We are currently only taking on clients with more than £200,000 of investments that they wish us to advise on. We apologise for not being able to assist with smaller sums than this.
Based in Boston Spa, we offer independent investment advice to clients across the UK. Currently we advise on around £45,000,000 of client investments, including pensions.
How can we help?
Many investors hold funds which are either too risky or not risky enough for their needs. In addition most investors pay far too much in fund management charges.
- We will check that the investments you currently hold in your pension, ISA or other portfolios are suitable for your circumstances and appetite for risk.
- We will cut the charges you are paying, where possible.
- We will deliver regular reports, with recommendations on when to switch between investment funds as the economic situation changes, and financial markets move.
- If you have a sum of money to invest then we will recommend an investment company, and design a portfolio of investment funds with the right balance of risk management and growth potential for your needs.
Our focus is on keeping the charges on your investments to a minimum, diversifying your assets across different asset classes and regions, and using all available tax-reduction strategies.
We advise on all types of investment product, including the following:
- UK and international equity funds
- Corporate and government bond funds
- Property funds (as well as direct buy-to-let property investment)
- ISAs, investment portfolios, pensions and investment bonds
Charges
It's your money, and we believe that you should keep as much of it as possible, and benefit as fully as possible from the growth in your investments.
We make no initial charge for providing ongoing advice on, or creating, a pension, ISA or other investment portfolioo of £200,000 or more. This includes the selection of a new provider if appropriate (such as Aviva, Fidelity or AJ Bell, for example), although we try to keep clients with their existing provider if possible, and the design of a portfolio of funds to match your appetite for investment risk and your circumstances.
On an ongoing (annual) basis there are three charges that will apply:
- The provider (e.g. Aviva) will deduct an administration charge. We select providers with very low administration charges (typically 0.25% or less of assets)
- The funds we recommend that you hold within the investment portfolio will have an ongoing annual fee. We select funds with charges as low as 0.06% per year.
- Our ongoing advice charge, which pays for us to provide continuing advice on what funds you should hold as market conditions change, and how to make the most of tax allowances, varies depending on the size of the investment pot, from a maximum of 0.5% down to 0.2% for very large investment funds.
This means that the total cost of the investment portfolio we design for you, including our advice charges, is typically between 0.65% and 0.95% per year. This is well below the 1.5% - 2.5% per year that clients often pay for an advised investment service, a saving which really adds up over the years.
Why choose us?
Matthew Harris worked as an investment manager for almost twenty years, for companies such as Aegon Asset Management, Scottish Widows and Standard Life. During that period he invested client assets of up to £1.4bn directly in the UK and Asian stockmarkets. As a result he has a deep understanding of how the financial markets work, and how to build a low cost and well diversified portfolio to suit the particular needs of each client. Existing clients appreciate the fact that we monitor your portfolios on a regular basis, explain our approach clearly without resorting to financial jargon, and are always available to chat through recent market movements. Client's views on the service can be found in the testimonials we receive.
What is the process?
After a free initial assesment of your situation we will analyse your current portfolios to see where improvements could be made in terms of cost, growth potential and risk management. We will then present you with a report explaining what we recommend that you do. You can then take as long as you want to decide whether or not to proceed. All potential charges will be explained in writing in advance - you will pay nothing unless you specifically agree to do so.
What do our customers say?
“In this time of austerity I decided I had to do something about assets which had been neglected for years. I began to look for an adviser who would listen to my requirements and advise accordingly. For me, a financial adviser would give me satisfaction by being efficient, answering any questions I had, doing so promptly. I wished to have my investments’ real value protected as far as is possible without requiring my attention too often. Matt has done this and given me peace of mind that this has been achieved. Matt’s considered investment and pursuit of my needs were managed with skill, efficiency and a pleasant manner. “ Alexina Gray
