Here's the reality – your client might need a mortgage today and comprehensive financial planning tomorrow. Some advisers scramble between specialists or often miss opportunities entirely.
The advisers with the following two specific qualifications don't.
CeMAP as the entry-level requirement to becoming a mortgage adviser and DipFA as the foundation required to become a qualified financial adviser – aren't just complementary qualifications, they're the building blocks of complete client service. When combined, they create professionals who can guide clients through every stage of their financial journey, from first property purchase to retirement planning.
We spoke with Adam Benham from New Forest Wealth Management, who's living proof of how this powerful combination transforms both careers and client relationships. Here's what he told us:
Can you tell us about yourself?
"My name is Adam Benham. I am currently a mortgage adviser with New Forest Wealth Management, based in Romsey, but we do provide advice nationally. I am currently undergoing my training for financial advice, so I'm moving over into the financial adviser role."
How do CeMAP and DipFA complement each other in your day-to-day work as an adviser?
"Great question. I think that's a really important key to takeaway as well. So being a mortgage adviser, the advice that I provide to clients whether it be a residential property, whether it be buy to let or even commercial, it can have implications for that client in other areas such as taxation which is just a main key one to fall back on there.
Having a holistic understanding of the financial industry as a whole whether that be mortgage advice or financial advice is really key so that I can make sure that those clients are supported fully. If there is an element of advice that I can't provide, I'm able to signpost that client to an adviser who is able to help in the other areas that I'm not advising in, so that they are fully equipped with all of the knowledge that they need to know for any transactions that they may be undertaking now or in the future."
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In what ways have the CeMAP and DipFA allowed you to offer a more comprehensive customer service experience?
"I would probably say that the DipFA qualification has certainly enhanced my mortgage advice that I provide because I'm able to understand the impacts of my advice that I'm providing to those clients, such as taxation and therefore providing a better mortgage advice because I know what that client's goals and future circumstances may be. So I'm able to advise them accordingly. And in addition to that, it's really getting to understand the client as a whole. So whilst I may be doing a fact find for mortgage purposes, there may be other things that come to light that I know that the client needs support with."
Holding CeMAP and DipFA is really key. It means that I can provide my clients with a holistic approach. If you're providing mortgage advice to a client and you don't have the DipFA qualification, there's certainly going to be gaps in your knowledge that you're not able to support clients with or you're not able to identify problems that may arise for them in the future. So it's really key to be able to provide that full service to a client.
Adam Benham
DipFA and CeMAP completer
How has the combination of CeMAP and DipFA impacted your professional credibility and career progression?
"I think both CeMAP and DipFA are really key kind of letters after my name, which is really important for clients to see. It really just embeds the fact that I have done that learning, I have got those qualifications and that I am experienced within those areas. So whilst DipFA I am fairly new to, I've recently passed and qualified, that is something that I am currently doing with New Forest Wealth Management to start providing that financial advice to my clients and then again, with CeMAP, I am able to provide the mortgage advice, which is really key to those clients who are looking to buy their first home or looking to remortgage, and I'm helping them get the best deals that are available to them."
How do clients respond now that you're able to offer them an expanded range of products and insights?
"I've had longstanding relationships with a lot of my clients, so it's really nice to be able to go back to them and say, actually, I'm able to now help you with X, Y, and Z. And I've got clients who are lined up for additional advice later on, so it's really key for me to be able to help those clients.
It's really nice for them to say "oh, Adam, actually, I know that you are currently undergoing your qualifications. Can I come to you for pension advice?" And I'm saying, "yes, that's absolutely fine, just let me get signed off first." They are being lined up for after I am qualified for those clients who need future advice."
What's the biggest advantage of holding both the CeMAP and the DipFA?
"Holding CeMAP and DipFA is really key. It means that I can provide my clients with a holistic approach. If you're providing mortgage advice to a client and you don't have the DipFA qualification, there's certainly going to be gaps in your knowledge that you're not able to support clients with or you're not able to identify problems that may arise for them in the future. So it's really key to be able to provide that full service to a client. And both of those qualifications, DipFA and CeMAP are able to provide me with the knowledge that I need to help those clients."
Expand your knowledge and product offering today.
CeMAP is the industry-standard qualification to become a mortgage adviser
DipFA is the minimum level qualification you need to become a financial adviser
Do you feel that having these two qualifications will help future-proof your career?
"Having DipFA and CeMAP is crucial to the future longevity of my career. It is the kind of stepping stones that I will be making, I will actually be improving on those qualifications. So CeMAP is the, if you like, entry level mortgage advice qualification, and DipFA is the entry level qualification for financial advice. I will be expanding on both of those and going down the advanced route, and these really give me the kind of foundational knowledge to be able to progress my career."
What advice would you give to other advisers looking to expand their product and knowledge portfolio?
"I think expanding your qualification portfolio is really important not just for yourself, but also for your clients and the advice and the knowledge that you have and you are able to provide to them. So it's a kind of win-win all round in that scenario. And I think that, as long as you're willing to put the effort in, the more letters you have after your name can only be a good thing."
Building your complete adviser toolkit
Adam's experience reveals something important about the evolving financial services landscape: Clients value advisers who can see their complete financial picture and understand how different decisions connect.
The combination of CeMAP and DipFA creates exactly this capability. You're not just a mortgage adviser who happens to know about pensions, or a financial planner who dabbles in property finance. You become a professional who truly understands how every financial decision impacts the whole.
This holistic approach doesn't just benefit clients – it transforms careers. When you can serve clients across their entire financial journey, you build relationships that last decades, not transactions. That's the kind of career sustainability that matters in an industry where trust is everything.
Whether you're starting your advice career or looking to expand your expertise, the synergy between these qualifications offers a clear path forward. The question isn't whether or not dual qualification makes sense, Adam's story shows it clearly does, the question is how quickly you can start to offer a complete advise service to your clients.
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