Financial Services can be complicated and daunting. Our aim is to make the process as straightforward, efficient and intelligible as possible.
The key to finding the most suitable investment strategy for you is a clear understanding of your objectives, your attitude to investment risk, risk appetite and your capacity for loss.
Being realistic about likely returns and the level of risk that will allow you to feel comfortable is crucial to avoid being disappointed in the future. We will help you identify where you are placed on the risk spectrum, using advanced behavioural finance tools.
We advise on various investment strategies that are professionally managed, well diversified, cost effective and tailored to meet your individual requirements. They can be set up to provide income, growth or a combination of both and we recommend appropriate structures to minimise the impact of tax and to enhance returns. We work closely with a carefully selected number of Discretionary Fund Managers and Asset Managers who have a strong track record.
There are a number of investment principles that we adhere to as follows:
There is prudent risk and imprudent risk and markets may go down as well as up. A higher exposure to the appropriate risk factors assumes higher expected returns – but is no guarantee of them and by taking “low risk” your money might not keep track with inflation, which could be the biggest risk of all. Finally, there is no such thing as “no risk”, largely because of inflation.
The price investors are willing to pay is based on all information available in the market. Investing in the world's most successful companies should deliver long term growth.
Diversification is the principle of spreading your investments across asset classes and geographies. Basically, it is not holding too much of any type of investment in any one area.
It’s simple. The cost of your investments takes away from your return. We believe we should try to minimise all investment and transaction costs as much as possible.
It is extremely difficult to beat the market. There is a large amount of research which shows active fund management outperformance is mostly down to luck, rather than skill. Passive fund management also helps to deliver consistent returns.
It is a human trait to get emotionally affected when investments rise and at times fall. When emotions take over, particularly at times of market stress, this can lead to poor decision making.
Investors own the great companies of the world. This gives investors influence on how these companies are run, and the power to drive positive change.
Pension legislation has been a subject of constant change over the decades.
This has made pensions an increasingly complex area for the uninitiated and has done nothing to encourage this extremely tax efficient form of savings. Getting the right guidance on pensions is crucial to making the most of the tax reliefs available to you.
As with many of our clients, you may find that pension income on its own will not always provide the income for the lifestyle you aspire to in retirement. Retirement planning therefore often means exploring other tax efficient structures and investments to complement the income from the pension pot, while making sure your pension arrangements are at their most efficient. We work with you to find answers to questions like – How much do you need to save to have the income to support your lifestyle in retirement? What about leaving a legacy?
Retirement is no longer confined to a fixed time in your life. Increasingly, people are choosing whether they will retire earlier or later than usual, or whether they will gradually ease into it.
Whenever and however you choose to retire, it is a time in your life that is best planned for well in advance.
We put you in control, giving you as much flexibility as possible and we encourage our clients to think about the three stages of retirement planning:
It’s never too early to start thinking about retirement and getting accustomed to the discipline of saving which will reward you later in life.
The key to successful retirement planning is taking the right actions whilst working so that when you want to stop working, either completely or gradually, you have enough money to allow you to live the life you seek without the fear of running out.
Making the right choices (and there are many to consider) at the point you wish to retire is all important as some are irreversible.
We will help you navigate the range of complex options and recommend the right solution to meet your objectives in retirement.
Rules and regulations change, as do your requirements, and markets are sometimes volatile. Therefore, reviewing your choices on a regular basis to make sure you keep on track is essential.
Moreover, the solution put in place at retirement may be one that necessitates a regular check to ensure it continues to meet your needs.
Some people want to travel the world or take up a new hobby when they retire. Others see it as a perfect opportunity to volunteer with a local charity or start their own business. Whatever you are planning for the future we can help you to make the most of your pension and other investments and achieve the retirement you want and deserve.
We believe a fundamental part of financial planning is creating a cashflow model. This allows us to project what your future life looks like, and how any changes we may suggest would impact upon it.
If you don’t have a plan, how do you know where you are going?
As important as this is, it is not the actual plan which brings the most value to our clients, but the process of the planning. It is important to remember that no plan will ever go exactly to plan. But by having a plan, and regularly reviewing it, changing it as your life changes, and making your future plans based on reasonable assumptions, you will be in the most informed position to make life’s big decisions.