If You Think You Might Be Paying Too Much, For Too Little, Now Is a Perfect Time to Consider Your Alternatives.
They say that there is no time like the present and that you should not put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
If you are unhappy with your current adviser – perhaps you have come to the realisation that you are paying way too much in fees, or maybe you feel that you are not getting the personalised service that you used to - the best time to start looking at alternatives is today.
On that basis, as we are now into September, it should be the perfect month to weigh up your alternatives.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER MONTHS?
February and March are near the end of the tax year. It is not the ideal time to change advisers. Getting up to speed with your new adviser will take some time and you do not want to risk missing any 5th April deadlines.
Depending on the tax-year planning opportunities that you typically make use of, April and May might not be perfect either, given that you may want to make ISA contributions, say, at the start of the tax-year to maximise the efficiency of your finances.
Over July and August, you and your adviser are likely to have holidays booked, which means that the initial planning process could be a bit disjointed.
For similar reasons, most of us would consider December as a month for winding down and tying up loose ends, rather than for starting new projects.
That means that we are left with January, June, September, October and November.
Psychologically, January and September feel like the months for a “fresh start”.
January for the obvious reason that it is the start of the New Year and many of us will have promised ourselves some form of “take better control of my finances” as a New Year’s Resolution.
BUT GIVEN THE CHOICE WE WOULD GO WITH SEPTEMBER
The summer holidays are over, children or grandchildren are back to school, the seasons are starting to change. Like January, September is a time for a new start, but with the added advantage that it falls in the middle of the tax year. This gives you and your adviser plenty of time to get to know each other so that all opportunities for the current tax-year can be maximised and a detailed plan is in place for the following year.
THERE IS NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT
If you think you might be paying too much, for too little, you probably are.
We would be delighted to provide you with a personalised fee and service proposal with absolutely no obligation. If nothing else, it will give you a helpful comparison with your current adviser. Please give us a call on 020 3488 9505.
The value of your investments can go down as well as up, so you could get back less
than you invested.
Tax and Estate planning is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.