Services

FINANCIAL PLANNING PROCESS

As Chartered Financial Planners, we are dedicated to helping clients achieve their goals and aspirations.  We follow an in-depth process, which ensures that our advice is tailored to suit your individual requirements.

The financial planning process involves four key steps:

Understanding

Planning

Implementation

Monitoring

Step One
UNDERSTANDING YOUR NEEDS AND OBJECTIVES

The first stage of the process is essentially “getting to know each other”.  This involves working together to help you identify your specific needs and objectives.  We will also start to gather the hard facts we need to build a thorough picture of your current situation.  We do not charge clients for this stage of the financial planning process, but at the end of this stage we will confirm in writing the proposed services to be provided and the cost of those services.

Step Two
CREATING YOUR FINANCIAL PLAN

If you decide that you want Vintage to act on your behalf, we’ll proceed to gather detailed information about any existing plans you have, as well as further details of your personal financial situation.  For example, we may require additional information about your income and expenditure, whilst in all cases where investments are being considered, we will ask clients to complete a risk tolerance questionnaire.

 

Once we have collected all of the information we need and completed our detailed analysis of this information, we will arrange a meeting with you to discuss the results of our analysis and consider potential solutions.  This meeting will usually include an examination of your projected future financial position using interactive cash-flow modelling.

 

At the end our discussions, we should be in a position to provide you with a written Financial Plan which will include formal recommendations on what, if any, action is required to help you to meet your financial goals.  The Financial Plan will explain in detail the reasons why our recommendations are suitable for you, taking into account factors such as:

 

  • Your needs and objectives, both now and in the future.
  • The timescale of any investments.
  • Your tolerance for risk and capacity for loss.
  • Your current and anticipated future tax status.

 

Step Three
IMPLEMENTATION

Once you have received your Financial Plan and taken time to fully consider any recommendations contained within, should you decide to proceed with the recommended actions, Vintage will arrange implementation of those actions.  The implementation process may include the following:

 

  • Completion of any relevant paperwork.
  • The establishment of any recommended plans or policies.
  • The transfer or encashment of any existing plans or policies.
  • The placing of any investments in line with recommendations.
  • The commencement of any regular income payments or contributions.

 

At the end of the implementation process, you will be provided with written confirmation of your new financial arrangements.

Step FOUR
ONGOING MONITORING AND REVIEW

Implementing the recommendations in your Financial Plan is not necessarily the end of the Financial Planning process.   In many ways, it is just the beginning!  Your personal circumstances may change over time, as may your needs and objectives.   Furthermore, the financial landscape rarely stays the same for very long, with regular changes expected to the economic climate, investment outlook and tax allowances.   All of these factors can result in a requirement to adapt the Financial Plan to ensure that you remain on the right path to successfully achieving your financial goals.   It is therefore important that your financial arrangements are kept under review.

 

Our Ongoing Review Service is tailored in accordance with your needs.   Most clients will require an annual financial review, but others may require more regular reviews depending on the complexity of their financial position and needs.  Although we would always recommend that clients take advantage of our Ongoing Review Service, I can confirm that you are under no obligation to do so.