We’re delighted to share that Berry & Oak has been awarded Chartered Firm™ status by the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).

It is a proud moment for our team, but what matters most to us is what sits behind the recognition. Chartered Firm status looks beyond the qualifications of any one individual. It considers the standards, values and commitment to learning across the business.

To qualify, firms must meet a range of criteria. These include having Chartered professionals within their core team, broad CISI membership across the team and board, a programme of continuing professional development, and business practices aligned with the CISI Code of Conduct. Firms must continue to demonstrate that they meet the criteria each year. You can read the full requirements on the CISI website.

What it means for Berry & Oak

For us, this recognition reflects the way we want to work every day: investing in our people, encouraging them to develop their knowledge and skills, and putting professional standards at the heart of the advice and service we provide.

Financial planning is about much more than a single recommendation. It often involves important decisions about family, work, retirement and the future. Clients need to feel confident in both the people they speak to and the firm supporting them. Chartered Firm status gives us an external measure of the standards we have committed to maintaining across Berry & Oak.

Why it matters for the profession

We also see this as part of a wider commitment to the future of financial planning. When firms support qualifications, ongoing learning and ethical practice throughout their teams, they help strengthen trust in the profession as a whole. They also create an environment where newer colleagues can learn, grow and build lasting careers.

We’re grateful to everyone at Berry & Oak whose dedication has helped us reach this milestone.

Achieving Chartered Firm status is something to celebrate; continuing to live up to those standards is the work we look forward to doing for our clients every day.