A financial planner with East Lancashire firm Cassons Financial Planning Limited is celebrating after gaining chartered status.

John Davenport, a pensions specialist with Haslingden based Cassons achieved his chartered award after spending two and a half years studying for the qualification in his spare time.

The prestigious qualification, which is only held by around 10 per cent of financial planners means John is now able to offer more in-depth advice to clients seeking guidance on life planning, especially those approaching retirement or at the post retirement stage.

John, who’s been with Cassons for 8 years says: “The field of pensions, investing and saving for retirement and long term care is changing significantly and as the population ages, it’s becoming more and more important to seek expert advice.

“I wanted to study for chartered status in order to differentiate myself – only around 10 percent of financial planners have the qualification, so it helps to put me, and Cassons, at the forefront of the profession.

“As a pensions specialist I wanted to ensure my knowledge of the field was fully up to date, but I also wanted to look at other areas relevant to my clients, so I focused my studies on developing my skills in equity release and long term care planning.

“Studying for the qualification is a fantastic way to deepen and broaden your experience and knowledge, and it means clients have the reassurance of knowing the advice you’re providing really is the gold standard.

“Gaining chartered status has given me more confidence as a financial planner. It’s a really intensive course of study but really valuable – I’d find myself able to give clients answers on complex issues I’d been studying just the night before.

“The world of pensions is changing rapidly and it’s hugely important for anyone involved in the field to keep up to date with these changes so they can continue to offer clients the best guidance possible.”