There are now 733 AFAs and it’s good to see the recent publicity about incomplete qualifications has resulted in a lot more information being sent through over the last week.
I sit along the corridor from the team processing AFA applications and popped in to ask what else advisers could do to ensure they were processed in time. Here’s what they said:
• If you’ve received an email from us telling you we don’t have your results and you think you’ve completed everything, check online at your ETITO account to see if your Record of Learning has been updated with results. If you find the unit standards are not on your Record of Learning you should contact your training provider (or ETITO for Standard Sets B and C) with your result notification. If the unit standards are on your Record of Learning contact ETITO with your ETITO (FSC) number.
• If you get an email from us asking for some other information or clarification please respond right away. Even a note to say you’re working on getting it to us is helpful because then we know you’ve received the message.
• Contact FMA if you haven’t heard from us at all. We have had a few advisers thinking they had applied for AFA but had only completed the registration part. We have contacted all advisers who have applied to be an AFA so if you haven’t heard from us you may have made a mistake in the online application process.
• Contact us if you haven’t heard from us for a while and want to check the status of your application. We’re happy to set your mind at rest if you’ve got a completed application and want to be sure you’ll be processed in time.
Once you are authorised you’ll get an email from the team telling you you’re an AFA. The email will include your AFA certificate and a copy of the standard terms and conditions you’ll have to abide by. Your FSPR record will be updated to show your AFA status. We also publish the names of all AFAs on the FMA website.
We’re aiming to have all completed applications processed by 17 June so you have time to update your clients. Time really is running out now so make sure you stay in touch with my team. Please don’t leave it until the last minute, we can’t delay our timetable
Mel Hewitson
