Introduction to Personal Financial Planning (11228.2)

Please note these are the 2023 details for this unit
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Introduction to Personal Financial Planning
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods On-campus
Online real-time
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Business, Government & Law
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Canberra Business School Level 2 - Undergraduate Intermediate Unit Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan Social Work_Exclude 0905)
Band 5 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
This unit aims to provide students with an overview of the financial planning process within the Australian context. It introduces students to the principles of personal financial planning and professional financial advice, the regulatory environment, financial products and basic strategies for wealth creation and protection.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Discuss the importance of personal financial planning and the financial advisors role within the financial planning process;
2. Identify the need for client and product research in personal financial planning;
3. Explain the role of superannuation, investments and taxation in wealth creation and preservation;
4. Distinguish insurance products and describe their use to manage risk and illustrate the use of margin lending, derivatives and foreign exchange; and
5. Appraise the client's financial situation and recommend suitable strategies to accumulate, preserve and distribute wealth.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
2. UC graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - be self-aware
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - evaluate and adopt new technology


Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

9987 Introduction to Personal Financial Planning

Assumed knowledge

None.
Availability for enrolment in 2026 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 28 July 2025 On-campus Dr Bomikazi Zeka
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 28 July 2025 Online real-time Dr Bomikazi Zeka
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 10 August 2026 On-campus Dr Bomikazi Zeka
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 10 August 2026 Online real-time Dr Bomikazi Zeka
Not available

Required texts

Prescribed textbook:

McKeown, W., Olynyk, M., Kerry, M., Ciancio, L. and La, D. (2021). Financial Planning, Essentials Edition. Wiley. ISBN: 9780730385738. 

 

Please note that this is an e-book available through the University of Canberra Library:

You are welcome to purchase your own version of the text should you wish, but you can access for free through the library website: https://www.canberra.edu.au/library

Please search for Financial Planning, Essentials Edition. You will likely need your student ID number and password to access the book. 

 

Recommended readings:

From time to time you may find it useful to consult newspapers and journals such as:

- The Australian

- Accounting & Finance

- Australian Financial Review

- Business Review Weekly

- Journal of Corporate Accounting &Finance

- Journal of Banking & Finance

- Global Finance Journal

- CA Magazine

- The Australian Journal of Financial Planning

- Financial Standard

- The Journal of Investment Strategy

- Sydney Morning Herald

Each of these is available in UC library or online in electronic format.

 

There is also a range of other textbooks on the unit in the University library including the following:

Taylor, S. (2021). Financial Planning In Australia: Advice and Wealth Management, 10th ed, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood, NSW ISBN: 9780409354652

 

Day, J.K, Banister. P., Davies, B., Campbell, J., Fitton, G.D., Flack, G., Graham, S., Hayes, T., Jones, S., Kiddell, R., Prestney, S., Fenton, N., Howards, S. & T. Pepper (2018-19) Australian Financial Planning Handbook, Thomson Reuters (Professional) Australia Ltd, Kew, VIC, ISBN : 9780864698506

 

Shirlow, D., (ed) (2019) Australian Master Financial Planning Guide 2020/2021, 23rd ed, CCH Australia Ltd, North Ryde, NSW, ISBN: 9781922347381 (Book)/ ISBN: 9781922347398 (eBook)

 

Useful websites:

The following websites may be useful during your study of this unit:

Financial Advice Association Australia: https://faaa.au/ 

Australian Securities & Investments Commission: https://asic.gov.au/

Australian Taxation Office: http://www.ato.gov.au/

 

 

Submission of assessment items

Special assessment requirements

Students who complete all assessment items and earn at least 50% of the marks overall will pass this unit.

Furthermore, the use of AI is not permitted in this unit.

The University's position is that artificial intelligence services must not be used for assessment or assessment preparation by students unless explicitly allowed in the assessment instructions for an assessment task published with the assessment task and/or in the unit outline. That is, an AI service may only be used if:

a) its use is authorised by the unit convener as part of the specified task; and

b) it is used in the way allowed in the assessment instructions and/or unit outline; and

c) its use is appropriately referenced, meaning that the students must reference the use of AI in their assessment in the same way as they reference other source material.

The use of AI has not been specified in the assessment instructions for the unit or in the unit outline and thus, AI is not a permissible resource.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Participation requirements

It is recommended that students attend all lectures and tutorials. However there is no mark for attendance.

Attendance is not compulsory, but the unit has been designed on to engage students on weekly basis so students who do not attend regular classes will be disadvantaged in terms of learning and feedback. 

Required IT skills

You are assumed to have adequate skills in the use of calculator, computer, word-processing, spreadsheet modelling and internet browsing. You are also assumed to be familiar with LearnOnline. If you feel you do not have adequate skills, please discuss the matter with the unit convener.

Work placement, internships or practicums

The university has an arrangement with several financial planning firms in Canberra for WIL. If you are interested please contact the unit leader as soon as possible. 

However there are no WIL requirements as such in this unit.