1Your Goals, Needs and Timescales
We will help you to focus on your short, medium and long term financial goals and on what you wish to achieve through growing your wealth, taking income from your wealth or a combination of both. This will establish the various timescales for which your financial plan must cater and the priority you attach to your objectives. We will also check that you hold funds in deposit accounts as liquid savings and as emergency funds.
2Current Circumstances & Data Gathering
We will gather information about your current financial arrangements, personal circumstances and your attitude to investment risk. Completion of a scientifically designed questionnaire and discussion about your answers will enable us to identify your attitude to risk and ensure we are able to formulate a suitably aligned investment strategy. The strategy needs to take account of the ability of your overall financial position to cope with any loss in your capital investments. This usually also involves us contacting the providers of your plans and policies to obtain up to date information on valuations, terms and conditions and benefits.
3Analysis and Evaluation
Analysis of data we gather enables us to evaluate opportunities for making your resources work most effectively. As part of this process, we examine the taxation and other implications when considering whether alterations to your existing arrangements represent an appropriate strategy. The above steps also enable us to identify the proportions of different ‘asset classes’ e.g. equities, property, fixed interest securities, that would provide suitable diversification for your investments i.e. ensuring you have the ‘right number of eggs in the right number of baskets’.
4Selecting the Right Vehicle
The next step will be to identify the most suitable vehicle for your investment strategy. The underlying investment funds selected to populate your asset allocation ‘basket’ is based upon stringent qualitative analysis and could include: - Passive funds - Active funds - Cash solutions - Funds with a degree of capital protection
5Tax Efficiency
We will ensure investments you own are administered within the most suitable ‘tax wrapper(s)’ e.g. ISA’s or pensions so you benefit from appropriate and available tax reliefs on contributions or shelters from tax on gains or growth.
6Detailed Recommendations and Advice
We will identify ways in which your arrangements could be better organised to achieve your stated goals. Taking account of your attitude towards the relationship between risk and reward. We will meet with you to present and discuss our advice and agree any actions you wish to take. The reasons for our recommendations and actions to take as a result of our discussions will be confirmed in writing as a permanent record of the advice we gave you.
7Implementation
To carry out all of the work required to implement your financial plan and alterations to existing arrangements. A highly efficient method of putting your agreed portfolio into action is for us to utilize a secure, web-based investment administration account on your behalf. This service, known as a ‘wrap platform’ acts like a window on the composition and valuation of the funds we purchase in your name. We will liaise as necessary with any of your other appointed Professional Advisers, accountants or solicitors.
8Ongoing Service – Keeping it on track
Your investment strategy needs to evolve if it is to keep on helping your to achieve your goals. Once it is in place, we provide ongoing monitoring and review services of your holdings and the vehicles utilised. As a consequence, we will be in a position to discuss with you any adjustments we feel are required to keep your plans on track and in line with your objectives and attitude to risk.