FAQ's

It is so important to us that everyone has access to financial advice. We believe that many people fail to seek professional advice because they worry that it will attract fees that will eat into their savings. This anxiety is particularly acute for clients that believe the value of their investments and/or savings to be modest. In order to overcome these concerns, we make sure that any costs associated with the initial conversations are always absorbed by us.

Our industry is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and there are strict procedures in place to ensure that clients are fully informed of all costs associated with financial advice. It is a requirement that information presented is always clear, fair and not misleading. We won’t proceed with any recommendations until we are certain that you are completely satisfied with the proposals and that you have been informed of the fees in advance of your decision.

Fund management charges (generally lower for passive funds and higher for active funds) are associated with any form of investment fund and are detailed on the Key Investment Information Documents (KIIDs). Platform fees are generally applicable to any form of investment that is consolidated in one place - “a platform”. Our advice fees are in addition to these underlying investment costs. All these charges will have an impact on the return of the investments. We will demonstrate the impact of fees based on different growth scenarios and you can decide whether the likely returns on our recommended investment strategy justify the reduction in yield caused by the advice fees.

Absolutely. We believe that everyone should have access to financial advice. Some of our clients started their investment journey with us with a few thousand pounds in the bank and a couple of hundred pounds a month to save or invest. If, after our free initial conversation, we believe that there are other organisations better placed to provide you with the appropriate advice, then we will help you to make contact with them.

Our advisers spent months, often years, studying to achieve the professional qualification necessary to provide financial advice. They continue to invest hours every month in ongoing development to ensure that we maintain the highest possible standards. Our financial advisers are trained to a high standard and the quality of the advice they provide is constantly assessed.

If we provide you with the wrong advice then you are protected. If you have a complaint that we are unable to resolve to your satisfaction then you may be entitled to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service. We are also covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and you may be entitled to compensation from them if we fail to meet our obligations. This depends on the type of business and the circumstances of the claim.