ISFB Insight
SAQ Recertification: Preserving What We’ve Built
November 5, 2026
When we talk about recertification, we tend to think of it as just another formality in an already busy schedule. But we can look at it another way: as a way to maintain a status that we’ve earned—and that continues to matter.
Earning the certification took time, hard work, and passing an exam. This credential speaks volumes about managers and customer service representatives, in the eyes of both their employers and their clients. Yet we don’t experience what we gain and what we lose in the same way. Losing something we possess weighs much heavier than the joy of having obtained it. This isn’t a weakness; it’s a very human way of cherishing what is valuable. That is the purpose of recertification: to prevent what has been achieved from fading away without us having truly decided to let it go.
That said, there’s no rush. The deadlines are set, so you have plenty of time to get organized without stress. The key is to make your decision in time, rather than letting the weeks pass and leave it up to chance.
This decision also involves choosing the location and type of recertification training. Recertification means updating your knowledge. Depending on where you do it, it’s also an opportunity to meet other people and draw inspiration from a collective community.
At ISFB, participants come from different institutions, work in different fields, and have varied backgrounds. They share a classroom, engage in discussions, and sometimes enjoy a cup of coffee together. Bonds form from these moments: we don’t see each other every week, we don’t work together, but we know each other. It is precisely these relationships—more so than close ties—that help information circulate and strengthen motivation and the desire to grow. Often, these relationships make career advancements within our organizations possible. Our close colleagues already know what we know. A fellow learner, however, sees the field from a different perspective.
Our framework has been designed to foster these interactions, while taking everyone’s constraints into account. We offer four multi-profile recertification seminars per year—one per quarter—each focusing on a specific, timely topic. Two are in-person, to allow ample time for discussion. Two are held remotely, for those whose schedules require more flexibility. This way, everyone can choose the format that works best for them when they need it.
The next seminar, focused on financial techniques, begins on November 25 and will be held online. Open to all SAQ-certified professionals, it—like the other three seminars offered—consists of six four-hour modules and is worth 24 recertification credits. It covers economic and financial outlooks, portfolio optimization, credit solutions, private markets, alternative investments, and client relationship management. Each module, taught by an expert currently working in the banking and financial sector, can also be selected and taken separately.
Renewing your certification therefore allows you to preserve what you’ve built. Doing so through the ISFB also allows you to expand the circle of people you can count on.
© Institut Supérieur de Formation Bancaire (ISFB). All rights reserved.
The analyses and content published by the ISFB may be quoted or reproduced in part, provided that the source is clearly mentioned. Any full or substantial reproduction of this article in another medium or format is subject to the prior written authorization of the ISFB. In order to facilitate reading and without any intention of discrimination, the masculine gender is generally used, in accordance with the grammatical rule that allows it to be used as a neutral value to refer to a group of people comprising both men and women. This publication is intended for ISFB members and their employees in Switzerland, as well as anyone interested in finance in Switzerland. It is not intended to be read or distributed in any jurisdiction where its distribution would be prohibited.
