How we work

As Independent Financial Advisers we are free to advise on financial products available from all product providers. We use advanced computer software to research, compare and select the most suitable deals currently available. We are thus able to make arrangements to maximise the benefits to our clients.

Whether you are an individual or a business you’ll receive our professional help to review your existing financial situation and reach a realistic assessment of your likely needs. For this, you’ll need to set aside some time to talk to us – there’s no charge for an initial review and no obligation, while we find out together how we can best move forward.

Depending on your instructions we will carry out a needs analysis based on your current situation, and taking into account any specific plans and/or targets you may have. We will then advise you on anything from a short term financial objective to a lifetime financial plan, followed up with regular reviews.

You will receive professional confirmation about where your financial arrangements are already good, and where they’re inadequate (or not covered at all).

You’ll also have our help to decide how much provision you need to make, and the order of priority in dealing with your finances. And of course it will all be sensibly balanced in relation to your current income and your prospects.

In almost all cases we are able to make arrangements which clients would be unable to make for themselves. All our proposals will be fully explained and costed so that you’ll know exactly what and why before you agree to anything.

How We Are Paid

SERVICE PROPOSITION AND FEE STRUCTURE

Our ethos

We quite simply want to do the very best that we can for you. We recognise completely that any successful long-term relationship is built upon trust and respect and that trust and respect has to be earned.

We are continually looking to forge long-term trusted relationships with all of our clients that will enable us to work closely with them and help to deliver long term life goals and objectives. By definition therefore, one off transactional arrangements are not really our marketplace. Long term relationships are our preferred business model.

Consistent with this ethos, we do not meticulously invoice for every item, phone call, stamp, letter, action or conversation. We will happily support you with time and professional services at our expense where appropriate. As such we have adopted a fee structure that is straightforward, transparent and above all fair to both parties and with an explicit fee guarantee as below.

Our investment service proposition

We will happily provide you with an initial consultation entirely at our expense. This will help us to understand your financial objectives and how we can support you in working towards these. We will outline the cost of our service both initially and throughout our relationship with you.

Financial review and recommendation

This can be a continuation from the initial discussion, where agreed, or a further appointment(s). This process covers the:

• Gathering of information about your existing financial arrangements and full personal circumstances
• Understanding of your investment knowledge and attitude and tolerance towards investment risk
• Recommendation of an asset allocation model that matches your risk profile and the subsequent assessment and suitability of any existing holdings
• Preparation of our recommendations to you
• Explaining and discussing our recommendations in detail.

Arrangement, Implementation, Ongoing

Should you instruct us to proceed with any of our recommendations we will act for you in the following ways. These services include, but are not limited to:

• Handle all fund and policy administration on your behalf
• Provide regular updates to keep you informed of progress
• Provide written confirmation of all actions taken on your behalf
• Ensure all your documentation is issued correctly.
• Discuss the full range of our ongoing services during our initial consultation.
• Provide you with a structured review at an agreed frequency to give you peace of mind
• An assessment of your circumstances and any changes to your plans that are needed
• Regular updates and information regarding your holdings
• Ongoing support with correspondence and administration issues.

Our fee charges

Our fee structure is comprised of two distinct parts:

Review, Arrangement and Implementation: A one-off fee of up to but not exceeding 4% of monies invested.

This fee is due and payable as soon as the funds have been invested within the agreed portfolio.

Ongoing Management Service: An annual fee of up to but not exceeding 1.5% of portfolio value.

This fee is paid in monthly instalments calculated with reference to the portfolio value on a set day each month. In plain English, the fee would be 1/12th of 1% of the portfolio value calculated each month.

In certain circumstances we may also agree with you a separate fee for the financial review and recommendation.

Expressed in monetary terms, for a portfolio of £100,000 in value, the fee for review, arrangement and implementation could amount up to £4,000; the Ongoing Management Service could amount up to £1,500 pa. We will confirm to you explicitly the exact agreed percentage and also the sum total in monetary terms before proceeding.

We have explained that our ongoing management service fee is an agreed fixed percentage fee of the portfolio value. Over time the value of the portfolio will either rise or fall dependent on circumstances (e.g. market movements, withdrawals etc) and thus the monetary cost of our fee will also rise or fall.

For example: A fee of 1% agreed for a portfolio of £100,000 equates to a monetary cost of £1,000. Should the portfolio increase over time to say £125,000 then our fee will increase over time to £1,250. Conversely should the value fall to say £90,000 then the fee will also fall to £900.

We do believe that this methodology aligns our interests fairly.

Our fee guarantee

No fees will at any time become due, or payable by you, unless we have previously confirmed to you in writing precisely what the fee structure and amount is and, furthermore, that you have agreed to same.

Any charges that are agreed can be deducted from your investments or, alternatively, paid directly by you. You should note that when paid through the investments it may reduce your personal tax thresholds and/or exemption levels. Where this happens we will discuss it with you and confirm it in your personal recommendation report.

Should you decide to cancel our agreement to provide ongoing services you must provide written confirmation of your decision and we will cease payments for these services within seven business days and after collection of any due proportion of any period charges. You can cancel this agreement at any time and without any penalty whatsoever.