Hold the Vision, Trust the Process
Since we opened our doors, we have helped clients build strategies that align with their risk profile, timescale, hopes, and values.
Engaging with clients requires experience, knowledge, discipline and empathy
First things first, we need to be able to tune into your view of your world, because without that, any advice we give or ideas we put forward, just won't feel right.
Engaging with clients requires experience, knowledge, discipline, and empathy
First things first, we need to be able to tune into your view of your world, because without that, any advice we give or ideas we put forward just won't feel right
Financial planning is a cycle
We believe in the process and structure of financial plannin,g and by starting here, we defined our vision for Aspen and the integrity of the staff within
In simple terms;
Clarify where we stand now
Determine where we would like to get to
Create and work along a roadmap
Review and repeat at regular intervals
It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives; it's what we do consistently.
Experience and Knowledge
All staff members are enrolled in continuing professional development workshops and tests to maintain product knowledge and to improve their job skills or move to a different role
Knowledge of the ever-changing economic, political, and legislative backdrop is maintained through in-house and company-funded tests, seminars, and workshops
Independence
A vital part of financial planning requires advisers to discuss any existing or historic products and policies you might hold.
Our Independent regulatory status provides us with the ability to work with your current providers, advise on changes to your old and pre-existing products, without requiring you to change providers unless necessary for your needs
Our First Meeting
Initially, we need to discuss your objectives, together with your current financial position
Our initial meeting is a good point to introduce our scope of service, find some common ground, and make sure we can work forward
Discussing your understanding of risk, taking stock of your experiences with financial planning, creating objectives, and building a plan are key components to start
Tools at hand
We normally use analytical tools to determine financial plans.
Investment risk/ costs / consistency of all investment options
Product cost comparisons
Cashflow planning for retirees
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In line with our fair and simple philosophy, we have designed our charging structure to make doing business with us straightforward. Like any business we need to charge for our services in a manner that you understand and feel comfortable with.
The scope of our business is wide ranging and encompasses an array of areas, such as pensions, investments, mortgages and so on. Each area requires differing levels of work, skill and expertise. To make our practices fair, we make bespoke charges based on the type of work we are conducting and the potential long-term involvement, which promotes a fairer system for our clients.
Further Information
Our Customer Agreement and Key Facts about our Services provide formalised statements of the way in which we conduct business and how we make charges. These are available on request
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Choosing an Investment
The complexity inherent in financial planning has become so bewildering that many people simply do not know where to turn. The following appendices outlines some of the expertise and skills we employ to deliver our service.
We help clients to understand the risk associated with any investment they may consider. To make sure we create an environment of understanding and two-way dialogue and includes questionnaires help us build a profile of your expectations. This can form part of our annual reviews to take into account any changes to our clients personal or moral investment objectives.
We maintain a review system, which is designed so that we contact you regularly
Choosing the Right Product and Policies
There are a number of reasons to review your existing policies of all types, the main points below give us the ability to provide you with a fair comparison of what you have now and where the current market place is;
Fees:
There can be a number of costs and charges associated with investment products and insurance policies.
The first thing we do, is to find out what you are currently paying and compare that to the current market. We use various comparison tools to do this and just like shopping around for the best car insurance or house insurance, the same should apply to all your financial products
Life Assurance and Critical Illness
This type of product is initially driven by your available budget, as most policies trade on cost comparison.
However, we have found that as the market place has become more complex, your needs and advances in medical science, are not met by cheaper or older policies
There are many companies providing much wider and varied types of cover, often insuring against conditions not previously survivable.
Wellness and maintaining your fitness and actually helping you keep fit and healthy now feature in many policies, with discounted gym memberships, discounts on healthy living (bikes, fitbits), together with lifestyle discounts at spa’s and travel
Keeping your old policies up to date with your needs is vital and whether we are starting from scratch or reviewing existing cover, our systems will create the most cost effective cover within the right policies
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Committed to treating our customers fairly
At Aspen Financial Services Limited, we are committed to offering our customers the highest possible standards of service. In so doing, we are pleased to support the Financial Services Authority initiative ‘Treating Customers Fairly’.
We recognise that both we and our customers have everything to gain if we look after your best interests and treat you fairly in all aspects of our dealings with you.
Our commitment to you
We will:
provide you with clear information about the products and service we offer, including fees and charges
ascertain your individual needs, preferences and circumstances before recommending a mortgage
only recommend a mortgage that we consider suitable for you and that you can afford – and always the most suitable from the available options
not recommend a mortgage if we can’t find one we consider suitable
encourage you to ask if there’s something you don’t understand
give you access to a formal complaints procedure should you become unhappy with our service
How you can help us
To help us give you the most appropriate advice, we will ask you to:
tell us as much as possible about your income and outgoings, to enable us to properly assess how much you can afford
let us know about changes that might affect your ability to repay a mortgage
let us know if there is any aspect of our service, or of a product we have discussed or recommended that you don’t understand
tell us if you think there are ways we can improve our service