Our approach | Talking Finances | Independent Financial Advisers

When you talk, we listen

You can call us on 01753 593 061 or e-mail info@talkingfinances.co.uk or walk into our office and talk to Sue or a member of the team. We will listen to what you want and let you know the best way forward, for example:

An initial phone call with an Adviser
Book in a first meeting – no fees, no obligation
A referral to the right person to help
Take away our details and come back when you are ready

We are happy to talk to anyone, regardless of circumstances. We like helping people in our local community and often this means providing sensible guidance or referring them to an alternative professional.

The first meeting

We can arrange a first meeting at our office, your office or your home, at a time that suits you. There is no fee, no obligation and no judgment, we just want to get to know you. The first meeting process includes:

Some questions issued before the meeting to help you start thinking about what you want to achieve
We listen carefully so that we understand your personal circumstances, how you got to where you are and where you would like to get to
We ask for details of your assets and debts and review your income and expenditure
We outline how we think we can help you and tell you about any fees that may become payable if you become a client
You decide if we are the right planners for you

Some people find that the service they require is more guidance and signposting than full financial planning. If we progress to a full planning service it will be because this is what you have decided is right for you, you understand the benefits and you are happy with the fees that may become chargeable.

The fees

We believe in being upfront about all aspects of our services, including our fees. When we listen to clients, they tell us this transparency is important to them, which is why we disclose this information on our website. Our typical fee structure is as follows:

First meeting – no fees, just your time
Next Steps analysis and report – included in the Financial Plan fee (below)
Financial Plan – £2,000
If we invest your assets, a further 1% of the capital we invest (subject to a decency cap of £10,000).
If we provide an ongoing client management service – a further 0.75% of the assets we manage on an annual basis subject to a minimum of £1,200 and capped at £7,500 per year

You will always know in advance the fees we are charging and, at any stage of the process, you can ask us to stop doing chargeable work. Please note that if you stop the work on receipt of your Next Steps report, we will charge £650.

There is not usually any VAT to pay on fees, but we will tell you if there is.

The plan

Everyone’s financial plan will be different and unique to their circumstances. We do, however, firmly believe in following the same procedures for all clients to create a consistent service. Your personal financial plan may include:

A budget analysis and cash flow forecast
A family protection plan
A mortgage / debt clearance strategy
A savings plan
A retirement income plan
A tax efficiency plan
An investment portfolio
A legacy plan

The review

Our clients live full and varied lives and we love to hear about them at the annual review meeting.

A robust financial plan should ultimately allow a client to do all the things they want to do, in the knowledge that they and their families are protected. At an annual review meeting we will recheck all of our key assumptions to make sure that what we have put in place remains suitable.

We challenge our clients to think into the future and make plans today that give them the best choices for when that future arrives. Our clients tell us that the process itself is an important and worthwhile sense check that gives peace of mind on an annual basis. We also know from the statistics that clients who revisit their finances annually have higher retirement incomes and pay less in tax….so it makes sense in that way too!