The Planning Process

Our approach to financial planning is to start with the objective in mind. We wish to ensure that your money works for you rather than you just working for money. We spend time understanding your aims and goals, getting to know what's really important in life to you.

Our systematic planning process starts with a discovery meeting through to regular reviews. Clients' aims and goals change as does the financial world around them. An effective plan needs to be updated and modified to reflect changing circumstances our clients find themselves in.

Step 1 - Discovery Meeting (2 weeks from you first contacting us at your location)

• We help you identify your aims and goals and encourage you to dream a little. Gaining an understanding of your current financial situation and how you would like to live life in the future is the starting point to creating your effective plan.

Step 2 - Gathering Information (2 to 6 weeks from you first contacting us)

• Very often new clients find it difficult to keep track of each an every insurance policy or investment they have taken out and now hold. It may be unclear what the purpose of the policy or investment are. To make life easier we contact your investment, pension and protection providers direct to critique each plan.
  
• We then assess its relevance to your aims and goals. Are they appropriate to your needs now? Are they the most competitively charged plan or investment today. Do they reflect the risks you are prepared to take.
• Understanding your attitude to risk will be critical to investment portfolio construction, a key aspect of your Financial Life Plan. Unlike many financial firms, we take investment risk extremely seriously as we know we are dealing with your financial future. Therefore, we ensure that we truly understand your willingness and ability to tolerate risk through the use of Psychometric Risk Profiling techniques.

Step 3 - Financial Life Plan meeting (8 weeks from you first contacting us at our office)

• At this meeting, we will present your Financial Life Plan report which is a complete diagnostic of your current financial situation and our recommendations for how we will help you reach your aims and goals.
  
• The plan includes a review of your expenditure, in both the short-term and over the long-term. It will answer questions like: How much income will I need to be financially independent ? What are my existing retirement plans likely to provide ? What can I do now to maintain my lifestyle in the future ? How can I reduce the tax I pay now and in the future ?
• Helping you save tax through our Tax Save Program will be included in the report.
• Since we are looking for a lifelong relationship, we encourage you to take the time necessary to be completely comfortable with the plan prior to taking the next step.

Step 4 - Implementation Meeting (10 weeks from you first contacting us at your location)

• Having worked out and agreed the best strategy to achieve your aims and goals, we then help you implement your plan.
  
• This involves the signing of documents to get investments bought, sold or transferred, completing applications forms where required and liaising with other professionals such as your accountant and/or solicitor to co-ordinate a successful strategy.

Step 5 - Regular Review (frequency as agreed usually at our office)

• These meetings, scheduled at intervals convenient to you, give us an opportunity to review any major changes in your personal or financial situation since our last meeting and determine if these changes necessitate adjustments to your investment plan.
  
• We will also review your overall progress towards your long-term financial goals.