The paper explains how Personal Financial Planning (PFP) covers all aspects of financial advice for individuals, with emphasis on pensions, life assurance, tax and investment. Advice may be confined to one of these subjects, but in its widest sense PFP extends to the process whereby an individual's financial affairs are looked at as a whole before comprehensive planning recommendations are made in accordance with his or her objectives.

The training of actuaries specifically covers the subjects of pensions, life assurance and investment. It also provides a working knowledge of trust law and tax. A familiarity with financial projections, an understanding of the effects of inflation and the ability to use computers provide actuaries with a further strong base for giving PFP advice.