FAQs
We want to make it as easy as possible for you to access expert financial planning advice. Below are some of the more commonly asked questions we receive, but if there’s anything we haven’t covered, please do contact us.
Usually, clients prefer to meet us at our office in Twickenham, but we can accommodate meetings at your home or place of work if preferred.
Parking free of charge is available in local roads after midday. Otherwise, there are parking meters nearby. A map is available to download here.
We always bear the cost of the initial ‘discovery’ meeting, which is naturally without any obligation on your part to take things further if you don’t wish to.
It is best to bring as much information about your personal and financial situation as you can. Ideally, we like to see proof of identity (e.g. A passport or driving licence) and address (e.g. A recent bank or credit card statement or utility bill, provided it is not a mobile phone bill).
You should normally expect the meeting to last one hour, although sometimes, depending on the content of the meeting, they can take longer than that.
No. You can consider things later, at your leisure, and then decide whether you want to take things further with us.
If at the initial meeting, you and we have identified areas where we are certain that we can help you, we will then provide you with a “letter of engagement” setting out why you sought advice, what we would do if you decided to proceed, what our fees would be, and what benefits you could justifiably expect our advice to provide to you.
You can request a meeting by completing the form here. Or you can telephone: 020 8891 0711 or email: hello@globeifa.co.uk, or pop into our offices!
Yes! We are completely independent of any insurance company, investment company or product provider. Our job is to provide the best possible solution available to you, from the entire marketplace. We take a great deal of pride in giving clients completely impartial financial advice regardless of whether that involves advice about a product.
Yes, by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). You can check that by going to the Financial Services Register
Yes – we work closely with a Final Salary/Defined Benefit pension transfer expert, liaising with that expert on your behalf.
We have five fully qualified financial advisors together with two mortgage advisors. Anyone of us will step into the shoes of any of the others if they are unavailable.
That depends upon how complex your financial plan needs to be. As above, the client engagement letter which is sent to you following our initial meeting will clearly set out the fees chargeable for the proposed work.
We are happy to work on an hourly rate, or a flat fixed fee, or on a fee calculated as a percentage of the investment/pension plan on which we are giving advice – whichever is agreeable to you.
We are not allowed to accept commission on investment business, which includes pension business. On equity release business, life assurance, critical illness protection, or income protection business we can receive commission. We always disclose such commission in writing before you decide whether to proceed.
No. Most of the advice we give is not liable to VAT, so we are not registered for VAT.