Established for well over 25 years, the award-winning Wills & Trusts Group believes in treating clients as people, not just as a number. This “family” philosophy makes the company one of the most highly respected amongst financial advisers.

As one of the few firms of Chartered Financial Planners, Wills & Trusts has the technical know-how to deal with any situation but focuses on the growth of clients’ assets and the protection of those assets so that they pass to the right person at the right time.

Estate planning
Like most people, you want your assets to be passed to your family both during your lifetime and following your death. You want to be sure your wealth goes to the right person at the right time. You will probably want to make sure that you pay no more tax than is reasonable, and in some cases you will want to avoid it completely.

Investment management
You want to earn more on your savings and investments, at the same time, you want to pay as little tax as possible. Most importantly of all, you probably want to minimise any risk that you take. It takes a great deal of time and effort to build your wealth, and you want to protect it for your future and for the future of your family. We actively manage your investments to produce the greatest returns for the lowest risk. We put a premium on making sure you know what is happening and why. Our clients say our programme of client education is like nothing they have ever experienced before.

Pensions management
When you retire you will want to make sure that your pension produces the most income possible, that the income will last for the rest of your life, and ideally increase every year. If anything happens to you, it is no doubt important to you that your spouse will get your pension in full. We treat pensions like every investment we manage. Unlike most advisers, who only look at your pension once a year, we look at it every day, and we ask the question: how can we do better for you?

The Wills & Trusts Apprenticeship Programme is perfect for individuals in the early stages of their career, looking to gain the necessary qualifications to operate on a professional level whilst also obtaining crucial on-the-job training and experience.

We offer our Apprentices a fantastic opportunity to combine a variety of learning and techniques whilst also embedding the necessary practical and technical skills to ensure that as you work through the programme you become a highly knowledgeable, capable and confident employee.

Here at Wills & Trusts we appreciate that times are changing, you no longer need to spend hours writing out pages and pages from a textbook to learn something. Daily we absorb and retain knowledge through our social media feeds, TED Talks, YouTube videos as well through hands-on practical experience; Our Apprenticeship Programme delivers results in the same way. We still deliver workshops or classroom-based sessions too, but we make the most of these sessions by offering a truly blended learning solution.

We currently offer 2 Apprenticeship Programmes, both accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). You will have access to online tutorials and a tutor plus all study materials and CII Membership. 80% of your programme will consist of practical skills-based learning and 20% technical study.  

Financial Services Administration Level 3 Apprenticeship

An ideal entry-point for individuals looking to embark upon a career within Financial Services. As an Independent Financial Advisor (IFA), we operate within a highly regulated environment so administrative support is a vital part of our world.

The course covers Financial Services Regulation & Ethics and Pensions Administration. You will learn about: Financial Services and Customer Requirements; Investments & Loan Repayments; The UK Financial Industry and the Role of Government; Legal Principles; UK Taxation and State Benefits and Financial Services and Legislation and FCA Rules and Measures.

The duration of the course is 12-18 months and will be assessed via on-programme and end-point assessment.

Financial Adviser Level 4 Apprenticeship

A higher-level apprenticeship that is focused on developing learners professionally to advise customers on life products, pensions and investment needs. A good fit for those currently working in an established financial role who wish to develop their knowledge in specific financial service products or looking for a career in Paraplanning or Financial Planning.

Learners will study the value and importance of building long term relationships with clients. You can choose to specialise in one, or a range of financial products, from pensions, life products, and investments. You will develop knowledge of legal and risk requirements to ensure full compliance when advising clients, in particular the study of the Regulatory Framework to include the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA). Topics covered include: The UK financial services industry in its European and global context; the different types of protection, pension and investment products; and advising clients within the regulatory framework. Once qualified you will gain the professional accreditation and knowledge to ensure you can offer impartial financial advice.

The duration of the course is 30 months and will be assessed through on-programme learning and an externally marked end-point assessment. Apprentices will take a qualification through the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) comprising of six exams before completing the end-point assessment. (Level 2/GCSE English and Mathematics as required prior to taking the final assessment).

The most important criteria to meet is that you are passionate about investing in a career within Financial Planning. We can give you lots of training and support but it’s vital you enjoy the sort of work we do.

GCSE’s in Maths and English grade C+ are a minimum entry requirement, we anticipate you may not have years of experience on your CV, but we are looking for transferrable skills in research or analytics, a passion for customer service as well as a positive work ethic.

Why become a Wills & Trusts Apprentice?

·         Learn while you earn, above average pay rates

·         Optional travel Loan

·         CII Membership

·         All exams, tutoring and study materials  

·         Free lunch every day

·         Regular trips, treats and incentives (e.g. theatre, massages, yoga classes and much more)

·         3pm finish on Fridays

·         Additional 2 days holiday entitlement per year of service

·         On-going supported professional development

·         Work alongside industry experts

·         Free personal financial planning

·         Fantastic career opportunities available post-apprenticeship in Paraplanning or Financial Advice