Frequently Asked Questions

 

What do you charge?

We offer an initial meeting, free of charge, with no obligation.

We are fee based advisers and our fees will be disclosed fully at the initial meeting when we have made an assessment of the amount of work that is invovled. Sometimes companies give us the option of commission and we can consider using this to offset against our fees, and again this is something which can be discussed at our meeting.

Are you able to come to me?

We recognise that it can be hard to find a convenient time to meet with a professional adviser, especially if you have children or cannot get time off work.

For this reason we try to be as flexible as we can by offering a meeting in our office or by meeting at a location and time that is convenient to you. After we have established what you require we try to stay in touch by phone, post and email where possible, as the second meeting can often be harder to arrange than the first!

What do I need to bring to the meeting?

As we like to provide a full financial review, we request that you bring all documents relating to financial products you might have to the meeting, this includes: mortgages, life insurance, house insurance, pensions, savings and investments.

Also, it is a regulatory requirement that we confirm your identity for certain arrangements. Therefore we ask that you bring your passport and driving licence, and if these aren't available a recent utility bill (not a mobile phone bill), bank statement or mortgage statement.

I have several different pensions, should I be doing something with them?

As most people have several different jobs in their lifetime their pensions can be scattered around with different companies. We can review your existing pension arrangements to establish how much you have got saved and what they will provide you with when you retire. Sometimes it may be appropriate to consolidate your pensions with one company as this is easier to keep track of and control.

I am retiring now but I don't understand the paperwork my pension company has sent me, can I get a better deal elsewhere?

We know that pension companies can provide you with a lot of paperwork about the pension they are offering you, which might be difficult to understand. You do not have to take your pension from this company and you may be eligible for a greater pension with a different company, especially if you are not in the best of health - see here for more information.