How we work
Here’s how we typically work, in a bit more detail.
First things first
We have a coffee or tea, and maybe even a biscuit, in our lovely courtyard office. We talk about you, where you are now personally and financially, where you’d like to be in the future, and a bit about us and how we work.
You’ll probably have some questions too, things like: Will I have enough to retire? Am I doing the right things with my money? What if something happens to me or my partner?
It all comes down to our four steps to successful financial planning.
Step 1 – Learn
If we feel like a good fit, we get to work learning more about your lifestyle, goals, what’s important to you and how you’d like to live in the future.
Are you by nature adventurous or cautious? Do you like the latest things or old favourites? We may even challenge you, it often helps to think differently.
You tell us about your financial situation. The money you have coming in, any financial investments, pensions, endowments and trusts you may have, and how much you spend.
Step 2 – Plan
Now we can unravel any financial knots and get number crunching, to create your financial plan and identify the amount you’ll need to live the life you want – your personal ‘enough’.
Then we take you through your financial plan, with clear graphs and jargon-free English. You’ll see where you stand now, what you’ll have in the future and what you could have with some changes.
We answer your questions and show you the most practical solution to your problems.
If you have surplus money, we’ll suggest where to move it, or if you’ve any gaps, how to bridge them. Giving you knowledge empowers you to be able to make wise financial decisions.
Step 3 – Act
Now that we’ve an agreed financial plan, we get to work putting things in place and securing any products you may need to ensure your money is working hard to give you the future you want.
Step 4 – Check
Over time life happens, circumstances change, plans evolve, markets go up and down. So we regularly monitor your plan, inform you if anything needs your attention, and help you with any decisions that need to be made.
All of which means you can stop worrying, safe in the knowledge that we’re looking after your finances in the background, so you can concentrate on getting on with life.
How we charge
Of all your investments, this will probably be the one you’re most pleased you made.
Peace of mind and financial security needn’t be distant dreams. With a little planning now, you can forget about your finances and enjoy living in the moment, feeling secure tomorrow’s being taken care of.
We offer three levels of support, but as with life, nothing is set in stone – we can give you as much or as little support as you’d like.
Learn & Plan
This is the most demanding part of the process, but also the most important. By checking and knowing where you are now, we can build a robust financial plan that will help you to make wise financial decisions and achieve a future to look forward to. This can be a stand-alone piece of work, with instructions for you to follow and create your own future, or part of a fuller service.
This typically costs between £1,250 and £4,500, depending on the complexity of your finances and how long it takes to create your financial plan. An average charge is £1,950. This can be paid directly to us or from an investment or pension plan, but we can agree how you’d like to pay later.
We promise we won’t do any work, or incur any costs, without discussing and agreeing it with you first.
Learn, Plan & Act
Once you have a financial plan, you can take it away, or we can put it into action for you. If we need to move your money, change or update an existing plan, or merge products to be more effective for you, we’ll let you know any charges first, so you can say yes or no before anything happens.
The cost for this is completely dependent on what we do and the products you select. While this may sound frustratingly vague, we’ll always work hard to ensure you get the best value for money, and we won’t do any work or buy any products without getting your approval first.
Learn, Plan, Act & Check
You have your plan and everything’s in place. But what if life changes or markets wobble? We’ll be here monitoring your plan to ensure your money’s safe and working effectively for you. So that’s one less thing for you to worry about.
How much this will cost varies depending on what you have and what we do for you. The charge is based on the complexity of your financial plan, on a scale of 1-5, and the value of your investments, also on a scale of 1-5, and starts at £1,500 per year or £125 per month.
You can also contact us for our support on an hourly fee basis, if you prefer this route.
All of these choices will be discussed in full before you make any decisions or incur any ongoing costs. We can give you a more accurate quote once we’ve met and know more about you and your financial situation.