The IFW Financial Wellbeing Certificate – Carbon’s commitment to client wellbeing

Congratulations to Mark Christie, Darren Lees and Polly Reaves who have completed the Financial Wellbeing Certificate accredited by IFWellbeing and QMtraining.

The Institute for Financial Wellbeing (IFW) focuses on shifting the focus of our industry from financial products to what clients’ money can do for them, to reduce stresses and enrich lives.

The course covered the theory behind wellbeing and practical steps to embed financial wellbeing into our service proposition, focusing on five elements of financial wellbeing:

• A clear path to identifiable objectives

• Ability to cope with financial shocks

• Clarity and security for those we leave behind

• Control of daily finances

• Having financial options

Darren shares: ‘The course really focused on what makes us happy. The idea that we get financial and general wellbeing from doing what makes us happy has transformed the way I explore my clients’ future plans. Getting to the deeper reason behind their goals and aspirations, what the course calls their intrinsic motivations’

Mark commented: ‘I’ve gained an improved skill set to help me more easily unlock with clients, what really excites them and what they truly look forward to doing. It also helped highlight the clear links between financial and mental wellbeing and that both need to be discussed and tackled at the same time. Something that isn’t always easy but I feel better placed to have those conversations now with clients, friends and colleagues’

Polly explains: ‘The course taught me that financial and general wellbeing is not about having more, so more money or more stuff. Actually it’s about deeply understanding what matters to a client, what motivates them and what makes them happy to then support them to put in place a plan of action to achieve purpose and happiness in their lives’

You can read more about the work of the IFW here - The Initiative for Financial Wellbeing | Improving financial wellbeing (instituteforfinancialwellbeing.com)

Carbon is committed to supporting the work of the IFW. Please reach out to Mark, Darren or Polly, or call us 0131 220 000 or email enquiries@carbonfinancial.co.uk to find out more.