financial solutions

Independent Financial Advisers

There is no doubting that the Credit Crunch and resulting recession has elevated the importance of the role of an independent financial adviser. With the ‘unexpected’ never too far away, in terms of job security and current financial well-being it has never been a more critical time to consult with an IFA to really maximise your present and future business or personal financial matters.

There has been a raft of anecdotal evidence regarding the worrying number of UK consumers cutting back on financial service offerings especially within the insurance sector. It is important to reiterate that home, whether it be building or contents insurance cover is an absolute must and underlines the importance of homeowners needing to look elsewhere to reduce their outgoings. A trusted independent financial adviser can certainly help to negate such risks and indeed add real value through their extensive knowledge and product expertise. This expertise will help provide a vital financial safety net to steer individuals and families through the recession, as well as helping to provide long-term security at a cost that is right for you.

Indeed, the true value of professional financial advice should not be underestimated. To help illustrate this fact, new research has confirmed that 97 per cent of clients are reported as saying that they would be happy to use an IFA again, or recommend them to a friend or family member. The study, conducted by NMG Financial Services Consulting among 534 clients of Sesame – a large IFA network – over the 12 months to April 2009, revealed that the majority would ‘definitely’, or be ‘likely’ to, use an IFA again and/or recommend them. Overall, 73 per cent of respondents opted for ‘definitely’, 18 per cent said ‘very likely’, and 6 per cent said ‘quite likely’. The most telling statistic, however, is that only 1 per cent of people said they would ‘definitely not’ use their adviser again or recommend them to friends and family. Read the rest of this entry »

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How to Find the Best Financial Planner

How do you go about finding the best financial planner for your money? Well, like many people, you are probably very skittish when it comes to trusting just anyone with your money and for good reason. However, the skittishness could work to your advantage, when it comes to finding the best financial planner.

In these times, any person walking down the street can proclaim themselves a financial planner, the key is to knowing the good from the bad. Many people have found the market for financial planners is strong because the demand grows with each passing day for financial product advice as people are readying themselves for retirement and other issues become more complex.

Attorneys, accountants, insurance agents, and brokers are all becoming financial planners in addition to their current titles; this may not mean they have your best interests at heart either. This may come at a surprise to you; however, as unfortunate as it is, it is a reality. It is extremely important that you conduct full research to avoid running into an instance where your money has suddenly disappeared without an explanation.

It is also important that you keep in mind, just because a person claims to be a financial planner, does not mean that they have guidelines, or processes that they follow. Therefore, the first thing you must do is find potential financial planners. This can be done easily by searching online, using your favorite search engine, and locating financial planners organizations or you could also talk to you friends, family members, or colleagues and find out whom they recommend. It is important that you trust the judgment of any person you are seeking advice from, when it comes to finding the best financial planner. Read the rest of this entry »

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What to Look for in a Financial Advisor

Competent financial advisors don’t have a particular look about them, even if they claim to have proof of their ability. To protect yourself, it is important to ask the kind of questions that will indicate whether the potential advisor has the requisite level of skill to handle your financial affairs, or whether you should look elsewhere. The following simple questions will help you determine if the advisor under scrutiny can really help with your financial affairs.

The first enquiry you should make relates to education. Competence and quality with advisors comes in the form of a relevant tertiary education, professional memberships of financial advisory groups, and certificates or further qualifications that show ongoing professional development. It is also important to enquire about length of experience in the financial industry, and in particular how long the individual has been working as an advisor. This should be considered the first step in your financial advisor selection process. Read the rest of this entry »

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