Financial planning
- The Engine Room of Wealth Management
Financial planning has many layers - how people live, save, invest, borrow, give and protect themselves and their families
Financial decisions rely on our personal attitudes to life:
- commitment to saving and preservation versus consumption
- emphasis on lifestyle versus long term security
- priority of access to capital versus tax efficiency
- desire for protection
- attitude to borrowing
- attitude to investment risk
- work and retirement aspirations
- ethical investment views
- estate planning
Chalfont’s consultants gather and update key financial data, existing wealth, borrowings, prospective inheritances, earnings, pensions and investment income, expenditure and gift patterns to paint your picture. It is processed to form a lifelong tapestry of the range of possible financial outcomes.
Projections inform decisions and how available funds are to be allocated, highlight surpluses and shortfalls in liquidity and determine capacity for loss. Finances develop and require change, even if objectives and values are broadly constant.
The plan will determine how wealth is housed. It may be in pensions, ISAs, trusts, family businesses, companies, or be held directly. Often this is determined by tax, but sometimes security commercial or philanthropic considerations dictate. This will influence the time horizon risk liquidity and income characteristics of the assets chosen for each wrapper.
Financial planning should develop with changing needs and circumstances. The moving parts can be many and varied. Ideally when they change there is a dialogue between client and planner, however it is dangerous to rely wholly on ad hoc communication. Flexible modern methods allow regular communications to be a hybrid of face to face and virtual meetings
IMPORTANT NOTE: We are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. If you require regulated financial advice, we will inform you that you need to appoint a suitably regulated adviser.
Estate Planning
- Urban Myth: Estate Planning Means Saving Tax.
Estate Planning is about much more. If the tax tail wags the dog, the consequences can be disastrous.
Everybody has an estate, even if only a watch or bracelet. The family estate includes everything the family owns, it's ever changing and evolving. Orderly transfer through generations touches all aspects of family life. It is crucial for positive family outcomes. These include peace of mind and quality of life as well as money
A Few Cardinal Rules:
- Start Early
- Set Objectives
- Strike Balance between Control, Gifts and Tax
- Know What You’ve Got
- Keep Records
- Create Trusts, Wills and Powers of Attorney
When wealth starts to accumulate, estate planning should begin. Death and incapacity do not give notice, hence wills and powers of attorney should be put in place when a family member reaches adulthood.
Chalfont’s consultants will work with those who control the family wealth, establish a high level plan, advise on its detail and how to implement it. It is not just a one-off exercise. The plan must adapt to changing family circumstances and tax law. Assets, gifts and information registers require continuous updating. Wills and powers of attorney need review and revision. Chalfont will assess these maintenance needs and work with other professionals to ensure everything is in order to deal with any eventuality.
Wealth Management
- Corporate Governance, Risk and Compliance
We offer advice and consultancy services to regulated firms in the wealth management, investment management and financial advice industries.
Our Expertise Includes:
Specialist Actuarial Services
We can collaborate with you and your solicitor to secure the best outcome in various situations:
We are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. If you require regulated financial advice, we will inform you that you need to appoint a suitable adviser.