Quick-response advisers are the order of the day
Wherever your political loyalties lie, nobody would be blamed for decrying the recent chaos concerning the UK’s economic and fiscal policy. The U-turns (and potentially U-turns on U-turns) are hard to keep up with nowadays.
Against this backdrop, we’ve been hearing from a growing cohort of people who have realised that their current adviser simply isn’t as responsive as they need – in any sense. We’ve heard tales of advisers who just aren’t up to speed with the latest developments and their implications. Worse still have been the stories of clients who haven’t been able to get in touch with their wealth manager when new and quite stressful worries have been forced upon them.
Times of any significant change, let alone chaotic ones with a side of geopolitical strife, have a way of really exposing weaknesses in client service (and expertise)
Times of any significant change, let alone chaotic ones with a side of geopolitical strife, have a way of really exposing weaknesses in client service (and expertise). These periods have always been among our busiest times as those who have perhaps been underwhelmed with their wealth manager for a number of years finally decide to aim for more.
You can certainly get the service standards you want and deserve, and you will undoubtedly find that making a change is pretty much pain-free these days – especially when you have your best-matched wealth managers already lined up. If you would like us to arrange a “beauty parade” for you, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Equity exposures are put under the microscope
As we recently observed, market turmoil has been seen as a real opportunity for our users who are more sanguine about risk. Many have been bargain-hunting across asset classes, leveraging an ability to see beyond short-term market gyrations and media noise.
That being said, sophisticated investors are being ever more discerning as inflation soars, bringing with it the ever-growing risk of a truly vicious global recession – fighting the former with interest rate rises, but without bringing on the latter, means treading a real tightrope for central banks. Many people are now paying particular attention to the equities proportion of their portfolios to ensure it is well constructed to weather any coming storm.
The standard advice would be to seek high-quality companies which are able to defend margins in the face of inflation by passing on costs to customers without too much pushback; or contrariwise to maintain earnings if recession really kicks in
The standard advice would be to seek high-quality companies which are able to defend margins in the face of inflation by passing on costs to customers without too much pushback; or contrariwise to maintain earnings if recession really kicks in. It goes without saying, however, that finding that kind of resilience is no easy task – particularly when you need to populate a portfolio with such winners across markets, regions and sectors.
Our users often tell us they know one area very well (often due to their career) and feel very confident in their stock-picking there, but that they would like to defer to the professionals in ones where they feel less expert. If you would like to be able to discuss ideas with specialists and benefit from institutional-grade research of the type you just won’t see in the media, let us set up some free initial conversations with wealth managers for you.
Top Tip
Over a decade of helping people find their best-matched wealth managers, we’ve seen all that the vagaries of markets and geopolitics can bring – we’ve also seen both the best and the worst that the industry can offer too. Poor-quality advisers going to ground when the going gets tough is a story that is all too familiar.
We’ve helped a number of people escape disappointing service standards already this month and if you aren’t getting what you deserve, you should join them. Take our short matching questionnaire to get the ball rolling fast and free.
Lee Goggin
Co-Founder
Predictions cast doubt on property as a store of wealth
The Centre for Economics and Business Research recently came out to predict that house prices will fall by as much as 10% in 2023, adding to the voices warning homeowners to brace for a plunge in the value of what might represent their biggest store of wealth.
Years of rocketing house prices, which have been particularly pronounced first in certain areas like the Southeast and then those well placed to benefit from the working from home trend have, we fear, made many believe that the only way is up when it comes to bricks and mortar. However, we have long warned this may not necessarily always be the case, and so it has finally come to pass it seems.
Predictions like those from the CEBR seem to have really hit home (pardoning the pun) and we’re hearing from a growing number of people who now see the wisdom of looking to diversify their wealth
The fact is, yes, the main residence is many people’s primary asset (aside from their pension pot). Yet it is predominantly a place to live and can’t be seen as an investment in the true sense. Who, now that prices are set to plummet, is really going to pack up and crystallise their gains?
Predictions like those from the CEBR seem to have really hit home (pardoning the pun) and we’re hearing from a growing number of people who now see the wisdom of looking to diversify their wealth. Additionally, we have been speaking to landlords who (beset by far more trials and tribulations than ever before too) feel that they should be shifting out of property to plough more into their investment portfolios.
Taking one short questionnaire can get the ball rolling
We help affluent individuals get on the way to solving a huge range of issues spanning investment management, financial planning, retirement, inheritance, mortgages and more. All these individuals get started by taking one quick and easy step: completing our short wealth manager matching questionnaire to ascertain their needs.
Dive right in if you have a clear idea of what you are looking for in an adviser and have a few minutes to spare, or, if you would like some speak to our expert and unbiased team, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
