The Intermediary –- June 2026 - Flipbook - Page 88
P RO T E C T I O N
Opinion
Greater flexibility,
no standards drop
I
n December 2025, the
Financial Conduct Authority
(FCA) introduced a new policy
statement that removed the
compulsory requirement for
the employees involved in
non-investment insurance markets
to undertake 15 hours of continued
professional development (CPD) on an
annual basis.
While training requirements
remain the same for other activities,
such as mortgage business, the
decision to simplify requirements
for general insurance (GI) was taken
aer an FCA consultation. Feedback
revealed that the CPA obligation
was insufficient for some complex
roles while being disproportionate
for others.
This change opens an opportunity
for companies to refocus their
efforts on tailoring professional
development programmes to fit their
actual workforce needs and business
demands, which creates an interesting
scenario worthy of discussion.
Despite this removal, the FCA is
expecting advisers are likely to want
to continue using and developing their
existing frameworks, and that firms
determine the appropriate level of
training relevant to their employees’
roles. The FCA expectations on
maintaining staff competence,
knowledge and skill have not changed.
Earlier this year, we conducted
a survey which explored adviser
aitudes to CPD and the recent
changes. A total of 80 financial
advisers took part, of which 74% were
unaware of the rule change.
Nevertheless, the results seem
to back up the FCA’s expectations,
with only eight advisers saying they
would definitely change their existing
approach, and only one respondent
saying they would drop their formal
CPD hours for general insurance
altogether.
This suggests that CPD is not seen
only as a compliance exercise, but
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The Intermediary | June 2026
that advisers recognise it has intrinsic
value for the work they carry out
on a daily basis. It also chimes with
research we conducted last year via
our 2025 Adviser Survey, where 85%
of the 485 advisers polled said they
have a desire to do more general
insurance business.
If advisers want to increase their
GI activity, it follows that ongoing
learning, strengthening their
knowledge and keeping their skills upto-date will be key to giving them the
confidence and capability to do so.
Findings from the same survey
conducted in March also found 72% of
advisers expressed their eagerness to
keep doing formal CPD hours, while
59% stated they would rather replace
formal CPD hours with other ways to
stay informed – including provider
training, webinars, trade press and
newsleers – and 25% said they would
do more team-based learning rather
than individual.
Firm flexibility
Another key takeaway is the flexibility
organisations now have to determine
the best training for role-specific
needs. In fact, 34% of the participants
noted that they are more likely to rely
on insurance distributor support for
specific active-case queries – a more
bespoke and reactive approach.
This aligns with the FCA’s
expectation, in which CPD remains
mandatory but flexible. This can be
achieved through a range of learning
opportunities, such as courses,
e-learning, and mentoring.
In this context, organisations such
as Paymentshield become an essential
part of the equation.
The scope of support oen
goes further than simple product
knowledge, by incorporating guidance
on customer engagement, practical
considerations when advising, and
the use of case studies to highlight the
broader role and value of GI for both
clients and firms.
NASAR HUSSAIN
is director of intermediated
household at Paymentshield
CPD is becoming less
rigid, more personalised,
and more embedded in
daily work”
We’ve already been seeing greater
demand for the diverse methods of
training support the Paymentshield
sales team is able to offer – including
phone, video call and in-person
sessions – that allows firms to engage
in a way that best suits their structure
and needs, from one-on-one sessions
to larger teams.
Likewise, for those advisers who
intend to continue formal CPD hours,
Paymentshield’s dedicated learning
hub – the GI Academy – supports
skills development. These resources,
which have been approved by the CPD
Certification service, are aimed at
making advisers feel more confident
when discussing GI with their clients.
It’s clear that CPD is becoming
less rigid, more personalised, and
more embedded in daily work. The
challenge – and opportunity – now lies
in ensuring that this shi translates
into tangible improvements in adviser
capability, customer outcomes, and
overall business performance.
With an established bank of
resources already in place to
support this evolving environment,
Paymentshield centres its efforts
on how to apply them effectively
in practice. ●
