FAQs

Yes, we are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This means our advice and processes must meet FCA standards, and you can check our status on the FCA register.

Yes, you can meet us either face to face or by video call. We will use whatever format works best for you, and we can mix in-person and remote meetings over time.

Face-to-face meetings are held at our London City office or our Bromley office. If you prefer, we can also meet by video call.

We do not have dedicated parking at our offices. Both the City and Bromley locations have strong public transport links, and there is public parking available near our Bromley office.

We have been providing financial advice since 2012. Our work focuses on building a clear financial plan and keeping it on track as your circumstances change.

We are based in London and Kent, with offices in London City and Bromley. We work with many clients outside these areas, and most meetings can be done remotely where that is more convenient.

Yes, you can read client reviews and testimonials. We publish them on VouchedFor and on our website, and you can also see information via our Foster Denovo partner page.

We are part of Foster Denovo, a national firm that has won multiple awards. We specialise in working with City professionals in areas such as banking, law, tech, and insurance, especially those building wealth and approaching retirement.

Our FCA registration number is 462728. You can use this number to find us on the FCA Financial Services Register and confirm our authorisation details.

We commonly work with clients in London, Bromley, and Orpington. We also work with clients elsewhere in the UK, and remote meetings often make that straightforward.

You can request an initial meeting via our website enquiry form or by email at adam.rideout@fosterdenovo.com. We will start by gathering a brief outline of your situation and what you would like help with, then we will agree a suitable time to meet.

No, the initial meeting is free. It is a chance for you to understand how we work, and for us to confirm whether we can help with what you need.

For the initial phone call, a high-level overview of your personal and financial situation is usually enough. Before the first full meeting, we will ask you to complete a client information document, so we have the key details about your finances.

In the first meeting we focus on getting to know you, your goals, and what you expect from us. We also explain how our advice process works so you can decide whether we are the right fit for you.

An initial meeting typically lasts around one to one and a half hours. That gives enough time to cover your aims, your current position, and how we would approach your planning.

No, there is no obligation to proceed after the initial meeting. You can take time to reflect on our conversation before deciding whether you want to work with us.

If you take an ongoing service, you will have at least one annual planning meeting, with additional meetings available if needed, for example after a life event. You will also receive our monthly newsletter and other important updates during the year.

Yes, cashflow forecasting is part of our service. We use it to model how different decisions could affect your long-term plans, using assumptions that may change over time.

If your circumstances change, we can review your financial plan and update it where that is needed. If you no longer want an ongoing service, you can cancel with one month’s notice at no cost.

Yes, we can work alongside your accountant or solicitor. If you do not already have trusted advisers in place, we can also introduce you to professional connections where appropriate.

Yes, we can coordinate with your mortgage adviser and provide the information they need, with your permission. This helps keep your wider financial planning and lending decisions aligned.

If your adviser leaves, you can choose to continue the relationship with them at their new firm where that is possible. Alternatively, we can introduce you to another adviser within Foster Denovo so your planning can continue.

Yes, we can share an example of what a financial plan looks like. Any example is illustrative only, and your own plan would be tailored to your goals and circumstances.

Yes, you can view the value of your investments online. This gives you a clear picture of your holdings and performance, although investment values can go down as well as up.

Yes, we provide an online portal so clients can view their investments. It is designed to make it easy to see valuations and key information in one place.

If you have an ongoing service, you will typically meet with your adviser at least once a year for a planning review. You can also book additional meetings when something changes, or you want to review a decision.

Mortgage advice is provided by specialist mortgage colleagues within Foster Denovo. We can introduce you and coordinate so the borrowing fits with your wider financial plan.

Equity release advice is handled by specialist colleagues within Foster Denovo. We can help you explore whether it could be relevant in the context of your wider planning and retirement objectives.

Yes, we can advise on personal pensions as part of your overall financial plan. Any recommendation will consider costs, investment risk, and how the pension fits with your retirement goals.

Yes, we can advise on occupational pensions, including how they fit alongside other savings and retirement income. We will look at the benefits and any options available to you before recommending a course of action.

Yes, we can help you review and, where suitable, consolidate multiple pensions. We will compare costs, investment options, and any valuable guarantees you might give up before any transfer is recommended.

Yes, we can help you plan how to take pension benefits in a tax-efficient way. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and tax rules can change, so we will consider your wider income and plans before making recommendations.

Yes, we can help you invest using ethical or sustainable preferences where suitable. We will agree what those preferences mean to you, and we will still consider diversification and risk, as investments can go down as well as up.

Yes, we can help you plan what to do with an inheritance and how to invest it if that is appropriate. We will consider your goals, time horizon, and need for access to cash, and remember that investments can go down as well as up.

Yes, we can advise on Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). We will look at whether a SIPP is suitable for your needs, including investment choice, costs, and how you plan to use it in retirement.

Yes, we can advise on transfers from Final Salary or Defined Benefit schemes, where appropriate. This is a specialist area and transferring can mean giving up valuable guaranteed benefits, so we would complete a full assessment before any recommendation.

Yes, we offer advice on long-term care and later-life planning. This can include planning for care costs and organising finances in a way that supports your choices later in life.

Yes, we can help with Inheritance Tax planning and broader estate planning. We will keep guidance general and work with your solicitor where needed, as tax rules and reliefs depend on individual circumstances and can change.

Yes, we can advise on investments such as ISAs as part of a wider investment strategy. We will consider your objectives and attitude to risk, and remember that the value of investments can fall as well as rise.

Yes, we can advise on protection such as life insurance, critical illness cover, and income replacement. We help you choose appropriate cover levels and terms, and any policy will only pay out in line with its conditions and exclusions.

Yes, we offer a free initial consultation. It is a chance to discuss what you want to achieve and to understand how we work before you decide whether to proceed.

Our financial plan is charged as a fixed fee, and implementation and ongoing advice are typically charged as a percentage of the investments we manage. We may also receive commission on some insurance policies, and we explain all charges and any commission as part of the advice process.

Our financial plan fee is typically £2,500. We will confirm the exact cost once we understand the work required and the scope of the planning.

We may receive commission when arranging insurance products. If commission applies, we will disclose it to you, so you understand how the policy is paid for.

VAT applies to our financial plan fee. VAT is not usually applied to charges linked to arranging regulated financial products, and we will confirm what applies to your situation.

We regularly benchmark our fees against the wider market. Based on our research, our fees are generally mid-range for the type of work we provide.

We regularly review our charges against other firms in the sector. Our research indicates our fees typically sit around the middle of the market.

We disclose fees during the initial meeting once we understand the advice you need and the work involved. This helps make sure any quoted fee reflects the scope of planning, implementation, and any ongoing service.

Yes, we can help you plan for an earlier retirement. We typically use cashflow planning to test different scenarios and understand what is realistic, remembering that investment outcomes are not guaranteed.

Yes, we help clients plan for retirement, including how and when to take income from pensions and other assets. We will consider your spending goals, tax position, and the risks of relying on investment markets.

We typically work with City professionals who are building wealth and approaching retirement, as well as people at retirement. That often includes clients working in banking, law, tech, and insurance, but our process suits anyone who wants structured planning.

Yes, we work with younger clients who are still building wealth. We focus on putting strong foundations in place, such as savings, protection, and an investment approach that matches your goals and risk tolerance.

Yes, we work with company directors and self-employed clients. We can coordinate with your accountant to help align personal and business finances, while keeping tax guidance general and circumstance-based.

Yes, we work with people approaching retirement and those already retired. We help you plan income, manage risk, and keep your finances organised as your needs change over time.

Yes, we help clients who have inherited money. We can help you decide how to use it, whether that is investing, paying down debt, or supporting wider family goals, bearing in mind that investments can fall in value.

Yes, we can help if you have sold a business or are in the process of selling one. We help you plan what to do with the proceeds, how to invest responsibly, and how this fits with your long-term goals.

Yes, we can help you manage financial decisions after a bereavement. We aim to make the process clear and structured, and we can also work alongside your solicitor or other professionals where needed.

We work with business owners, professionals, and retirees. Our focus is on practical financial planning that connects your goals to clear actions and regular reviews.

No, we do not provide advice for expats or non-UK residents. However, we can introduce you to professional connections who may be able to help, depending on your location and circumstances.

Yes, we can help even if your investments or pensions are held elsewhere. We can review what you have, explain your options, and advise on any changes that may improve how well everything works together.

Yes, our minimum level of investable assets is £250,000. This helps ensure our planning and ongoing service remain cost-effective for the type of work involved.

Many regulated investment and pension products are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), subject to its rules and limits. Protection depends on the provider and product, and we can explain what cover applies in your case.

If your complaint is about our advice process, you should raise it with us first and we have up to eight weeks to provide a final response. If you are not satisfied, you can refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service, and complaints about a third-party provider can be raised directly with them, or we may be able to support you.

We follow GDPR and store client data securely within the UK or EU. Foster Denovo uses strong cybersecurity controls, including encrypted devices and Cyber Essentials Plus certification, and we use secure, encrypted email for client communications.

Yes, we are insured to provide financial advice. This forms part of how we manage risk and meet regulatory requirements.

You can check our authorisation on the FCA Financial Services Register. Searching the register using our FCA number will show our permissions and regulatory status.

Yes, we share client stories and examples on our website, and you can also read client feedback on VouchedFor. Any case studies are shared in a way that protects client confidentiality.

We measure client satisfaction through an annual client survey and ongoing feedback. We also monitor VouchedFor reviews and routinely request feedback after annual planning meetings.

Yes, we are featured on VouchedFor. VouchedFor is an independent review platform, so you can see verified client feedback about our service.

Yes, Foster Denovo has received a number of industry awards and accreditations. The full, up to date list is on the Foster Denovo Awards and accreditations page.