The problem
CPD is mandatory. It is also, for many advisers, a box-ticking exercise that happens in a rush before the deadline. You sign up for a webinar, watch half of it on double speed, and log the hours. The actual learning is thin.
The challenge is that genuinely useful CPD requires reading, thinking, and synthesising information from multiple sources. A technical paper on pension lifetime allowance changes, a regulatory update from the FCA, and a case study from a trade publication all need to be digested and connected. That takes time that most advisers simply do not have mid-week.
The result: CPD hours get logged, but the knowledge does not really land. When a client asks about a topic you studied last quarter, you find yourself Googling it again.
There is a better approach that makes CPD genuinely useful rather than just compliant.
The system
Step 1: Use Perplexity to research the topic quickly (Perplexity)
When you identify a CPD topic (perhaps prompted by a client question, a regulatory change, or your firm's learning calendar), start with Perplexity rather than Google. Perplexity gives you a synthesised answer with cited sources, which saves you from reading eight articles to find the key points.
Use a prompt like:
"Explain the current rules around pension carry forward in the UK as of 2024. Include the annual allowance figures, who it applies to, any recent HMRC changes, and any common mistakes advisers make when calculating it. Cite your sources."
Click through to the cited sources for anything important or where you need to verify accuracy. Perplexity is a starting point, not the final word.
Step 2: Gather your source documents
Download or bookmark two to four authoritative sources on the topic: the relevant HMRC guidance, an FCA policy statement, a technical article from a trade publication, or a relevant case study. PDF format is ideal.
Step 3: Upload to NotebookLM and interrogate (NotebookLM)
Upload your source documents to a new NotebookLM notebook. NotebookLM reads your sources and lets you ask questions across all of them simultaneously.
Use prompts like:
"What are the key points from these documents that an IFA should understand when advising clients on this topic?"
"Are there any contradictions or points of tension between these sources?"
"Generate a summary of this topic that I could share with a colleague as a CPD briefing note."
NotebookLM will synthesise the sources and generate answers grounded in your actual documents, not hallucinated facts. It also generates an audio overview you can listen to on your commute.
Step 4: Create your CPD learning note (NotebookLM)
Ask NotebookLM to generate a structured learning note:
"Create a one-page CPD learning note on this topic. Include: a brief summary of the topic, three to five key points for advisers, a note on common client scenarios where this applies, and any regulatory references I should keep on file."
Save this to your CPD folder. It becomes your reference document when the topic comes up with a client.
The results
Before: 90 minutes of reading and note-taking per CPD topic, with inconsistent retention and no reusable reference documents.
After: 40 minutes total, including a structured one-page note you can actually use later.
More importantly, the learning sticks better. Interrogating a topic through questions and answers, rather than passively reading, forces active engagement with the material. Several advisers using this system report that they are logging CPD hours for work that genuinely feels educational rather than obligatory.
The NotebookLM audio overview feature is particularly useful: upload your sources on Monday, listen to the audio overview during your commute on Tuesday, and arrive at your desk already familiar with the key points before you do your detailed review.