Use of technology in Financial Planning
• Client engagement and necessary elements for a contemporary professional.

This unit is found in the Graduate Certificate of Financial Planning and the Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning.

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About this unit

This unit provides students with knowledge of the financial system, various regulatory bodies, key participants and potential risks in the financial markets. This unit focuses on the understanding and the application of the modern finance theories including various asset pricing models, modern portfolio theory, market efficiency and behavioural finance, and how these theories influence investment planning strategies. Students will learn to construct and defend a multi-asset portfolio that satisfies client’s objectives and constraints based on their financial literary and behavioural biases. Students will apply investment and behavioural finance knowledge to generate financial planning strategies using advice technologies.

Content

• Financial systems and regulatory bodies
• Investment markets
• Equity markets
• Debt markets
• Market efficiency
• Portfolio theory and construction
• Portfolio risk management
• Managed funds
• Regulation of markets
• Investment structures and products
• Financial technologies
• Behavioural finance
• Client Behaviour
• Consumer engagement
• Client decision making.

This unit is found in the Graduate Certificate of Financial Planning and the Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning.

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Unit code: LAW60003
Duration: 1 Teaching Period
Contact hours: Recommended 10 hours of study per week

About this unit

The general aim of this core unit is to enable students to gain an understanding of the law applicable to contracts and companies that are employed in the modern business environment. In particular the primary focus is on the contracting activities and its repercussions relating to businesses and entrepreneurial activities. The operations of the Corporations Act2001 (Cth) which regulate the activities of companies, company officers and shareholders also take significance in this unit.

Content

• Topic 1: The Australian Legal System, Formation of Contract
• Topic 2: Terms of Contract
• Topic 3: Validity of Contract
• Topic 4: Termination of a Contract and Remedies
• Topic 5: Characteristics of a Company & its Constitution
• Topic 6: Company’s Relations with Outsiders including Company Contracts
• Topic 7: Directors’ Duties
• Topic 8: Members’ Remedies and Company Insolvent Trading

This unit is found in the Graduate Certificate of Professional Accounting, the Master of Professional Accounting, the Graduate Certificate of Financial Planning, and the Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning.

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About this unit

This unit prepares students to engage advanced critical and reflective skills in analysing the ethical principles and standards of professional practice in financial services, and to understand (and effectively apply) the legal compliance requirements of the financial adviser profession. Students learn to identify complex ethical issues and propose sound solutions; effectively apply resources available in support institutions; and use creative skills to improve the ethics regime of the profession. Client management concepts and principles are practised in the context of: enhancing communication, conflict resolution and trust building skills; developing ethical and legally compliant solutions to systemic problems; and applying recent theoretical developments in social psychology and behavioural finance to foster ethical cultures.

Content

• Applications of the FPA Code of Professional Practice
• Recent developments in the institutionalised ethics regime of the financial planning services industry
• Complex ethical issues and dilemmas in financial planning services
• Conflicts of interest: understanding and managing systemic sources
• Advanced applications of professional conduct: applying integrity, resisting power pressure and giving voice to values
• Advanced management of client relationships
• Advanced communication and interpersonal skills
• Behavioural finance: managing cognitive bias and improving heuristics
• Advanced ethical reasoning and social intuitionist approaches to decision making
• Advanced conflict management skills: building empathy and trust.

This unit is found in the Graduate Certificate of Financial Planning and the Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning.

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Unit code: ACC80012
Duration: 1 Teaching Period
Contact hours: Recommended 10 hours of study per week

About this unit

This unit aims to foster an understanding of the policy, principles and practice that underpin the Australian taxation system. The main emphasis is on taxation principles associated with the Income Tax Assessment Act, 1936 and 1997 as amended, together with those acts which are complementary to the Assessment Act. The unit provides students with the skills and expertise to tread more confidently through the tax law maze and enhance student’s ability to identify and evaluate taxation issues and tax planning opportunities.

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
1. Critically evaluate the various principles of taxation based on the taxation legislation and decisions from case law in Australia
2. Apply advanced knowledge of the principles that distinguish between the concepts of income, capital and gifts and incorporate these into a tax planning environment
3. Critically analyse the complexities of taxation principles in relation to various taxable entities and
analyse and critically address the key issues related to tax planning opportunities
4. Apply knowledge of research principles to communicate the importance and significance of
current and landmark taxation decisions issued by the courts and Administrative Appeals Tribunal

This unit is found in Master of Professional Accounting and the Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning.

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