How we work
As Independent Financial Advisers we are your agent. This means that we act solely on your behalf, and in your best interests, both when agreeing your overall requirements and when identifying the most suitable financial arrangements from the whole market.
We speciailse in advising individuals at the point of and throughout retirement, and can advise you on anything from a short term financial objective to a lifetime financial plan, as well as offer you the opportunity for regular reviews of your financial arrangements, whether initiated through us or not.
As the first step we will review your existing financial situation with you and together reach a realistic assessment of your likely needs.This initial consultation, which usually takes between one and one and a half hours, is free and without obligation. Hopefully, you should then be in a position to decide whether you wish to retain us as your advisers. In that event, we can work on a fee basis, or if you prefer, we can receive commission from financial institutions. This is further addressed under "How we are paid".
The next step is for us to carry out a detailed needs analysis of your current situation and requirements taking into account any specific plans and/or targets you may have, together with your tax position and your attitude to investment risk and reward. We will then draw up proposals to help achieve your financial objectives, utilising available tax allowances where relevant.
We use sophisticated technology to research, compare and select the most suitable financial arrangements available. We are thus able to maximise potential benefits for our clients. In almost all cases we are able to make arrangements which clients would be unable to make for themselves.
All advice is confirmed in writing, enabling you to consider our proposals and to query any aspect you may not fully understand or agree with, as well as providing a permanent record of the reasons for our recommendations which you can consult in the future.
Continuing Advice
Arranging a suitable investment portfolio is only the first step in successful financial planning.
- Your circumstances and requirements may well change over time, for example your requirement for income may rise or fall, as can your appetite for investment risk and reward.
- Markets can change. In addition the relative investment performance of different market sectors, or other events, may cause you to need a review of your investments (for example, the proportion of your investments in shares compared to, say, fixed interest may increase as a result of the higher performance shares can achieve, leading to an increased risk profile for your investments and requiring your portfolio to be adjusted to maintain its overall risk rating).
- Further, financial institutions, and their leading personnel, can change, rising or falling in effectiveness by comparison to their peers. And, of course,
- Tax and legislation can change, with an almost inevitable impact on the continuing suitability of your financial arrangements.
Accordingly, we offer continuing service and advice to all clients, either at their request when they feel it may be necessary, or preferably as a contractual arrangement whereby we will contact clients annually, or more frequently if required, with a view to undertaking a full review of their financial arrangements, circumstances and requirements. Please ask us for a more detailed explanation of the options for continuing service and advice.