Successful lifetime investing

Play video Founder Colin Lawson explains more

Our services

Our core service combines financial planning, investment management and tax mitigation into a single seamless offering which we call “successful lifetime investment” – click the diagram for more details.

Information about our standalone services for inheritance tax planning, defined benefit pension transfers and BOSS (our business owners strategy service) can be found in more detail below here.

Investment management

Once you have a plan, you can set out to create a portfolio to achieve it. That’s why our investment management is offered as part of our full service rather than a standalone offering.

We will take a variety of factors into account including your tolerance for risk and capacity for loss. Our approach is to recommend the portfolio that meets your objectives with the lowest level of risk.

Financial planning

We’ll begin by getting to know you, your circumstances and your aspirations. Once we know your goals, we can start to build a plan to achieve them.

A thorough financial plan will give you clarity around your wealth, allowing you to make financial decisions with confidence.

Tax mitigation

A key factor in your financial plan is tax. Tax legislation can be complicated, but tax planning doesn’t have to be. Our friendly experts will guide you through the process, ensuring you understand and make the most of your allowances.

We assess suitability on an ongoing basis as part of our regular review process, proactively adapting your plan to ensure it is the best fit for you.

Our services

Information about our standalone services for inheritance tax planning, defined benefit pension transfers and BOSS (our business owners strategy service) can be found in more detail below here.

Investment management

Financial planning

Tax mitigation

We’ll begin by getting to know you, your circumstances and your aspirations. Once we know your goals, we can start to build a plan to achieve them.

A thorough financial plan will give you clarity around your wealth, allowing you to make financial decisions with confidence.

Once you have a plan, you can set out to create a portfolio to achieve it. That’s why our investment management is offered as part of our full service rather than a standalone offering.

We assess suitability on an ongoing basis as part of our regular review process, proactively adapting your plan to ensure it is the best fit for you.

The process

We aim to be as transparent as possible about our service and fees. Below, you will find our onboarding process, ongoing service and fees are outlined in concise, jargon-free language.

Stage
1

Stage
2

Stage
3

Getting to know you

This planning phase includes:

All meetings with your planner and implementation manager
Fact finding process
Establishing objectives and requirements
Assessing your views on risk
Introduction to cashflow modelling
Presented with our retail client agreement

Service
agreement

Planning fee payable at this stage

Payable on signing our letter of engagement that will be provided with your service agreement, outlining the specific fees applicable to you.

Important to know

This first part of the planning period is provided with no obligation to proceed to the next phase. You can exit the process at any time at no cost.

Analysis

Review

Proposals

Constructing your portfolio

This portfolio construction phase includes:

Tax efficiency review
Product flexibility assessment
Investment strategy and assets allocation review
provision of advice and recommendations
Investment and planning reports

Investment
report

Implementation fee payable at this stage

Due on acceptance of our Investment report

Implementing
the proposals

This implementation phase could include

Carrying out fund switches to existing investments
Surrendering existing products
Arranging new products
Undertaking transfer strategies while managing out of market risk
Completion of documentation and all administration
Regular process updates and problem solving

First
review

Important to know

Our Head of Client Care will contact you to check progress and ensure you are satisfied with the service

First
review

Ongoing fees

Commence following your first review valuation

Ongoing advice service includes

For full details of our fees, take a look at our retail client agreement

Access to our online client portal and searchable client guide
Annual reviews and on demand valuations
Unlimited access to our dedicated client manager team (telephone, portal messaging and livechat)
One meeting a year with additional meetings as required, usually two to four meetings are needed in the first year
Financial and tax planning strategies as required
All administration
- Unlimited access to our dedicated client manager team
- Providing information to help with tax returns as needed
- Support with systems and correspondence
- Reports as required
- Completion of agreed actions and bespoke requests
Quarterly investment brefings and other special events
Eqinox magazine twice yearly
Regular newsletter

Excludes

Ongoing investment management

First annual
review

Annual
review

Your annual review and meeting includes

Updates of:
- Circumstances
- Objectives
- Risk
Reviews of:
- Financial plan and strategy
- Performance
- Cashflow forcast
Assessment of continuing suitability

Stage
1

Stage
2

Stage
3

This planning phase includes:

All meetings with your planner and implementation manager
Fact finding process
Establishing objectives and requirements
Assessing your views on risk
Introduction to cashflow modelling
Presented with our retail client agreement

Service
agreement

Planning fee payable at this stage

Payable on signing our letter of engagement that will be provided with your service agreement, outlining the specific fees applicable to you.

This first part of the planning period is provided with no obligation to proceed to the next phase. You can exit the process at any time at no cost.

Analysis

Review

Proposals

This portfolio construction phase includes:

Tax efficiency review
Product flexibility assessment
Investment strategy and assets allocation review
provision of advice and recommendations
Investment and planning reports

Investment
report

Implementation fee payable at this stage

Due on acceptance of our Investment report

Implementing
the proposals

Carrying out fund switches to existing investments
Surrendering existing products
Arranging new products
Undertaking transfer strategies while managing out of market risk
Completion of documentation and all administration
Regular process updates and problem solving

First
review

Important to know

Our Head of Client Care will contact you to check progress and ensure you are satisfied with the service

First
review

Ongoing fees

Commence following your first review valuation

First annual
review

Access to our online client portal and searchable client guide
Annual reviews and on demand valuations
Unlimited access to our dedicated client manager team (telephone, portal messaging and livechat)
One meeting a year with additional meetings as required, usually two to four meetings are needed in the first year
Financial and tax planning strategies as required
All administration
- Unlimited access to our dedicated client manager team
- Providing information to help with tax returns as needed
- Support with systems and correspondence
- Reports as required
- Completion of agreed actions and bespoke requests
Quarterly investment brefings and other special events
Eqinox magazine twice yearly
Regular newsletter

Excludes

Ongoing investment management

Annual
review

Updates of:
- Circumstances
- Objectives
- Risk
Reviews of:
- Financial plan and strategy
- Performance
- Cashflow forcast
Assessment of continuing suitability

Quarterly
reviews

If at any time you weren’t satisfied, you could leave and they would also hand back the fees for that year. I wasn’t aware of any other IFA company that does that. Louise View video

Fee guarantee & client charter

We have confidence in the quality of our advice and the value that we add. At each annual review meeting, we will ask you to confirm we have delivered what we promised and if we may retain our fees. If you are not satisfied with what we have done, we will offer you a full advice fee refund.

Find out more

More information about our services

Inheritance tax (IHT) planning

Make sure that the wealth you have earned goes to the people and causes you care about at the right time. Find out how our standalone IHT planning-only service can benefit you and your loved ones.

Learn more

B.O.S.S.

Running a business can leave little time for anything else, meaning your financial plan can often be neglected. That’s where our business owner strategy service (BOSS) can help.

Learn more

Defined benefit pension transfers

Transferring out of your defined benefit scheme is irreversible. Get it right and you can enjoy the rewards, flexibility and freedom. Get it wrong, however, and there is a real risk that you could run out of money.

Learn more

Equinox magazine Investment commentary and analysis of fund performance Download Equinox

Managing your Investments Our jargon-free guide to how we manage your investments Download brochure

Fund factsheets

We are completely transparent about the performance of our funds. To see the most recent positioning of our funds, view our latest fund factsheets.

View fund factsheets

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