What happens when you get in touch.
No jargon and no surprises. Here's how it works, from the first phone call to the years after.
Step by step.
Getting in touch shouldn't feel like a commitment, so it doesn't start as one.
Most people put off getting in touch because they don't know what they're letting themselves in for. So here's exactly what happens, from the first phone call to the years after. You can go at your own pace, stop at any point, and you won't be asked to sign anything until you've seen your plan in writing.
Each step only happens if you want it to, and you'll see exactly what it costs in writing before you agree to anything.
A short call.
Twenty minutes on the phone. You tell me roughly where you are and what's on your mind, and I'll tell you honestly whether I think I can help.
You don't need any paperwork or numbers. If I'm not the right person for what you need, I'll say so and point you to someone who might be.
We talk properly.
An hour together, with no charge and no obligation, at your home or on a video call.
We'll talk about what you want life to look like, what's worrying you, and what you've got. Bring any pension statements, savings details or letters you can find. If you can't find them, that's fine. Tracking things down is part of my job.
You'll leave with a clearer picture than you came with, and a sense of the one or two things that matter most in your situation, even if you never see me again.
I model it and put it in writing.
I build your finances into a cashflow model: pensions, savings, income, spending and plans. Then I test it. Stopping at 60, or 62. Markets falling the year you stop. Living to 95. One of you needing care. Helping the children.
We go through it together at a second meeting, so you can see the thinking, ask questions and try your own "what ifs".
Then you get a written plan in plain English: what you can do, what I'd recommend and why, and exactly what it would cost. Take your time with it. There's no pressure to decide on the day.
I keep an eye on it.
Once your plan is in place, we meet at least once a year. The first question I'll ask each time is "what's changed for you?", because a plan needs to keep up with your life, not just with markets.
In between, you can ring me whenever something comes up: a letter you don't understand, a decision you're weighing up, or just a question. And if a change in the rules affects you, I'll get in touch before you have to.
What it costs.
The first call and the first meeting are free, with no obligation after either.
If you decide to go ahead, there are three parts to the cost.
Setting up your plans.
A one-off fee based on the amount invested: 3% of the first £150,000, 2% of the next £350,000, and 1% above £500,000. The minimum is £1,500.
Looking after it.
An ongoing yearly fee for reviews, administration, monitoring and being on the end of the phone:
Yearly advice fee by amount invested Amount Yearly advice fee First £250,000 0.9% Next £250,000 0.8% Next £500,000 0.7% Next £1 million 0.6% Above £2 million 0.5% The platform and funds.
Your money is held on the Quilter platform, which charges between 0.10% and 0.30% a year depending on the amount. The funds have their own charges too, and I'll show you those in your plan.
An example. If I were advising on £400,000, the initial set-up fee would be £9,500 (taken from the investments), the ongoing fee £3,450 a year and the platform charge £850 a year, plus fund charges.
The yearly figures change as the value of your investments changes.
You'll see your own figures in writing, in pounds rather than percentages, before you agree to anything.
Questions people ask before getting in touch.
- Do I have to move my pensions to work with you?
- No. Sometimes the right answer is to leave them where they are, and I'll tell you if it is.
- Will I always deal with you?
- Yes. You'll have my direct number, and it's me you'll speak to.
- Where is my money held?
- In your name and most of the time on the Quilter platform. Not by Henley & Co.
- What if I decide not to go ahead?
- That's fine. The first call and meeting are free, and I'd much rather you decide in your own time than feel pushed.
- What kind of advice do you give?
- Restricted Advice. When you receive investment advice from me, my recommendations are from a curated panel of leading investment companies. This means that when I identify the most suitable investment solutions for you, I look at a range of pre-vetted investments from companies which meet our approval.
- How are you regulated?
- Henley & Co Wealth Management (FCA register number 1050129) is an appointed representative of Quilter Financial Services Limited (FCA register number 440703), of Senator House, 85 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4AB which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Worth twenty minutes?
If it would help to talk it through, I'm happy to. A short call, no charge, no pressure. If you go further, you'll see exactly what it costs in writing before you agree to anything.