Process

Better Financial Solutions 
Planning Process

INITIAL CONSULTATION

We will start by assessing what it is you want from a financial advisor, discuss your aims and obtain an understanding of your current financial circumstances, Consultations are either made by telephone, Skype or face to face. At this stage we can then establish what service we can provide to you as well as explain any costs involved for the work carried out.This will establish whether we can be of service to you. If we reach a mutual agreement we will then progress to the next stage. During this consultation we will also discuss any potential fee's for our service. Our charges for insurance based advice are paid by the product provider and not the individual. Our charges for pension & investment services are based on a percentage of the amount you invest and/or transfer.
                                                                                                                  
Transactional advice (where no ongoing service is required) we charge 4%
Investments up to the value of £250,000 we charge 3%
Invested amounts of £250,000 up to £500,000 we charge 2% - With a minimum charge of £7,500.
Invested amounts of £500,000 up to £1,000,000 we charge 1.5% - With a minimum charge of £10,000.
Invested amounts greater than £1,000,000 we charge 1% - With a minimum of £15,000 fee
 
For example for an investment of £10,000 our charge would be £300. We discuss our fee options with you at our initial meeting and will agree with you the exact fees to be charged before proceeding to application stage. Please refer to our client agreement for details of our fee structure this can be obtained upon request.

TARGET SETTING AND FACT FINDING

Once engaged, we will need to gather as much detail as possible regarding your personal circumstances to obtain clients personal objectives, current financial arrangements and gain an understanding of your attitude to investment risks. You will complete a financial planning questionnaire which will document these areas allowing us to gain an insight into your existing situation as well as obtaining client(s) personal objectives this helps us to implement a tailored process to achieve your needs. If relevant we will also contact the providers of your current plans and policies to obtain up to date information on valuations, benefits and conditions. 


EVALUATING YOUR CURRENT POSITION

With the relevant information gathered we can now evaluate whether your current resources are working effectively and identify any areas that may require alterations. As part of this process, we consider the taxation and other implications surrounding your current situation which will also be a factor when considering strategies for moving forward. 

MEETING TO DISCUSS RECOMMENDATIONS

This meeting will provide you with a clear view of how effectively your current arrangements are leading you towards the financial milestones and lifestyle you wish to achieve. Our discussion will establish both the potential for making changes designed to improve the probability of achieving your goals as well as your attitude and commitment towards making changes required. 

DETAILED DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

When identifying the precise detail of how your arrangements could be better organised to achieve your stated goals, our recommendations will: 

*Be based on our impartial, expert opinion
*Take account of your attitude to the relationship between risk and reward.
*We will meet with you to present and discuss our advice and agree any actions you wish to take.
*We can arrange all necessary steps to ensure your decisions are implemented thoroughly, accurately and in a timely fashion.

A great plan badly implemented becomes a bad plan. So, we will: 

*Deal with all necessary paperwork
*Liaise with your other professional advisers 
*Deal with changes to existing arrangements 
*Keep you informed of our progress
*Contact you when arrangements are completed to confirm what has been done and emphasise the documentation you need to retain.
*Explain how our on-going review service provides you with peace of mind
*The reasons for our recommendations and the actions you decide to take as a result of our discussions will be confirmed in writing, giving you a permanent record of the advice you received. 

ONGOING MONITORING AND REVIEW

The financial planning process is not a “one-off” event. Regular review meetings are the best way to keep each other up to date with developments in your circumstances and other factors influencing the progress and performance of your plans. In between meetings you will have access to our team whenever you have any queries. We will also make contact if we have news or ideas relevant to your strategy. We charge 1% for our ongoing service. For example an investment of £10,000 would be a maximum charge of £100 per year. We discuss our fee options with you at our initial meeting and will agree with you the exact fees to be charged before proceeding to application stage.. Please refer to our client agreement for details of our fee structure this can be obtained upon request.
 
Our underlying philosophy at Arlington Financial:

*To be clear and simple at all times

*To offer value for money 

*To be impartial and independent of provider, product or service - we will not choose products and services based on how much commission we receive. We will always choose the right product for your circumstances.

*A copy of our Client Agreement/terms of business can be available upon request.

Understanding Risk

All forms of investment which we may undertake on your behalf can involve risk. The value of investments can fall as well as rise, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The terms of business will be provided upon any recommendation with detailed information on investment risks these are also available upon request. 
Initial consultation
We will start by assessing what it is you want from a financial advisor, discuss your aims and obtain an understanding of your current financial circumstances, Consultations are either made by telephone, Skype or face to face. At this stage we can then establish what service we can provide to you as well as explain any costs involved for the work carried out.This will establish whether we can be of service to you. If we reach a mutual agreement we will then progress to the next stage. During this consultation we will also discuss any potential fee's for our service. Our charges for insurance based advice are paid by the product provider and not the individual. Our charges for pension & investment services are based on a percentage of the amount you invest and/or transfer.
                                                                                                                  
Investments up to the value of £100,000 we charge 3% with a minimum charge of £500 anything above this we would charge 2% with a maximum of £10,000.
 
For example for an investment of £10,000 our charge would be £300. We discuss our fee options with you at our initial meeting and will agree with you the exact fees to be charged before proceeding to application stage. Please refer to our client agreement for details of our fee structure this can be obtained upon request.
Target setting and fact finding
Once engaged, we will need to gather as much detail as possible regarding your personal circumstances to obtain clients personal objectives, current financial arrangements and gain an understanding of your attitude to investment risks. You will complete a financial planning questionnaire which will document these areas allowing us to gain an insight into your existing situation as well as obtaining client(s) personal objectives this helps us to implement a tailored process to achieve your needs. If relevant we will also contact the providers of your current plans and policies to obtain up to date information on valuations, benefits and conditions. 

Evaluating your current position
With the relevant information gathered we can now evaluate whether your current resources are working effectively and identify any areas that may require alterations. As part of this process, we consider the taxation and other implications surrounding your current situation which will also be a factor when considering strategies for moving forward. 
Meeting to discuss recommendations
This meeting will provide you with a clear view of how effectively your current arrangements are leading you towards the financial milestones and lifestyle you wish to achieve. Our discussion will establish both the potential for making changes designed to improve the probability of achieving your goals as well as your attitude and commitment towards making changes required. 
Detailed design and construction
When identifying the precise detail of how your arrangements could be better organised to achieve your stated goals, our recommendations will: 

*Be based on our impartial, expert opinion
*Take account of your attitude to the relationship between risk and reward.
*We will meet with you to present and discuss our advice and agree any actions you wish to take.
*We can arrange all necessary steps to ensure your decisions are implemented thoroughly, accurately and in a timely fashion.

A great plan badly implemented becomes a bad plan. So, we will: 

*Deal with all necessary paperwork
*Liaise with your other professional advisers 
*Deal with changes to existing arrangements 
*Keep you informed of our progress
*Contact you when arrangements are completed to confirm what has been done and emphasise the documentation you need to retain.
*Explain how our on-going review service provides you with peace of mind
*The reasons for our recommendations and the actions you decide to take as a result of our discussions will be confirmed in writing, giving you a permanent record of the advice you received. 
Ongoing monitoring and reviews
The financial planning process is not a “one-off” event. Regular review meetings are the best way to keep each other up to date with developments in your circumstances and other factors influencing the progress and performance of your plans. In between meetings you will have access to our team whenever you have any queries. We will also make contact if we have news or ideas relevant to your strategy. We charge 1% for our ongoing service. For example an investment of £10,000 would be a maximum charge of £100 per year. We discuss our fee options with you at our initial meeting and will agree with you the exact fees to be charged before proceeding to application stage.. Please refer to our client agreement for details of our fee structure this can be obtained upon request.
 
Our underlying philosophy at Arlington Financial:

*To be clear and simple at all times

*To offer value for money 

*To be impartial and independent of provider, product or service - we will not choose products and services based on how much commission we receive. We will always choose the right product for your circumstances.

*A copy of our Client Agreement/terms of business can be available upon request.
Understanding Risk
All forms of investment which we may undertake on your behalf can involve risk. The value of investments can fall as well as rise, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The terms of business will be provided upon any recommendation with detailed information on investment risks these are also available upon request. 
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