Introductory stage
Your initial meeting with us is a chance for us both to get to know each other better and establish whether, and in what ways, we can help you.
We’ll take you through the information you need to know about who we are, what we do and what you expect from working with us. We will then ask you some questions about your situation and what led you to seek advice from us, as well as what you are hoping to achieve from our relationship.
There is no obligation for you to take our relationship any further after this meeting, and you’ll never feel any pressure from us to do so. However, if you wish to, and we're able to help, we will explain the next steps along with our fees for the proposed work.
We do not charge you for this meeting.
Discovery stage
The purpose of this stage is for us to discover more about you, your circumstances and your objectives in working with us. We’ll ask you a series of questions that will allow us to find out the important facts about your assets, liabilities, existing arrangements, current income and expenditure. Just as importantly, we’ll also delve deeper into what you want to achieve: what your immediate aims are and what you aspire to achieve in your medium and long-term future. We’ll also use this meeting to explore how you feel about risk and answer any questions you may have about the process.
The information we give you should allow you to leave the meeting feeling confident that your financial needs will be met and that you will get great value from working with us.
Next: Research and analysis stage
Research and analysis stage
Our in-house paraplanning team will complete this stage, working alongside your Consultant. Together they will use their specialist research and analysis skills to find the most suitable solutions and strategies to help you achieve your objectives.
They may use cashflow modelling – cutting edge-technology – to help them forecast and illustrate your future under different scenarios and using different strategies. Looking at your future in this way allows us to determine which solutions will be most advantageous to your particular circumstances.
Presentation stage
When we have completed our research and analysis, we will present our findings back to you using a range of visual tools, and make our recommendations for how you can reach your goals. Alongside the “what” of the solutions, we’ll also address the “why”, explaining the reasoning behind our recommendations, enabling you to make a fully informed decision about your next steps.
By the end of this meeting, you will have a financial plan, with timescales, and agreed actionable next steps, that you can take forward to implementation, should you wish to do so.
Next: The implementation stage
The implementation stage
You may wish to take some time to consider your options, or discuss them with your other professional advisers. We will not hurry you into a decision, although some clients do decide to move onto the implementation stage immediately.
If you decide to proceed, whenever that is, we will take care of any work required to implement your plan. That could be changes to your existing arrangements such as protection policies, savings plans or your investment portfolio, or it could require us to instigate brand new arrangements. We will keep you informed of progress at all times and communicate with providers on your behalf to ensure a smooth and prompt transition.
Next: Ongoing reviews and adjustments
Ongoing reviews and adjustments
The purpose of our review meetings is to revisit your financial plan and see how well you are progressing towards your goals. Where there have been changes to your life or your objectives, or where we’re able to identify new options that might help you better achieve your goals, we will discuss making adjustments to your plan to keep you on track.
We offer a range of ongoing services. Your financial planner will run through them with you so that you can select the one that best meets your needs.
At your review, we will also revisit your attitude to risk to see whether anything has changed which may warrant a change to your investment strategy, refresh your cashflow forecast to reflect any changes to your circumstances or desired outcomes, and check that you are still happy with your plan. Where you are facing challenges, an ongoing relationship with us ensures you are not facing them alone. You will gain the peace of mind of knowing you have access to our guidance, support and advice any time you need us.
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