What will the first meeting involve?
The initial meeting will be about us getting to know each other. You will want to know more about AGB, what we do, how we work with our clients and what we charge. Similarly, we will want to get to know you.
What will we discuss?
We will tell you about AGB and how we may be able to help you. For our part, we will want to know about your current circumstances, your financial aims and objectives and what you are looking to achieve in the longer term. We will explain what we can (and can’t) do for you, how we can help you to achieve your aims and the costs involved. You will not normally need to pay for the first 30 minutes of the initial meeting as this will usually be at AGB’s expense.
What should you prepare?
If we are going to work with you, you will need to complete a Confidential Questionnaire (or “factfind”) at some stage. It records your basic financial information (e.g. income, outgoings, borrowings, savings and investments, pension arrangements etc) as well as your personal details and gives us a good idea of your current situation and future requirements. We usually ask you to complete this in advance and to bring it with you; it doesn’t commit you to taking things further with us but it is very useful to be able to discuss this with you at a first meeting.
What else should you bring?
We need to comply with Anti-Money Laundering Regulations which require us to see evidence of who you are and where you live; an original current passport or photo driving licence together with an original utility bill or bank statement (dated within the last 3 months) will usually suffice. It’s not necessary to dig out years of bank statements and life insurance documents etc but it is worth being able to give us a broad picture of your situation which is where the Confidential Questionnaire is so helpful. Having said that, any additional paperwork that you think may be relevant will always be useful.
What will happen after the first meeting?
If you have decided to work with us, we will need to ensure that we have all the necessary information about your current financial situation and what you are looking to achieve. You may need to provide us with some additional information, which will help to ensure that the advice offered is entirely suited to your requirements. Once we are happy that we have all the necessary details, we can give you a firm idea of our charges and can start working on preparing a financial plan for you.
This will take account of your personal circumstances and future requirements, your tax position and attitude to risk, all of which we will have considered and recorded beforehand. Of course, there will often be a number of options for us to consider and we will discuss these with you, to ensure that our recommendations are in line with your specific requirements.
Our structured process is designed to provide you with an individual plan, carefully tailored to meet your specific needs. Where certain financial products are appropriate, we will research the market for those that best suit your requirements.
Assuming that you are happy to proceed, we can then implement your financial plan, arranging any products required and taking account of any adjustments or charges that may need to be made. We want you to be entirely happy with the arrangements that are made for you so if you have any queries or want to make any changes, we will be happy to accommodate them.
How often should you meet with your financial adviser?
An annual review is usually recommended but these can be more or less frequent, if required. It is hoped that we will develop a continuing and longstanding relationship with you, so that we can review changes in your circumstances and ensure that your financial plan remains appropriate in the future.