With 20 years’ industry experience, Nicky Dwyer CFP® thought it was time to complete the CFP® Certification Program and in so doing, she has taken out the Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award.

With a career in financial services spanning two decades, Nicky Dwyer CFP^® never felt quite complete in her member education role with her previous employer, where she would actively engage with members in the workplace about their superannuation.

 “While I enjoyed interacting with members, I felt that I didn’t get to deliver on that next piece of the financial planning process, which was to actually help them realise their financial goals and lifestyle objectives,” Nicky says.

 It was hardly an epiphany moment for the 43-year-old, but one born out of a strong desire to help her clients achieve peace of mind with their financial wellbeing. She knew that in order to truly help her clients achieve their goals, she would need to take the next step in her professional development, and that was becoming a CFP^® professional.

 “As a planner, you immediately see the recognition that CFP^® Certification brings to you as a professional. The designation shows that you have reached the pinnacle of the profession, by adhering to the highest levels of education and ethics,” Nicky says. “That’s the type of professional I want to be, so undertaking and completing the CFP Certification Program was a natural progression in my career.”

 And the decision paid off, with Nicky taking out the prestigious Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award for being the highest achieving student in Semester 2 of the CFP Certification Unit. She is the eighth woman to take out this prestigious award and it’s an achievement Nicky is still coming to terms with.

 “To successfully complete the CFP^® Certification Program has been one of my most amazing achievements. But to take out the Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award, knowing who it was named after, and to have that type of recognition, is unfathomable. The award means the world to me. I still can’t believe it!”

In congratulating Nicky for taking out the Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award, FPA CEO Dante De Gori CFP^®  said to receive this award is a significant achievement because the rigorous CFP Certification Assessment requires students to be at their absolute best. He added that Nicky’s results reflected her commitment, dedication and outstanding effort to her studies.

Grassroots inspiration

 Nicky admits to being motivated and inspired to undertake the CFP^® Certification Program by some of the extraordinary leaders, colleagues and women she has worked with throughout her career.

 “I’m inspired by people who lead by example, who get involved, and who are not only active in the decision-making process but actually pitch in and get things done,” she says.

 It’s therefore not surprising that the mother of one wants to emulate a similar ‘grassroots’ style of leadership with her clients as a private client adviser at UniSuper Advice.

 “I’ve worked with a number of extraordinary people over the years, so working in an environment that is heavily dominated by men, it has been particularly wonderful to work with some amazing women, like Nicolette Rubinsztein, who is a non-executive director at UniSuper.”

It’s all about time management

Working with a number of these inspiring individuals has rubbed off on Nicky, particularly with her approach to time management and study. She confides that caring for her three-year-old daughter, while working four days a week and undertaking the CFP^® Certification Program, was challenging but achievable, due to the support of her family, colleagues, a disciplined approach and a flexible workplace.

“But even with this amazing support, juggling the demands of a career, family and studies is extremely difficult. I found it was often hard to put my family first all the time, because there were times when work needed to come first.”

However, Nicky managed to balance these competing demands by becoming more effective and efficient at work, allowing her the time to focus on her studies, while also spending precious time with family.  

She adds that the efficiency she gained at work, also spilled over to her studies, which included not procrastinating and to get cracking on work and assignments early.

“It sounds like a no-brainer but don’t leave things to the last minute. Believe me, I’ve been guilty of that myself. But when you look at the time needed to do the work required in the CFP^® Certification Program, there’s a lot of time and effort involved.

“It becomes quite overwhelming when you think of the program and studies in its entirety, so my advice is to break down your studies into manageable pieces on a weekly basis. That way, you can see that you’re making progress.”

Help and support

The FPA provides students with support for the CFP^® Certification Program, including online chat rooms available through the FPA Learn facility, where students can not only ask questions, but also follow the discussions started by other students to gain valuable insights and tips.

FPA Learn offers students the necessary support throughout the program. This includes data and resources via an interactive student platform, live and recorded tutorials, access to self-supported study groups, dedicated subject matter experts to assist in the chat rooms, and a student help desk.

And while Nicky availed herself of some of these resources, she regrets not joining a study group.

“I was surrounded by a lot of CFP^® practitioners who guided and supported me with my studies. So, I decided not to participate in a study group. But in hindsight, it was a big mistake not to,” she concedes.

“Joining a study group would have made it so much easier for me to bounce ideas off other students who were experiencing the same issues with their studies as I was with mine.”

 Make the most out of life

Nicky is the eighth woman to take out the Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award, and it’s an honour not lost on her.

“Every time I get to connect with a client or a member of our super fund, and be in a position to help them achieve their retirement outcomes or improve their financial wellbeing, it is simply the best reward for me as a financial planner.”

And for any practitioners considering enrolling in the CFP^® Certification Program, Nicky offers the following pragmatic advice.

“Don’t become overwhelmed by your studies and seek help, either through the chat rooms or study groups, when you need it. The key to this is balancing out your approach to work, study and family life. You need to make the most of your life, so don’t let work overtake things.”

And her final piece of advice?

“Stay the course and believe in yourself,” she says. “Don’t give up. Work towards what inspires you and what you want to achieve. Believe me, it’s worth it in the end.”

***

Name: Nicky Dwyer CFP^®

Age: 43

Educational Qualifications: Grad DFP, ADFP

Position: Private Client Adviser

Practice: UniSuper Advice

Licensee: UniSuper Management

CFP designation: November 2019

Years as a financial planner: 8.5 years

***

 The Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award

The Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award was established in 2014 in memory of Gwen Fletcher AM, who was considered by many to be the ‘first lady’ of financial planning.

The award honours in perpetuity the memory of Gwen Fletcher, and supports one of her key legacies in her lifelong endeavours to champion the vital role of education and its central importance in nurturing the financial planning profession.

Gwen Fletcher was not only a respected financial planner but also an educator and mentor, and helped shape the industry into an emerging profession. She was also responsible for bringing the CFP^® Mark to Australia in 1990.

The Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award is presented each semester to the highest achieving student in the CFP^®Certification Unit, which covers all three required assessments in the CFP^® Certification Program.

As part of the award, recipients receive a certificate of recognition, a complimentary ticket for the FPA Professionals Congress and $1,000, which is funded by the FPA.

***