Common Questions
If you've never sought or received regulated financial advice before, you probably have loads of questions about the process, what it involves, what it might cost, and things that you should be aware of before you engage with a financial adviser.
You can download a free resource which will help you compare any advisers you are speaking to here:
Common Questions
What happens at the first meeting?
Before a first meeting, we'll have had a short telephone conversation to get a basic understand of your problem and why you're looking for an adviser. We'll then arrange what we call a 'Discovery meeting'.
We think these meetings work best in person. You can read more about the locations we serve here.
During that morning we like to get to know more about you, your circumstances, and what you're trying to achieve, and during that process, you'll find out a little more about us and what we do. Then, after about an hour you can decide whether or not you'd like to work with us.
There's no obligation to continue from that point and no fees incurred. What's more, if we don't think we are the right firm for you, we will say so and point you in the direction of somewhere better for you.
How long does the whole process take?
From first meeting to a plan you can act on, usually six to ten weeks, depending on how many existing policies you have and who they are held with.
Most of that is us doing the analysis and waiting on information from existing pension and investment providers, some of whom are slower than you would believe. If something is genuinely urgent, tell us at the first meeting and we will work out what can be brought forward.
If you're not sure, read here about how we are regulated and how you're protected.
What do I need to have ready before we meet?
The more prepared you are to answer simple questions about your work and existing policies, the better, but the most important parts require no preparation from yourself.
If we agree to work together, then we will need policy numbers or statements for pensions, investments, mortgages and protection policies, along with an expenditure analysis, as well as typical anti-money laundering documents.
What happens after the plan is in place?
We'll typically meet once a year to plan for the coming 12 months and review what's happened over the previous year. That meeting is crucial to check whether anything important has changed in your circumstances and whether we need to adjust anything.
Otherwise, we are on the end of the phone if you ever need to contact us between meetings.
Can I stop at any point?
Yes. You can stop the ongoing service whenever you like, with no exit fee and a 30 day notice period. Your investments and pensions stay exactly where they are and remain yours.
If you don't feel like you are getting value in excess of the fees you pay, we would rather you left than stayed out of inertia to allow us to serve families who will get more value from us.
Have you got further questions not answered here?
We'll respond to queries incredibly quickly, so pop any questions below or give us a call!
