iShares, the ETF platform of BlackRock, has launched an accredited continuous professional development (CPD) webinar course, to help advisers increase and formalise their knowledge of ETFs ahead of the implementation of the Retail Distribution Review (RDR).

“Our new accredited CPD course is part of a suite of educational materials, tailored to the needs of UK advisers”, said David Gardner, Head of Sales for iShares EMEA.

The iShares CPD course will support advisers in filling qualification gaps and consists of three 30-minute modules.

The first module provides an overview about ETFs and their relevance for financial advisers. Subsequent modules provide information on the different types of ETF structures on the market, how to select the right ETF and incorporating them within a portfolio.

The modules have been accredited by both the Institute of Financial Planning and the Chartered Insurance Institute, with advisers earning 0.5 CPD hours and 20 CPD credits for undertaking each module.

David Gardner, Head of Sales for iShares EMEA, commented: “2012 is a year of transition for financial advisers, ahead of the introduction of the RDR at the start of 2013. An immediate priority for many is to identify and address any gaps in their qualifications, since these must be filled by the end of this year. Our new accredited CPD course is part of a suite of educational materials, tailored to the needs of UK advisers which we have built up over several years to support them at a time of transformational change.

“ETFs are amongst the most regulated and most transparent investment vehicles available today, and many advisers are finding them a timely and cost-effective way to access markets and implement asset allocation decisions. In our view, the RDR will create greater interest in passive investment vehicles and in ETFs. We are committed to providing advisers with the information they need to be able to advise on them effectively.”

The course launch comes at a time when IFAs and intermediaries are increasingly using ETFs within client portfolios for both short-term tactical allocations and core long-term holdings. Indeed, a study earlier this year by iShares showed that IFAs are increasingly embracing ETFs on fund platforms [See IFAs embrace ETFs via wrap platforms as RDR draws closer], a trend likely to continue following the launch of an initial suite of ETFs of Fidelity’s FundsNetwork, one of the largest fund platforms [See Fidelity FundsNetwork rolls out initial ETF range].

However, despite the increased usage of ETFs, a survey by Skandia, an investment platform, suggested that the majority of financial advisers admit that they have little or no understanding of the structure of ETFs – thus reflecting the need for such educational courses. According to the survey, over two thirds of advisers indicated that they have little or no understanding of the structure of synthetic ETFs, with over half having little or no understanding of even ‘plain vanilla’ physical ETFs [See Majority of advisers still do not understand structure of ETFs, says Skandia].

The webinar course is available within the Adviser ETF resources microsite on the iShares website:
http://uk.ishares.com/en/pc/microsite/adviser