Advice Process
We understand everyone is different, some people prefer to make instinctive decisions, whilst others would rather to take their time. Our advice process is therefore flexible to meet your individual preferences. However, to provide a general overview of how we work, below is an outline of the advice process.
1. Initial Meeting
The initial meeting is at our own cost and allows us understand you and your objectives in more detail whilst also introducing our company and explaining how we can help.
2. Research
Behind the scenes, we will be researching and analysing all of the options available, to ensure we present to you the best solution to meet your objectives. As Independent Advisers we work on your behalf and scour the whole of the market.
3. Financial Plan
This is the stage we present to you our advice and agree the financial plan. At this point, especially, you may have many questions and more than one meeting may be required. We will always be open and honest about the pros and cons of each recommendation, and how this can help you achieve your goals.
4. Implement
Once the plan is agreed, we will organise the paperwork and coordinate with the recommended companies to start putting the advice into action. You will also have received a Report fully detailing our advice in writing.
5. Review
Dues to our changing lives, objectives and markets, it is important financial plans are flexible. At least once a year, we will speak to you to review the plans we have put in place and discuss any potential alterations.
Our Fees & Charges
We will always be open and honest about the fees we charge for our advice. If you have any questions or queries throughout the initial advice process, or beyond, please do not hesitate to ask for clarification.
During the initial meeting, we will discuss how we charge in more detail. Once we have an understanding of the advice you require, we will outline our fees should you proceed with our recommendation.
Prior to you being liable for any fees, you will have received, and signed, a personalised document detailing the charges applicable to you and the advice you received for this fee.
As a reminder, there is no fee for the initial consultation and no obligation to proceed past the first meeting.
The cost of our ongoing service is dependent on the overall value of your assets under our management. This will also be explained in our initial meeting.
To maintain full transparency, in our yearly Review Meeting, we will include a comprehensive breakdown of all the fees and charges you have paid over the previous 12 months.
It is important to note, you are not contracted into our ongoing advice for a set amount of time; you can cancel the contract, and therefore charge, at any point and without penalty.
Finally, with regards to insurance recommendations, we are paid commission from the insurance provider. This is dependent on many factors and will be disclosed prior to any application.
Ongoing Service
The initial strategy we agree and implement is obviously extremely important. However, no plan is set in stone, our lives change, markets alter, and our goals differ over the years. The ongoing service we provide is therefore imperative in helping you achieve your objectives over the long term.
We want to speak to you on at least an annual basis. During the review, we will inform you about the investment performance, market conditions, changes in legislation and any other relevant factors.
However, we also believe this is a two-way relationship - we want to understand your changing circumstances and goals. In turn, we will proactively identify potential opportunities and challenges.
Each annual review will additionally include a reassessment of your attitude to risk and capacity for loss. At different times in our lives our ability and want to experience financial volatility alters. The ongoing service we provide includes the alteration of your underlying investments as the circumstances require.
Also included in the ongoing service is, where applicable and suitable, the transfer of funds from your General Investment Account to your ISA (assuming both accounts are under our management). This is to ensure we maximise the tax efficiency of your investments.
We are committed to delivering exceptional value through our ongoing service and believe you will benefit greatly from our expert advice over the years. However, to provide complete peace of mind, you can cancel our service at any time and without incurring any penalties.
The value of units can fall as well as rise, and you may not get back all of your original investment.