The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) has awarded Corporate Chartered status to 11 financial planning and insurance firms in the first half of 2026, it revealed today. The latest wave of accreditations comes as the professional body begins a phased rollout of stricter rules for the gold-standard designation. Since July, existing Chartered firms have been required to provide evidence against an updated set of criteria at their renewal stage. The CII stated the overhauled criteria will strengthen the value of the status and better recognise firms that demonstrate “leadership, progress and good practice.” To achieve the designation, firms must currently demonstrate a strict commitment to the CII Code of Ethics, ongoing staff development, and customer-centric practices that help build public trust in the sector.