Need a financial MOT?
Investment Advice Service in Tunbridge Wells
Whether you’ve got existing investments that need a financial MOT or would like to invest for the first time, we’ll be able to help you meet your objectives.
Need a financial MOT?
Whether you’ve got existing investments that need a financial MOT or would like to invest for the first time, we’ll be able to help you meet your objectives.
Understanding your financial goals
Building a personalised portfolio that matches your financial goals and risk tolerance is key to long-term financial success.
By understanding your financial goals, level of risk, and time horizon, our expert advisors will construct a personalised portfolio explicitly tailored to your unique needs and objectives. This portfolio will always work hard for you, ensuring optimal performance and growth. In addition, we provide regular reviews and adjustments to keep you on track, helping you navigate the financial landscape and reach your goals with confidence and peace of mind.
Creating a personalised portfolio that aligns with your financial goals and risk tolerance is crucial for long-term economic success. Our expert advisors take the time to understand your unique needs and objectives before constructing a customised portfolio just for you.
Before creating a portfolio, it's essential to have a clear understanding of your financial goals. Are you saving for retirement? Planning on purchasing a home? Want to fund your children's education? Whatever your goals, our advisors will work with you to determine the best investment strategy to help you reach them.
The steps we take to make sure your investment plans are thoroughly researched, curated and tailored towards your end goals.
This is an initial meeting offered without charge to discuss your investment plans. Our expert advisors will explain how we can help and inform you of the process we will follow along with how we charge for our services. By the end of the discussion you should have sufficient information to decide whether you want to employ us as your financial adviser.
This can be a second meeting or a continuation of the initial discussion. It is designed to enable us to obtain a more detailed picture of your existing financial situation. We’ll also discuss the level of investment risk that you are prepared to take and your plans for the future.
Based on the full understanding of your situation and agreed financial objectives, we’ll start our research. This will include obtaining further information from investment providers relating to your existing plans as well as formulating a recommendation for your future financial arrangements.
This is where we report back to you with our recommendations for your investment portfolio. At this stage we’ll agree on a strategy after we have provided you with our advice.
If you decide to proceed with our recommendations, we will complete the relevant applications.
Once a year we will offer you a face-to-face, video or phone meeting, during which we will review your circumstances, needs, priorities and establish whether your current investments remain suitable. At your request we can also consider any other financial needs you may have. We will also be available throughout the year for ad hoc meetings.
We will ensure you have access to the provider’s client portal so you can view details about your investments at any time.
We will recommend you invest in an appropriate mix of assets to match the level of risk you are prepared to take. To ensure our recommendation remains consistent with your requirements, we will re-balance the asset allocation as appropriate.
As and when you provide us with updates to your circumstances, we update your file and will hold it securely at our offices for as long as you remain a client of ours, in accordance with our data protection policy.
The most common ways to invest in the UK include investing in stocks (shares), bonds, property, and collective investment vehicles such as investment funds (e.g., unit trusts, OEICs) and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
ISAs (Individual Savings Accounts) are tax-efficient investment accounts available to UK residents.
Types of ISAs:
Transferability: You can transfer funds between different types of ISAs, such as transferring money from a Cash ISA to a Stocks and Shares ISA or vice versa. Transfers do not count towards your annual ISA allowance.
Withdrawals: You can withdraw funds from your ISA at any time without losing the tax benefits. However, there may be penalties or restrictions for early withdrawals from certain types of ISAs, such as the Lifetime ISA.
Unused Allowance: You cannot carry over any unused ISA allowance from one tax year to the next. If you do not use your full ISA allowance in a tax year, it is lost.
Tax-Free Status: Returns generated within an ISA, including interest, dividends, and capital gains, are tax-free for the life of the investment.
ISA Transfers: You can transfer existing ISAs from one provider to another without losing the tax benefits. ISA transfers must be done through the providers to ensure that the funds retain their tax-free status.
ISA Eligibility: To open an ISA, you must be a UK resident for tax purposes and be aged 16 or over for a Cash ISA or aged 18 or over for a Stocks and Shares ISA, or Lifetime ISA.
Convenient and accessible
Investing in funds in the UK offers a convenient and accessible way for investors to gain exposure to a diversified portfolio of assets while benefiting from professional fund management and regulatory oversight.
Unit Trusts: Unit trusts are collective investment schemes where investors pool their money to invest in a diversified portfolio of assets. Unit trusts are open-ended, meaning that the number of units in the fund can vary based on investor demand. Investors buy units at the fund's current price, known as the net asset value (NAV), which is calculated daily based on the value of the underlying assets.
OEICs (Open-Ended Investment Companies): OEICs are similar to unit trusts but are structured as companies rather than trusts. Like unit trusts, OEICs are open-ended and invest in a diversified portfolio of assets. Investors buy shares in the OEIC at the current NAV.
Investment Trusts: Investment trusts are closed-ended investment companies listed on a stock exchange. Unlike unit trusts and OEICs, investment trusts have a fixed number of shares, which are traded on the stock market like individual stocks. Investment trusts may trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value.
Types of investing and taxes
Common investment strategies in the UK include passive investing (e.g., investing in index funds or ETFs to track market indices), active investing (e.g., selecting individual stocks or actively managed funds), income investing (e.g., seeking dividends or interest income), and growth investing (e.g., focusing on companies with high growth potential).
What is Investment risk and how can I manage it?
Investment risk refers to the possibility that an investment's actual returns will differ from the expected returns. It encompasses various factors that can negatively impact the value of an investment and potentially lead to financial loss.
Investment risk can be managed through various strategies, including diversification, asset allocation, risk assessment, and ongoing monitoring of the investment portfolio.
What are the tax implications of investing in the UK?
The tax implications of investing in the UK depend on the type of investment and your individual circumstances. For example, gains from selling investments may be subject to capital gains tax, dividends may be subject to income tax, and certain tax-efficient accounts like ISAs and pensions offer tax advantages. Our advisors will help you understand the tax rules applicable to your investments.
Expertise: We’ve been advising on investments for over 20 years and have specialist knowledge and expertise in manging investment portfolios. We can provide valuable insights and guidance tailored to your specific financial situation and retirement goals.
Access to the Whole Market: As Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs), we are not restricted to recommending products from a specific provider or range of providers. This means we can search the entire market to find the best-suited products and solutions for your investment needs.
Maximise Returns: Our Investment Advisors can help you optimise your investment portfolio returns. They will align investment decisions with your risk tolerance, time horizon, and financial objectives to create a well-balanced portfolio suited to your individual circumstances.
Managing Risk: Our advisors will spend time understanding your attitude to risk and capacity for financial loss. They will then manage this risk by diversifying your assets and continuing to monitor and rebalance your portfolio.
Transparent Fee Structure: We will clearly lay out how our fees at our first meeting. This transparency allows you to understand the cost of advice upfront and make informed decisions about the value you receive
We would be happy to help with any services you may require. From mortgages to financial services, our team has the experience to deliver. Please call us on 01892 517171 to discuss your needs or complete the form below and we will be in contact shortly.