Having access to a financial adviser not only helps you to plan and goal set for the future, but it also helps you to understand any shortfalls and to protect yourself and your family. Often my clients say that the added peace of mind that comes with working with us, is invaluable. Financial advice isn’t just for the ultra-wealthy, or the ‘rich and famous’ and Financial Advisers can cover many advice areas; from mortgages, to pensions, life insurance and differing investments.
Getting the strategy ‘right’ is a big part of the job for a Financial Adviser, and financial planning is not a one size fits all approach. I often have clients ask me “how much do I need to retire?” and my response is always “it depends.” It is unlikely that one person’s ideal retirement, looks the same as any other person. For example, do you want to spend time travelling? Is that on a luxury or basic level? Do you want to become a member of a health club and enjoy your days playing tennis, swimming and meeting friends for lunch? The possibilities are endless and of course with that generates the need for varying levels of income.
The first thing we do when you come to us for advice, is sit down and work out some definitive goals and objectives, set out a clear strategy of how we might look to achieve them and ensure that the plan can come to life and be realistic.
Once we have established your desires, we will then start to think about how your money should be invested to align with your goals. For example, this may mean looking to take slightly more risk, so that you could have access to a greater potential of capital growth, or the opposite and less risk may need to be taken if you are already over exposed to risk. Again, this is individual to each of your circumstances.
Not only do we help to define your goals, put a strategy in place that can help towards achieving them. We will also do our best to help you to avoid making any bad choices, that in turn could be harmful towards the overall plan, and coach you through market volatility, to avoid taking impulsive reactions to fluctuations in the stock markets.
We also look to help you strategize from a tax perspective, making sure that you make the most of the annual allowances that are available to you. This includes maximising your ISA or Pension allowances, depending on which wrapper might be the most appropriate for your circumstances.
Most importantly, by meeting on a regular basis, we can review your goals and take steps to make sure that your plans remain in-line with your objectives and make any necessary amendments to the structure or strategy if needed.
Money can be a tricky subject to navigate, especially when we are taught to not speak about money. Working with a Financial Adviser can give you more than just a strategy, it gives that added peace of mind and helps to take away some of the financial overwhelm. Whether you need a steer in the right direction, expert financial advice, or just some basic practical knowledge, we are here to help and support you.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
The value of an investment with St. James’s Place will be directly linked to the performance of funds selected and may fall as well as rise. You may get back less than the amount invested.
The levels and bases of taxation and reliefs from taxation can change at any time and are dependent on individual circumstances.
