Financial Advisors in Sheffield

If you have come to the decision that you could benefit from some financial advice from a Financial Advisor in Sheffield, perhaps it’s because you want to maximise your pension pot, or find the best insurance product? You might even need help with the best mortgage product for your situation and you may be left wondering which of the many advisers out there are the best to help you?

There are a few tried and tested steps you can take to make sure you find yourself the best adviser in Sheffield, and a good starting place is to identify exactly what you are seeking advice for. There are five key reasons why someone would usually look to seek financial advice and these include:

• Inheriting money
• Getting married
• Having children
• Retiring
• Providing for family when you die

Once you have established which of these categories you fall into, it can become easier to narrow down the financial adviser who can best meet your needs. However, there are a number of questions you should ask any potential adviser before you commit to their service.

Services on Offer by Sheffield IFAs

• You are getting close to retirement age
• You have got a significant increase in earnings
• You have received an inheritance
• You are going through a divorce
• You sell a business, property, or have another significant event
• You want to consolidate your finances and take better control
• You are preparing to pass on some of your money to loved ones
• You are recently widowed

Many financial advisers will offer a free consultation in order to discuss their expertise and the fees.

Review and Analysis

Putting together a successful portfolio requires time and expertise. A finance adviser Sheffield will constantly review and analyse your investments, taking stock of changes in your circumstances, as well as changes in legislation, to ensure your portfolio continues to experience peak performance.

Personal Recommendations

Obtaining a recommendation from a friend or family member can be one of the best ways to guarantee that you will get a good service from a financial adviser in Sheffield. Other people’s positive experiences can speak volumes for the level of service and success you can expect. Another avenue is to ask for references from their existing clientele although this can be less convincing as the adviser can choose who you speak to themselves and will therefore avoid putting you in contact with any customers who have had a negative experience.

Are you a fiduciary?

There are a variety of fee structures employed by independent financial advisers and in order to ensure that your adviser is always acting in your best interest it is prudent to confirm that they operate on a fee only basis. This avoids the potential for advisers to recommend products from which they receive a commission, which in turn can present a conflict of interest. Make sure you express that you would like an entirely transparent fee structure that includes any hidden costs so you are aware up front of your total liability.

What qualifications do you have?

There are a number of qualifications that advisers can hold and depending on your requirements you may want to ensure that the adviser you choose can meet your needs with skill, knowledge and integrity. Chartered status is one of the more coveted qualifications in the industry and one to look out for.

How much access will I have to your advice throughout the process?

Knowing up front whether your adviser will meet with you face to face, be available both now and in the future for phone calls, how often you will meet etc is an important step in the process in order to avoid being left out in the cold as soon as you engage their services.

As well as all this you would be wise to familiarise yourself with the IFA’s website in order to gain more knowledge on the services they offer and their approach to investing. Due diligence at the start can help avoid costly mistakes down the line.

Frequently Asked Questions about Financial Advisors in Sheffield

I see adverts for Financial Advisors Sheffield and Financial Planners in Sheffield, what is the difference?

Whilst there is most definitely an overlap between the roles of a financial planner and a financial adviser, they do have important differences that you should familiarise yourself with before you engage their services. Both financial planners and financial advisors will assess your current financial situation in order to put together recommendations to improve that situation.

A financial adviser has the primary ambition of helping you to manage your money including:

• Investment management
• Estate planning
• Retirement planning
• Insurance
• Debt repayment
• Tax planning

Financial planners however are one type of adviser who specialises in creating a plan to help companies and individuals achieve their long term financial goals and can include entities such as:

• Retirement planning
• Education funding planning

It is important to note that whilst a financial adviser will possess qualifications and credentials to help them achieve their purpose, just about anyone can call themselves a financial planner without possession of any qualifications.

If I choose a local IFA in Sheffield what is it they will do?

The primary role of a financial adviser is to assist individuals in achieving their long term and short term financial goals. In order to accomplish this, financial advisors will meet with clients to assess their financial needs and work alongside economic trends, regulatory changes and the clients wishes in order to help them with investments, tax laws and insurance decisions.

Some of the typical tasks undertaken by a financial adviser can include the following:

• Recommend investments, select investments, and research investment opportunities.
• Provide clients with tax advice.
• Assist clients with insurance decisions and select the best products available.
• Help clients prepare for specific circumstances such as education expenses or retirement.
• Monitor client accounts and make appropriate changes to improve account performance.

How much should you pay a Sheffield financial adviser?

There are many variables as to how much a financial adviser will charge you including the specific advice you are after and the billing structure. Some of the different ways that you can expect to be billed for the services of a financial adviser include:

• An hourly rate, which in the UK will average at around £150 an hour although you can expect to be charged anywhere from between £75 to £350.
• A set fee. This can be the case should you wish to engage the skills of a financial adviser for a specific job.
• A monthly fee is often agreed for ongoing financial advice such as managing investment portfolios. This can be done in one of two ways, either via a percentage of the amount of money you are investing with them or alternatively as a flat fee.

There are many elements that will affect the fees that you are charged for financial advice, including the level of qualifications that the adviser is in possession of, the location of the adviser, the complexity of your situation, and how the service is delivered.

Many financial advisors will offer a free consultation in order to discuss their expertise and the fees. This is a great way to establish whether they are the right service for your needs.

What is the difference between independent financial advisors in Sheffield and a financial adviser in Sheffield?

A financial advisor in Sheffield sometimes referred to as a restricted adviser, can only give financial advice on a limited number of products such as insurance, mortgages and pensions, so while they may be in a position to provide good financial advice, they don’t always have access to the best products to suit your unique circumstances.

Conversely, independent financial advisers in Sheffield have access to the entire market and can therefore match the best product for your situation. An independent adviser in Sheffield has extensive knowledge of all monetary areas including investments, savings, insurance, pensions, tax and family estate management and should be authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in order to ensure ethical practice and advice in line with your best interests.

How do I choose an independent financial adviser in Sheffield?

Commission driven products such as payment protection insurance have changed the way that independent advice is regulated in England. Tougher standards have been introduced banning commission driven sales and requiring advisors to hold higher levels of qualifications. However, there is still a variation in the quality of advice you can receive and you should be wary about simply employing the assistance of the first IFA you come across in Sheffield.

Firstly, you should ascertain what your needs are so you don’t get drawn into paying for a full service that you don’t actually need. The most common areas of financial planning are usually advice for paying off debts, building savings, mortgage advice, pension schemes and employer protection benefits.

If you are facing a big decision that requires a fair bit of cash, then you could certainly benefit from the advice of a professional. Decide if you need one-off advice or if you would benefit from an ongoing service.

It is also prudent to determine if you would like face to face advice, in which case you will need to employ the support of a company with offices local to you in Sheffield. Face to face advice can help build a trusting relationship with your adviser should you require ongoing support.

Whilst an independent adviser in Sheffield may initially incur a greater cost for their expertise, they can offer you any products from across the market rather than being limited to expensive or poor performing products that benefit the adviser financially. Bear this in mind when you are deciding whether to employ an IFA or a restricted adviser.

The last thing to take into consideration are the fees charged. You may need to meet with a few advisors in Sheffield to discuss their payment structure and find an arrangement that suits you and your individual needs.

Always remember to check the company privacy policy before handing over information such as your phone number or email address and check the reviews of financial advisors you are considering. Sheffield financial advisor reviews can give you an insight into the experiences of other clients both positive and negative. It is also prudent to check that any independent financial adviser you consider has been authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is registered in England and Wales.

How do I find a good IFA in Sheffield?

A good place to start is to seek a personal recommendation for an IFA in Sheffield. An IFA’s success with another client will speak volumes about their level of service.

Alternatively, you can find details of trusted IFA’s in Sheffield using our reviews, alternatively we can help you find a local independent IFA for free. Just enter your postcode below.