South African financial planners' perceptions on professionalism: an exploratory study

Since the introduction of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act 37 of 2002, and the Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) outcomes in 2014, South Africa's financial planning industry has been undergoing the process of becoming a professionalised industry, meeting international standards and benchmarks. Professionalism is an important aspect of being a financial planner in the current climate of treating clients fairly. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing financial planners' perceptions of professionalism. A conceptual model for assessing the factors that may have an influence on a financial planner's perceptions of professionalism was proposed. A quantitative research approach was implemented to test the model. The findings indicated that interactions with clients, pride in the profession, and interactions with colleagues had a significant influence on a financial planner's perceptions of professionalism.