Financial Advisers.

[Finless]

Obviously a good local financial adviser is best but has anyone used a distant financial adviser? Is a 'face to face' necessary?

My poxy endowment mortgage is about £25k on the wrong side of not owning my house in 10 years.

Poxy pension questions for SWMBO - I'm planning on dieing before I get too wrinkly. It used to be that I'd planned on dieing when I didn't get sex any more but I seemed to have survived the last 10 years.

I hate finances, there is no definite "this is what you should do" but varying shades of ...............

If I had any money I think I'd keep it under my bed as there seems little chance of it being disturbed.

[Richard Mason]

My Dad's an IFA. Is he any good? I think so but then I would say that wouldn't I?

As you've raised the question of Finacial Advisers, I thought I'd post an "IFA joke" he sent me - note shameless sales plug at the end:

Subject: Proof - Women are better at Estate Planning than men!!

Dan was a single guy living at home with his father and working in the
family business.
When he found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father
died, he decided he needed a wife with which to share his
fortune.
One evening at an investment meeting he spotted the most beautiful
womanhe had ever seen. Her natural beauty took his breath away.
"I may look like just an ordinary man," he said to her, "but in just a few
years, my father will die, and I'll inherit 20 million dollars."
Impressed, the woman obtained his business card and three days later, she
became his stepmother.

Women are just so much better at estate planning than men!!

(Seriously, if you would like any further assistance with your IHT solutions
or would like a demo of our unique IHT Advsior Tool, please reply by
return! We have a full comprehensive range of products and trusts designed
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[Arfie]

I was a financial adviser, though I'm now only licenced for mortgages and protection.

I can do distance based advice but as an adviser I prefer not to and I wouldn't do it as a customer. People are often too proud to say they don't understand something, but when face to face you can spot the bemused looks and make sure they understand.

So find a local one and call in to see them, see if you know someone who knows someone etc.

Arfie

[Finless]

Originally Posted by Arfie

I was a financial adviser, though I'm now only licenced for mortgages and protection.

I can do distance based advice but as an adviser I prefer not to and I wouldn't do it as a customer. People are often too proud to say they don't understand something, but when face to face you can spot the bemused looks and make sure they understand.

So find a local one and call in to see them, see if you know someone who knows someone etc.

Arfie

Thank you for the advice.

[DAFFY]

Originally Posted by Finless

Obviously a good local financial adviser is best but has anyone used a distant financial adviser? Is a 'face to face' necessary?

My poxy endowment mortgage is about £25k on the wrong side of not owning my house in 10 years.

Poxy pension questions for SWMBO - I'm planning on dieing before I get too wrinkly. It used to be that I'd planned on dieing when I didn't get sex any more but I seemed to have survived the last 10 years.

I hate finances, there is no definite "this is what you should do" but varying shades of ...............

If I had any money I think I'd keep it under my bed as there seems little chance of it being disturbed.

Bryan, have you thought about sueing your Financial advisor.

[angleseydiver]

Hi Finless,

IIRC there is a compensation scheme available if you were mis-sold an endowment mortgage- a financial advisor would know more about it

ATB,
Terry

[Hellvet]

Originally Posted by Arfie

So find a local one and call in to see them, see if you know someone who knows someone etc.

I've been looking for someone to give my mum good advice as she has no pension, just the house which got paid for when my dad died...

But my question is how do you find a good one...? especially as i don't know anyone that knows anyone...

[EdHornby]

If you believe you were missold your endowment mortgage, you need to write to the company that issued the mortgage policy.

I work for a financial services company who have financial advisers so I'm not in a position to recommend an IFA, but I would say that personal research helps a hugee deal, even with a minefield like pension planning.... start with moneysavingexpert and pensions.gov.uk as a starter.

[EdHornby]

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTax...nt/DG_10014582

[Scubee]

There were loads of endowments that were missold, but there were also loads that were sold because the benefits were seen as highly attractive at the time. Luckily for me, when I first took out a mortgage, I worked for a bank, which meant that I had to have repayment if i wanted the obscenely low rate

If it were just a mortgage, I would say distant advice would be fine, but by the sounds of it, there is more to it than that for you, Bryan. Talk to people and find one that someone you trust can recommend.