There are two types of fees when transacting financial advice, an Initial Adviser fee and an Annual Adviser fee. The FCA requires that these are clearly explained before I start any advice.
The Initial Adviser Fee covers the cost of my time in researching and implementing any piece of advice.
The Annual Adviser Fee covers the costs of;
- the provision of regular updates so that we can monitor the ongoing progress of your arrangements
- the implementation of future fund changes within these arrangements (if any)
- an annual review of your financial situation and the ongoing suitability of the arrangements that we effected
- my ongoing availability to answer any questions and queries that you may have in relation to these arrangements or any other aspect of financial planning.
You can cancel the annual adviser fee arrangements at any time in the future but if you do so it will reduce the level of service that I provide you with. If you have any questions about the level of fees or would like to discuss them at any time please just say and I will be happy to talk these through with you.
When it comes to paying for the help I give you I try to be fair and reasonable in what I charge you and I will always agree any fee with you before undertaking any work. In that way you can make an informed decision.
I will usually be happy to arrange an initial meeting and basic research without making any charge, although a mug of coffee is always appreciated!
Once I have been able to look at whether I can help you and what form that help will take, we can agree how much my fees will be and whether you will pay those fees directly (to me by way of cheque or bank transfer) or it may be possible to deduct them from any plans we arrange.
To recap, those fees normally take two forms, an initial fee which pays for the work involved to arranging your finances, and an annual fee which pays me to look after you on an ongoing basis.