The QFA is renowned as the gold standard designation for finance professionals.
The QFA is a professional designation which meets the Central Bank’s Minimum Competency Code (MCC) requirements for selling and advising on five of the eight categories of retail financial products set out in the Code.
By completing this online course you gain a wide understanding of professions in finance. The QFA is renowned as one of the leading designations for finance professionals with over 22,000 QFAs in Ireland, and is ideal for anyone working or seeking work in life assurance, credit unions, mortgage lending, pensions or investments.
To hold the QFA with LIA, you must complete an online course consisting of six modules offered by LIA’s academic education partner, Atlantic Technological University (ATU). All our courses are provided online via distance and self-directed learning, meaning you can study from home or work before sitting your exams online.
QFA Loans, QFA Life Assurance, QFA Investment, QFA Pensions and QFA Regulation are 2-hour multiple choice exams with 100 questions. The final module, QFA Financial Advice, is a 2 hour 30 minute written exam paper.
Once the course is completed you can apply to LIA for your QFA designation and will receive the Certificate in Professional Financial Advice by Atlantic Technological University (ATU) – a 30 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) qualification at level 7 of the National Framework of Qualifications.
Course Aims
The QFA is designed to provide you with the ability to:
- assess the needs of consumers for protection policies, including life assurance cover, serious illness cover and business insurances;
- evaluate the needs of consumers for investment linked pension policies, including retirement annuity contracts, PRSAs, employer pension schemes;
- appraise the needs of consumers for savings and investment products, including life assurance investment policies, collective investment funds, tracker bonds, Exchange Traded Funds, derivatives and unquoted transferable shares;
- evaluate the needs of consumers for mortgage credit agreements, housing loans, home reversion agreements, and consumer credit agreements;
- evaluate the main regulatory requirements relating to the marketing of and sales / advisory process of financial services products;
- assess the suitability of financial products in meeting the needs of consumers.
Course content
Modules
QFA Regulation
- Why Governments Regulate Financial Services
- Authorisation
- Marketing
- Meeting Potential Clients
- The Sales/Advisory Process
- Customer Records
- Handling Complaints
- Investor Protection
- Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts
- Whistleblowing
QFA Loans
- Housing Loans
- Taxation and Reliefs
- Comparing Housing Loans
- Housing Loan Insurance
- Arranging a Housing Loan
- Remortgaging
- Arrears and Debt Management
- Consumer Credit
QFA Pensions
- The Need for Retirement Planning
- State Pensions
- Personal Contracts
- Employer Pension Schemes
- Transfers
- Investment
- Pension Adjustment Orders
- Taxation
- Annuities
- Approved Retirement Funds (ARFs)
- Regulatory Bodies
- Inflation and Compound Interest
- Comparing Options and Plans
- Providing Advice
QFA Life Assurance
- Personal Financial Needs
- Life Assurance Cover
- Serious Illness Cover
- Quantifying Protection Needs
- Wills and Estates
- Business Insurances
- Comparing Protection Cover
- Investment Bonds
- Savings Policies
- Taxation
- Providing Advice
- Starting a Policy
- Paying Out Benefits
- Financial Maths
QFA Investment
- Financial Services Market
- The Economy
- Investment Asset Classes
- Deposits
- Shares
- Bonds
- Collective Investment Funds
- Employee Share Incentives
- Tracker Bonds & Structured Retail Products
- Unit Linked Policies
- Taxation
- Financial Maths
- Consumer Protection Code Obligations
- Comparing Investment Products
QFA Financial Advice
- Financial Planning: Fact-Finding
- Taxation
- Review: Pensions
- Review: Life Assurance
- Review: Investment
- Review: Loans
- Assessing Suitability and Making a Recommendation
- Client Reviews
Key Dates
Upcoming Key Dates
January 2025
Next Exam Session - Click here for a full list of exam dates
8 November 2024
Closing Date for Registrations
Module Pricing
The registration fee for each module is €350 and includes examination entry, textbook, and a suite of learning resources provided in our student log-in area such as your study guide, pre-recorded webinars and more.
Study Fee
If you are not already paying an annual LIA membership fee, you are required to pay one study fee (€100) in addition to your first module fee. This covers you for 12 months study i.e. you can enrol on any number of modules during that time without being charged the study fee again. Those who hold annual membership with LIA are not required to pay the study fee if enrolling on modules.
Minimum Entry Requirements
| Institution | Leaving Cert or Equivalent | Leaving Cert English | Leaving Cert Maths | RPL | Alternative Qualifications | English Language |
| LIA | 5 x O6/H7 or higher | Minimum of Grade O6/H7 | Minimum of Grade O6/H7 | Yes – see below | Yes – see below | IELTS 5.5 |
or
An equivalent qualification at the same level (e.g. A levels; Highers/Advanced Highers (Scotland), International Baccalaureate; European Baccalaureate etc).
Any QQI level 5/6 FE qualification is acceptable.
All applicants are required to have competency in English endorsed by the Irish Leaving Certificate or other equivalent award.
All learners are required to be proficient in English. Where a candidate’s mother tongue is not English, he or she is required to provide a proof of proficiency in the English language through satisfactory performance on an internationally recognised test (e.g. IELTS 5.5) or other similar English Language qualifications.
Mature applicants who do not have a Leaving Certificate will be assessed for entry based on work experience along with a demonstrated commitment towards the academic requirements for the programme. This may be assessed using a written application from the candidate and/or by interview. Such learners will have relevant employment and will have access to the IT facilities necessary to participate in the programme. RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) applicants will be required to complete a personal statement which addresses how the applicant has met the minimum standard by reference to QQI’s Business Standards at Level 6.
All other applicants, who do not meet these criteria, will be dealt with on their individual merits and on a case-by-case basis. Decisions made under this mechanism will not set a precedent for adjudicating similar applications.
Who is this course for?