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Press release: FISA conference and exam

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Press release by FISA

27 August 2013

FISA ramps up fiduciary profession

The Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa (FISA) continues to raise awareness and standards of fiduciary practice to benefit both practitioners and the public. For the third year running, FISA will hold its annual conference as well as the examination which gives successful candidates the designation of Fiduciary Practitioner of South Africa (FPSA®).

Conference

On 19 September FISA will hold its third annual conference, with the overarching theme of education. The conference will be an all-day event in Centurion, and Standard Bank’s trust company is the main sponsor this year. Educational topics on estate planning and estate administration will be discussed by practitioners and academics, and the Chief Master, Adv Lester Basson, will also present a paper.

Louis van Vuren, Chairman of the FISA Education Committee, says that the conference will be of interest to anyone involved in fiduciary practice, including many financial planners. FISA members are eligible for 7 CPD points.

FPSA® exam

In November, at seven venues around the country, fiduciary practitioners can sit the FPSA® examination. Two venues in the Eastern Cape (Port Elizabeth and East London) have recently been added to meet the demand for that province’s applicants.

 

FISA Chairperson, Angelique Visser, said that she was delighted more people were sitting the exam in the Eastern Cape as that province has traditionally been underserved.

 

She said: “Achieving FPSA® status testifies to the fact that the person has attained a level of knowledge and skill that justifies distinction as a professional in the fiduciary field.  It also indicates that the person is aware of and committed to the ethical principles that the public at large can expect of someone entrusted to manage the affairs of another who is not in a position to do so.”

 

FISA has phased out its previous certification system. All existing certifications will cease to be recognised after 31 December 2017, when all FISA members will fall into one of two categories:  those with FPSA® status, and those without.

 

 

Details and applications for conference as well as the examination can be found on the FISA website at www.www.fisa.net.za. A tablet/smart phone version of the site has recently been launched.

Prepared by: Lucy Reyburn of .Word (082 922 7483 or lucyrey@iafrica.com)

Contact: Angelique Visser, Chairperson of FISA (082 565 3565) or angelique@www.fisa.net.za

About FISA

The Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa (FISA) is a non-profit organisation that represents fiduciary practitioners and sets high minimum standards for the industry to protect the public’s interests. FISA is the only professional body focusing solely on fiduciary practitioners in Southern Africa.

 

Activities of FISA members include but are not restricted to the drafting of wills, administration of trusts and estates, beneficiary funds, tax and financial advice and the management of client funds.

 

FISA has over 700 individual members, who collectively manage in excess of R250 billion. They draft several thousand wills each year and administer around 50 percent of deceased estates reported to the Master’s Office.

 

FISA helps to make processes smoother for members and the public, particularly through its good working relationship with the Master’s Office and SARS.