Understanding Financial
Services from a Customer Perspective
To advise or sell any
financial service or product directly to the public, it is essential to understand the
relationship between the customer perception of the industry, the economic environment and
the changing nature of the products available. This requires knowledge of the roles of
various financial institutions, the impact of economic conditions on consumer behaviour
and the key issues affecting financial services markets.
This text is designed to
provide an accessible guide to these issues. It further examines the impact that customer
behaviour has on influencing the products and services that are provided as well as the
role played by financial regulation, including consumer protection.
Claire Bateson runs
Cobalt Advantage, an independent consultancy providing specialist training solutions to
the financial services industry.
Contents
Unit 1 - The role of
financial services institutions in the wider business environment
Introduction to
macro-economics
1.0 The money supply
2.0 Inflation
3.0 Interest rates
4.0 State of the economy and
public confidence
5.0 European union and
monetary policy
6.0 Major financial services
institutions
7.0 Meeting customer needs
8.0 Social responsibility and
ethics
Unit 2 - Describe the
mainstream types of personal financial services products
1.0 Differences between
regulated products and non-regulated products
2.0 Why is regulation
necessary?
3.0 Regulated products
4.0 Pensions
5.0 Life assurance
6.0 Personal protection
insurance
7.0 Investments
8.0 Mortgages
9.0 General insurance
10.0 Non-regulated products
11.0 Personal lending
12.0 Credit cards, debit
cards and charge cards
13.0 Other intermediaries and
advice for customers
Unit 3 - Identifying the key
issues affecting personal financial services markets
1.0 Competitive forces
2.0 New distribution channels
and rates of change
3.0 Consumer habits and
demands
4.0 Suppliers and resourcing
issues for financial services organisations
5.0 Government policies
Unit 4 - Legislation that
affects customer rights
1.0 Customer relations
2.0 Financial Services and
Markets Act 2000
3.0 The basis for banking
supervision
4.0 The Mortgage Code
5.0 The Consumer Credit Act
1974
6.0 Money laundering
7.0 Fraud
Index
171 pages