FAQs
Artwork by Chuck Elliott
Where are meetings held?
We’re flexible. We know your time is precious, so we don’t insist on a particular format. We can meet in our offices or come to see you at your home or office if you prefer. If you have the technology, video works too, and we conduct online calls via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
Do you have parking?
Yes, we have plenty of free and easy parking at our home office. You can either park on the road outside or our drive.
Do I have to pay for an initial meeting?
Unlike most things in life, this will not cost you anything and will be at our expense.
What are your office hours?
We’re open 8.30 am to 7.00 pm Monday to Friday. However, we do offer flexible meetings, either later in the evenings after work or we can even do the odd Saturday if that’ll help.
What do I need to bring to an initial meeting?
Just yourself, your significant other (if you have one) and an open mind. You’re welcome to bring financial documents/recent statements, but the focus of this meeting will be on you, not your money.
How long should I allow for an initial meeting?
We’re flexible. Most meetings are around 90 minutes, but we allow up to two hours in case there’s a lot to discuss.
Do I have to sign up to your services at an initial meeting?
No, there’s absolutely no pressure to make a decision. Good things take time – we’re in no rush and think that you should have plenty of time to consider if we’re the right financial planner for you and if we feel we could add value and work together long term.
How can I book an initial meeting?
Either give us a call, send us an email or use the contact form below along with a brief outline of what you are looking for.
Are you independent?
Yes, we are 100% independent, and this was one of the main reasons for setting up our firm. This means that we’ll find the right financial solutions for your specific needs on a fully bespoke basis.
Can you recommend investments from the whole of the market?
Yes, we are fully independent, and all our advice is bespoke to each individual client. We don’t have any preconceived investment portfolios, fund favourites, buy lists, restricted panels, in-house funds or model portfolios.
Are you regulated?
We are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. You can find us on the FCA Register here.
What happens if my Financial Planner is away on holiday?
Service continues as normal. Matthew is always available to his clients and if he ever is unable to work in any way we have a locum planner as backup, as well as ongoing support and help from Hazel and Georgina.
How do you charge for advice?
All our fees are disclosed in our Terms of Business document which you will receive at our initial meeting, and we will clarify all our fee options at this stage for all areas of our advice. As we run our own IFA practice and don’t have flashy, expensive city-centre offices, we can be very flexible and competitive with fees. We tailor them to suit each individual client and we want to be sure you receive value for money.
As a way of benchmarking fees, research from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) shows that advisers charge an average initial fee of 2.4% of the amount invested. Plus, an average of 0.8% per year for ongoing advice. Rest assured ours are a lot less than this.
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