How we work

Learn more about how we work and the financial planning process we’ll walk you through.

Stage 1 - Initial advice

Stage one is all about you. We take the time to get to know you; you’ll notice straight away that we’ll talk about you, not your money.

Our first meeting is all about helping you decide what you want from life, even if you don’t know yourself to begin with. We’ll then:

  • Obtain information about your existing plans and policies
  • Create an income and outgoings profile
  • Explore your attitude to risk and reward
  • Have a face-to-face meeting to discuss the above and discover what’s important to you
  • Research what you’ve got and what you need
  • Search the whole market to find the best solutions for you
  • Create a long-term strategy to see what’s possible and what’s not
  • We look at ‘what if” scenarios and model different outcomes
  • Then create a recommendation based on the above in a written plan
  • Have at least one face-to-face meeting to discuss the above

Stage 2 - Implementation

After your approval, we put all our advice into place. We will make sure all the processing is completed as efficiently as possible. We will:

  • Complete the paperwork
  • Set up trusts (if recommended)
  • Ensure everything is set up as desired and liaise with all providers
  • Provide constant updates so that you’re kept in the loop

Stage 3 - Review and improve

Your life, career and goals can all change. We have to ensure your financial plan can change and adapt to it. We’ll meet with you regularly in order to:

  • Basically, start from scratch! We’ll ask those important questions to check if any changes need to be translated into your financial arrangements
  • Review everything that is already there
  • Adapt your arrangements to best suit your circumstances
  • Reduce costs where possible

 

 

Learn about our investment philosophy

We know that ongoing advice, monitoring and reviews are key to investment success.

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Learn about our fees

We feel it’s important to set out our fees in a way that is transparent and easy to understand.

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Reviews and Ratings for Financial adviser Ray Martin, Kingston-upon-Thames

We’re highly rated

We retain a 5-star rating on VouchedFor, an independent service that enables clients to review their professional advisers. VouchedFor verifies the reviews and testimonials we receive, so you can be confident that they are authentic. 2018, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 Top Rated Adviser, as listed in The Times

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Our former financial adviser was retiring and recommended Ray to us. He alleviated the constant worry of where to best invest our savings without too much risk. We’re very pleased with the results over the last 10 years. He explains things in layman's language, which we appreciate, and gives us the confidence we have made the right choices. What more can people expect?

Kathleen

We had pension policies and investments that needed sorting out ready for retirement. We didn't know what to expect from a financial adviser. We assumed that he would simply advise us where to get the best deals. How wrong we were. Ray took us right back to basics. He made us carefully consider what we really wanted to achieve. He has allowed us to start to really enjoy our retirement.

Michael

I needed financial advice about pensions and investments as I approached retirement. My wife was in the same position. Ray Martin worked out a comprehensive plan for putting my pension provision and savings into proper order. He did the same for my wife. He has continued to provide us with advice ever since. Ray is always straightforward, open and proactive.

Laurence

I was approaching retirement and wanting to look into limiting taxation and Inheritance Tax, as well as providing for my wife. Ray provided sound advice to switch from my current arrangement to a Drawdown Pension and ISA investments. I have now retired and have started seeing the benefits of his advice. The returns on my portfolio have increased beyond expectation. Ray performed extremely well.

Demetri

I had sold my house and didn't know how to invest the money. Ray invested very wisely and there has been about a 5% increase every year. He listened to our queries, gave answers that we fully understood and followed any requests. He always had time for us, and never rushed us. We would have been financially at a loss without his help.

Brian

Ray has been advising my wife and me for about 20 years. He is everything one could hope for in a financial adviser: wonderfully enthusiastic, extremely well informed, completely trustworthy and scrupulously observant of the regulatory requirements. He is able to explain complex matters very clearly, and so far, his advice has always been first class.

Oliver

I had money to invest and had no idea how to go about investing it and hopefully making a gain. I have three children and wanted advice about inheritance planning. Ray is very patient, very clear when he explains things, he is very interested in me as a person, totally trustworthy and is an excellent listener. We have never been disappointed! He`s been brilliant.

Rosie

I had just been widowed. Ray sorted out and simplified what was a very complex set of investments into a much less confusing portfolio. I have been extremely happy with everything Ray has advised over the last 12 years. Whilst moving with the times, he has dealt with all aspects of my investments wisely and given me all the guidance and help I have needed.

Pat

As the financial director of a company, I was seeking to get advice on how to plan and invest for retirement. Without a doubt, Ray Martin helped me understand and plan how to fund my retirement. Ray has been with me every step of the way. His advice has been invaluable. I retired and achieved my annual income goal. His continued advice is helping me in the next stage of my life.

Mike

I needed some advice regarding my late mother’s estate. I had also retired and required advice on how to manage my private pension. Ray was extremely helpful, and his advice was very clear and easy to understand. I came away from our initial meeting feeling very relieved and less stressed. We have just had our first yearly review and I was surprised how well my investments had done.

Jane

In the last 10 years, my circumstances have changed with the passage of time. Ray has guided me on how to protect and make my money grow. He listens carefully to my needs and gives clear, concise advice in a professional manner. He and his team are always accessible and patient with my questions and their approach gives me confidence that my finances are securely looked after.

Glenys

Client stories

Mike

Planning for retirement

An accountant by trade, Mike knew the value of seeking the help of a financial professional when it came to planning for his eventual retirement. Here’s his story.

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Oliver & Rosie

Peace of mind in retirement

Oliver and Rosie have found the financial peace of mind they needed to enjoy retirement to the full. Here’s their story.

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