FINANCE
Advice – Active director Paul Gibson
Active :
Raising the Bar
When times are good , it ’ s relatively easy to be a financial planner , with very few clients ever challenging the service that they pay for . However , when times are tough – as in the last 18 months – the pressure is on for those in the industry to prove their worth .
Since Covid , many of us have looked at our outgoings , questioning the costs . Financial planning should be no different – it should feel valued , and you should continue to receive a benefit , pandemic or not .
So , what does good service looks like ?
Knowledge and Standards At Active Chartered Financial Planners , we pride ourselves on giving great service . This has always been the case and may even have improved , given how we ’ ve adapted .
Our highly-coveted chartered status means that we work to standards matched by only a tiny proportion of other firms .
“ Chartered firms must meet serious obligations – to retain the title we must ensure the advice , service and ongoing support we provide is of the highest quality ,” says director and chartered financial planner , Paul Gibson .
“ Our client relationships are built mainly around trust and chartered status , for us , is the commitment to go over and above every time .”
Ian Simons , customer director at the Chartered Insurance Institute ( CII ), said recently : “ When we asked consumers why they would choose a chartered firm , they said , ‘ Accredication with a professional body , closely followed by the importance of an ethical code of conduct and the commitment to good practice and great consumer outcomes ’.”
Adopting the Personal Finance Society ’ s Pension Transfer Gold Standard in January 2020 was also a natural progression for us . This voluntary code of professional standards is based on principles of good practice in safeguarded and defined benefit pension transfer advice . It aims to raise consumer confidence in the industry and to encourage firms to be open and transparent when supporting customers who are transferring their pensions . This is held by very few in the industry , let alone in Teesside .
Trust and Communication “ Communication with clients has been more important than ever .” says Paul
“ Our bespoke client review system has been key to our success . Clients ultimately pay for a service and meeting regularly with their adviser is a core element of this .”
“ Our regular newsletters , events and webinars delivered by industry experts mean that clients are never in the dark .
“ One client recently said , ‘ I ’ ve worked in financial services for over 35 years , so I know finding a truly knowledgeable IFA you can trust isn ’ t easy . Andrew Gilmore and Active totally lived up to their promises and exceeded my very high expectations ’.”
Our People “ Our people are our greatest asset , and we ’ ll always invest in them - we ’ ll never stop learning or trying to improve ,” says Paul .
“ Self-development starts early here , beginning with the CII aspire apprenticeship programme all the way to the ‘ pinnacle ’ of our industry , fellowship status .”
He added : “ We have been very busy during the last year , servicing existing clients and attracting new ones .
“ We ’ ve recently welcomed two additional members to our client support team , with another two joining us in the autumn . The growth in our client support team will further enhance the service we provide .
“ In addition to this , another chartered financial planner joined us this summer . Joanne Fisher brings over 25 years of experience to the team and takes the number of chartered financial planners to eight , six of whom also hold fellowship status .”
Active continues to “ raise the bar ” in an ever-changing industry , evolving and growing despite recent challenges .
Paul says : “ There are a lot of firms out there , so please do your research carefully and choose an adviser you can trust .”
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