Who is your service best suited to?
As a matter of principle (and contrary to the approach taken by most advisory firms), for two key reasons we only work with a relatively limited number of clients.
Firstly, we must believe we can add meaningful value to each client's financial affairs and truly be able to assist them in achieving their life and financial goals.
Secondly, we must be in a position to dedicate an appropriate amount of time and energy to working on our client's behalf and be able to deliver the highly personalised, premium-level service we insist upon.
We will not jeopardise our ability to deliver our service by taking on too many new clients at the expense of our existing clients, which is why we focus on working with those clients for whom our service works best and for whom we can add value.
As such, we tend to work mostly with clients over the age of 50, including those in or relatively close to retirement, widows / widowers, the owners of small to medium-sized businesses, professionals and executives. In all cases, our clients tend to be of above average wealth, with relatively complex financial circumstances and the requirement for both immediate and ongoing financial planning and wealth management.
We also tend to find that those likely to find our service of greatest benefit have, or are likely to have over the next couple of years, liquid assets invested or available for investment (which might include Cash, Pensions, ISA's, Unit Trusts, OEIC's and Investment Bonds, for example) in excess of £200,000.
Generally, we work best with any individual or family who...
- Is Serious About Taking Control Of Their Financial Future
- Wants To Achieve And Maintain A Certain Standard Of Lifestyle
- Wants To Ensure They Will Never Run Out Of Money
- Is Keen To Be Able To Look Back And Say "I'm Glad I did", Rather Than "I Wish I had"
- Recognises That Proper Financial Planning Can Make A Big Difference To Their Lives
- Wants To Protect and Grow Their Wealth And Take An Intelligent Approach To Investing
- Wants HMRC To Have As Small A Share Of Their Wealth As Possible
- Doesn't Have The Time Or Expertise To Effectively Manage Their Own Financial Affairs
- Wants To Know Everything Is 'Taken Care Of' By Professional Experts
What services do you offer?
It is possible to engage us on a one-off basis where we will address a particular need, although the majority of our clients utilise our comprehensive wealth management service, which incorporates lifestyle financial planning, investment management, retirement and Inheritance Tax planning, as well as a range of other planning areas.
Further details can be found under the 'Our Services' section of our website.
Is Chamberlyns independent?
Absolutely.
We are a privately owned company, have no links to any third parties and have no conflicts of interest, as so many other firms, institutions and 'advisers' do. We work impartially for and on behalf of our clients, in their best interests and no-one else's.
Should I pay a fee and work with a relatively small company like Chamberlyns, or go to a larger institution such a bank and receive 'free' advice?
If you regularly read the financial sections of quality newspapers, or watch the national news, you will be all too familiar with the dubious practices and level of complaints received by banks and other similar institutions.
The question you should ask yourself is 'Do I want objective, honest advice in order that I can make the important financial decisions in life?'
If the answer to this question is 'yes', in our opinion, you really should avoid these larger institutions, because to provide objective, honest advice is not the reason they exist. Rather, they - and their salespeople - exist to try to sell their products to as many people as possible.
Indeed, the old adage that there is 'no such thing as a free lunch' is also pertinent here, in that you will be paying for your 'free' advice in some manner, it's just that it is often not clear how, or more worryingly, how much.
To use an analogy to put this biased 'advice' into perspective, if you were looking for a new car and you went to your local Ford dealership, you would be expecting the salesman to try to sell you a Ford car - and quite rightly too, because Ford pay him a salary to do exactly this. Indeed, he will also be financially incentivised, through commission payments, to sell as many cars as possible, so you should expect him to be very keen on selling you a Ford car.
Indeed, imagine how surprised you would be if the salesman said to you, 'actually, my brother-in-law has just bought a very similar car to the one you have been looking at today, from Vauxhall. He took me for a drive in it last week and it's fabulous - much better than the Ford - and to top it all, it's quite a bit cheaper than this car too'.
Of course, this situation is never going to happen, not least because the salesman would get fired, because he is not paid to offer you objective, honest advice - he is paid by Ford to sell you one of their cars, whether it is the absolute best solution for your requirements or not.
This example helps to illustrate the scenario you will often experience in a bank or similar large institution and it is clear that in such a situation, your objectives / interests and the bank's / salesman's are not aligned.
For further information about selling, commission-bias and other important issues you should be aware of when seeking financial advice and planning, please refer to the 'What the Financial Press Say' and 'The Truth About Financial Advice' pages of our website, (under the 'Our Fees' section).
How long has Chamberlyns been established?
Chamberlyns was established in 1997 and we have been providing impartial, holistic financial planning and wealth management services to our clients ever since.
We have built a reputation for providing a friendly, high quality and professional service and are very proud of the esteem our clients hold us in. Indeed, you can read what our clients say about us on our testimonials page, under the 'About Us' section of our website.
Furthermore, we are striving to be amongst the best qualified financial planners in the profession and we would hope that as you explore our website you will get a good feel for our corporate ethics.
How do you calculate your fees?
We provide a professional service, just like a solicitor or accountant does and operate a policy of charging competitive, transparent fees, which are based on the type and complexity of the work involved and the service provided.
We discuss this matter with you at our initial meeting and will provide a guide as to what our fees are likely to be for the work involved in your particular case. In every case, we always agree our fees in writing with you before commencing work on your behalf.
Will there be any charge for our first meeting?
Our initial consultation is offered at our expense and without any obligation. We believe this provides a relaxed opportunity for both parties to discuss whether our services would add value to your financial affairs and whether there is a basis upon which we can develop a successful working relationship together.
How will I benefit from working with you?
We provide a professional, multi-faceted and all-encompassing financial planning service, covering such areas as the management of your investments, increasing the tax-efficiency of your finances, helping you to define and realise your life goals, advising you on retirement planning, considering how to ensure you never run out of money and much more besides.
Ultimately, it will be a decision for both parties to make as to whether we offer a service which will be of value to you.
Will I benefit from your ongoing advisory services?
If you have sizeable cash holdings, a significant investment or pension portfolio, or wish to engage a professional planner to help you achieve your life and financial goals, we feel we can add real value to your affairs.
We have always believed that ongoing financial planning can be likened to the benefits of visiting a gym regularly, in that you can establish and maintain your fitness and health for the long-term by being disciplined and recognising the clear value of your physical wellbeing.
With regard to your financial planning, it is simply not possible to create an effective plan for your financial future which never needs to be reviewed and adjusted - in exactly the same way as it is impossible to visit the gym once and remain fit and healthy for the rest of your life.
Ultimately, if you value your financial wellbeing, both now and into the future, then our ongoing Wealth Management service is likely to be ideal for you.
Please feel free to contact us if you feel you would benefit from working with Chamberlyns.