Advanced Diploma of Paraplanning
FNS60920
Duration: Up to two years
Price: $2,544 upfront | $117.42 per week (payment plan)
How it works: Study online. With a difference.
Start date: Immediately, or whenever you're ready
Entry requirements: No formal prerequisites | RPL available | Some equipment needed
Qualification type: Advanced Diploma
A Paraplanner’s primary role is to provide support to the Financial Adviser.
A Paraplanner’s primary role is to provide support to the Financial Adviser.
Built by Monarch
Work - ready and practical experience
Nationally recognised
Free membership to the IPA
Course Summary
A Paraplanner’s primary role is to provide support to the Financial Adviser. As such, Paraplanners need to take responsibility for their work, show initiative and produce work that's accurate, fit for purpose, supported by evidence and assists the Adviser to achieve their mandatory compliance obligations.
Monarch's Advanced Diploma of Paraplanning is built by industry professionals who understand this and know what you need to get you ready for working in the financial services industry. You'll benefit from their guidance as soon as you start learning.
Good paraplanners – especially the dedicated ones – are in high demand. If you want to help people change their lives by helping them reach their financial goals, chances are paraplanning is on your list of career options.
Key opportunities include:
Associate financial planner/adviser (in a ‘junior ‘capacity)
Paraplanner
Financial planning practice manager
Compliance officer at a financial planning firm/[Australian financial services licensee] (AFSL)
Call-centre adviser for either an insurance provider, investment fund management provider, investment platform provider or superannuation provider
Back-office superannuation operations officer
Back-office insurance operations officer
Back-office fund management operations officer
Back-office investment platform operations officer
Investment corporate actions support officer
This course is designed to be completed within 12-24 months.
There is no minimum timeframe to complete this course. Students who are highly motivated and well organised can complete the full course at an accelerated pace.
The key factors that influence course completion are a student’s experience, time availability, how fast they work and how committed they are!
More than online
You’ll get:
Easy-to-follow course materials
Videos and webinars
Heaps of support from your course trainers (phone, email, Zoom)
A dedicated admin team on hand to guide you
Online assessments
Student Facebook group
How does it work?
This course has been developed to give you absolute flexibility. Study on your couch, on public transport, on your break at work, out in the park – wherever and whenever you like. The best part is, with Monarch Institute, ‘online’ doesn’t mean ‘alone’. You’ll be backed by our trainers at every step along the way.
What support will I get?
Your trainer will be happy to contact you via phone, Zoom, or email (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm). So you definitely won’t feel alone. You’ll also have access to our student Facebook groups, so you can discuss the material with other students. It’s a handy way to stay in touch with trainers and others in the same course.
The experts who design and deliver our courses have developed an assessment framework that’s uniquely designed to help you gain a deep understanding of the material.
Assessment formats include:
Case studies
Multiple-choice questions
Short-answer questions
Workplace scenarios
Projects
Roleplays- video self-recording and upload of the file
Immediately, or whenever you’re ready.
Get in touch about enrolling
"I studied the Advanced Diploma of Paraplanning with Monarch and am pleased to say that the course material was easy to follow and comprehensive. The assignments were clear and support was always available. Sessions with the trainer were extremely helpful"
- Advanced Diploma of Paraplanning Graduate
Entry Requirements
To make sure you get the most out of training with us, the following enrolment process applies:
Once we receive your enrolment, our course consultants will get in touch to undertake a pre-training review to ensure the training is right for you.
For students without an equal or higher level qualification, there is a short language, literacy and numeracy quiz you complete online.
We may be able to take into account relevant knowledge and skills you’ve gained through previous formal or informal training, education and employment. To find out more, refer to our Student Information Handbook by clicking here, or get in touch with one of our friendly course consultants.
You will need access to the following equipment to successfully complete the course:
Working computer with Microsoft Office (2016 or later)
Access to the internet either at home, work, public libraries or other locations. Internet speed must be reasonable in order to watch videos etc.
Access to a smart phone, video camera or web camera is required
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You’ll need to complete 12 units to obtain your Advanced Diploma of Paraplanning, including nine core and three electives.
Module 1: The Paraplanner
Units are clustered
FNSINC411 Conduct work according to professional practices in the financial services industry
FNSFPL621 Comply with ethical and operational guidelines, legislation and regulations in financial planning
Module 2: The Client
FNSCUS516 Record and implement client instructions
Module 3: The Practice
FNSPRM611 Monitor and review organisational system compliance with legislation and regulations
Module 4: Managed Funds Advice
FNSFPL609 Prepare advice in managed investments
Module 5: Research Activities
Units are clustered
FNSINC511 Conduct financial product research to support product recommendations
FNSFPL622 Conduct financial planning analysis and research
Module 6: Superannuation Advice
FNSFPL610 Prepare advice in superannuation
Module 7: Insurance Advice
FNSFPL619 Prepare advice in life insurance
Module 8: Prepare, Present & Implement Advice
Units are clustered
FNSFPL614 Develop financial plans
FNSFPL615 Present and negotiate financial plans
FNSFPL616 Implement financial plans
Built by Monarch
Monarch’s in-house paraplanning and finance experts meticulously crafted this course, ensuring its top-notch quality. Specifically tailored to meet the requirements of industry stakeholders, it aims to produce highly proficient paraplanners equipped with both technical expertise and transferable skills, ready to excel in demanding roles within a practice team.
Work - ready and practical experience
This course has been developed to help you prepare for work as a paraplanner. You’ll benefit from practical materials that are delivered in a workplace – orientated environment.
Free membership to the IPA
Keen to broaden your career options? You’ll get free membership to the Institute of Public Accountants with this course.
Nationally recognised
The course is nationally recognised under the Australian Qualifications Framework. You can use it as a pathway to further studies, including university degrees.
Paraplanning training. For the real world.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Paraplanners support financial advisers by researching financial products, analysing client circumstances and preparing the documentation an adviser needs before giving formal advice. You’d take the adviser’s instructions from a client meeting, research suitable products across superannuation, managed investments and life insurance, then draft the written advice for the adviser to review. Accuracy is of utmost importance here because your work is what helps the adviser meet their compliance obligations.
Anyone can enrol without any formal prerequisites, so this course suits people entering financial services as much as those already working in administration or client support who want a technical role. You’ll find it a strong fit if you enjoy detailed research and want to help people reach their financial goals. Our in-house paraplanning and finance experts developed the course specifically for work in a practice team.
The course includes a total of 12 units, including nine core and three electives. You’ll learn to:
Prepare advice on managed investments, superannuation and life insurance
Conduct financial product research to support product recommendations
Develop, present and implement financial plans
Record and implement client instructions
Comply with the ethical and regulatory requirements of financial planning
Monitor how an organisation’s systems meet legislation and regulations
Yes. We deliver the course online with materials you can work through on your own time. Most students finish within 12 to 24 months, though you can work faster if you have the time available. Your trainer will answer your questions by phone, Zoom or email between 9am and 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, and you’ll complete assessments including case studies, workplace scenarios, projects and roleplays fully online.
You’ll gain technical knowledge of superannuation, managed investments, life insurance and financial product research. Those areas apply to work in advice practices, fund managers, insurers and superannuation providers. The qualification is nationally recognised under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and may count towards credit for a business, commerce, accounting or financial planning degree. Universities set their own credit arrangements, so check with the one you’re considering.
You’ll learn to develop, present and implement financial plans, including documentation covering managed investments, superannuation and life insurance. Preparing these documents makes up a substantial part of the course. Australian law reserves personal financial advice for authorised representatives of a licensee, so paraplanners prepare supporting documentation while the adviser remains responsible for the advice provided.
Financial advisers meet clients, recommend strategies and take responsibility for the advice they give, working as authorised representatives of an Australian financial services licensee (AFSL). Paraplanners handle the research and documentation behind that advice without advising clients directly. Many paraplanners work towards advising roles later, and this course covers the technical knowledge both roles draw on.
You could work in an advice practice, an insurance provider, a fund manager, a superannuation provider or an investment platform. Graduates pursue roles like:
Paraplanner
Associate financial planner or adviser in a junior capacity
Compliance officer at a financial planning firm
Back-office operations officer in superannuation, insurance or fund management
Investment corporate actions support officer
Financial planning practice manager
Trainers
Fees