UK WEALTH ADVISORY
Wealth can mean different things to different people even within a family. We dedicate the time to understand what it means to you and then work with you to develop and implement relevant strategies to protect and manage your wealth.
Our clients include those who consider their affairs to be straight forward as well as those with the most complex needs. Whatever your circumstances, we aim to give you the peace of mind that comes from have a clear plan and knowing that things will get done.
UK WEALTH ADVISORY
Wealth can mean different things to different people even within a family. We dedicate the time to understand what it means to you and then work with you to develop and implement relevant strategies to protect and manage your wealth.
Our clients include those who consider their affairs to be straight forward as well as those with the most complex needs. Whatever your circumstances, we aim to give you the peace of mind that comes from have a clear plan and knowing that things will get done.
latest insight
Introduction to Stonehage Fleming Wealth Planning
our approach
Preserving and growing your wealth.
investment philosophy
Designed to meet your family's aspirations.
Our Approach
STRATEGIST AND TECHNICIANS IN ONE
Our Approach
STRATEGIST AND TECHNICIANS IN ONE
What differentiates us is our strategic approach. A wealth strategy starts by setting out your objectives – what you are really trying to achieve for yourself, for your family and for others.
We have extensive experience and in-depth expertise and knowledge built over many years of working with wealthy and aspiring clients.
Whether you engage with us for advice on a specific area or in respect of your total wealth, we will follow a structured process and apply this practical wisdom for your benefit.
UNDERSTANDING OBJECTIVES
We devote time and energy to this phase as experience has shown us how important it is. Objectives are often not easy to articulate. We share the practical wisdom that comes from years of working with similar clients. We are not afraid to challenge.
DEVELOPING THE STRATEGY
Our multi-disciplinary team covers all areas of UK wealth advice with specialists on-hand. We aim to keep things simple and explain it clearly. Clients rarely ask for more complexity.
We use technology to help clients visualise their financial future and to build understanding of risks and opportunities.
EXECUTING THE STRATEGY
We will recommend and implement specific products or structures. As appropriate, we co-ordinate in-house specialists and relevant external advisers.
We are independent. We leverage our network for your benefit.
ONGOING MONITORING
No plan is carved in stone. It must remain fluid to cope with changes in circumstances as well as legislation and market developments. Your dedicated client team will ensure you are kept up to date in a way and at a frequency that suits you.
Our Services
EXPERIENCE THAT REVOLVES AROUND YOU
Our Services
EXPERIENCE THAT REVOLVES AROUND YOU
Our services support clients at all stages of their life, addressing their needs as they arise and working closely with future generations. An overarching wealth strategy provides the strong foundation for all the advice we give.
We are authorised in the UK to provide advice across investments, pensions and insurance. We consider the full range of options in the market to best meet your needs.
How to structure your wealth is a critical component of any wealth plan. A well thought through structure can boost post tax returns and maintain flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances. Poor structuring can add cost and erode wealth.
Our wealth structuring service will look across all your assets and consider how best they should be held to meet your objectives. This can range from regulated products such as ISAs or bonds through to bespoke companies or partnership structures. We use technology to help illustrate the impact of different structuring options.
Once we have an outline structure, we will co-ordinate as necessary with your accountants and lawyers to sign off on the legal and tax aspects.
Many of our clients are keen to give something back and see philanthropy as an integral part of their legacy. We can support clients in those ambitions guiding clients on structuring, tax efficiency, investment and governance.
Our philanthropy offering helps clients understand what they really want to achieve and what is realistically affordable. We can then co-ordinate implementation and ongoing governance as required.
We offer a range of investment solutions and our starting point is always a detailed understanding of how much risk you need to take to protect your wealth and how much you can afford to take to target your wider goals.
Based on this detailed understanding of what the money is for, we will recommend an investment allocation and approach, leveraging the expertise of Stonehage Fleming, an investment business with £10bn under management.
Retirement may be an opportunity to do more as much as a time to do less. A core part of any plan is ensuring that you have the income to enjoy your retirement however you chose it.
Pension legislation is complex and likely to remain so, but it remains a key pillar in any tax efficient retirement plan. Planning your contributions effectively can reduce your effective tax rate and maximise the size and flexibility of your retirement income. Equally important is how and when you start to draw down from your pension.
We are able to advise across all pensions structures including consolidation of money purchase schemes, pension transfers and final salary schemes as well as offshore structures.
Protecting yourself from unexpected events is critical to both your peace of mind and to your family’s long term wealth.
We are able to facilitate large case life cover for family protection and IHT planning.
We work with you, not just as an individual but on an inclusive basis with your partner and wider family to understand the risks, model the financial impact of death or illness and recommend appropriate strategies.
You will have concerns and views on what should happen after you’ve gone. Effective planning can ensure your wishes are followed and that family and beneficiaries are supported.
Generational planning is about understanding your wishes for future generations and mitigating concerns around access and control. Tax efficiency may also be important to you and we will consider the role of pensions, business property, trusts and other structures to develop a coherent plan.
We strive to build relationships across the generations, to educate and to facilitate. Solutions can range from junior ISAs for younger family members to more complex advice around charitable structures. From pre-nups to family constitutions.
How to structure your wealth is a critical component of any wealth plan. A well thought through structure can boost post tax returns and maintain flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances. Poor structuring can add cost and erode wealth.
Our wealth structuring service will look across all your assets and consider how best they should be held to meet your objectives. This can range from regulated products such as ISAs or bonds through to bespoke companies or partnership structures. We use technology to help illustrate the impact of different structuring options.
Once we have an outline structure, we will co-ordinate as necessary with your accountants and lawyers to sign off on the legal and tax aspects.
Many of our clients are keen to give something back and see philanthropy as an integral part of their legacy. We can support clients in those ambitions guiding clients on structuring, tax efficiency, investment and governance.
Our philanthropy offering helps clients understand what they really want to achieve and what is realistically affordable. We can then co-ordinate implementation and ongoing governance as required.
We offer a range of investment solutions and our starting point is always a detailed understanding of how much risk you need to take to protect your wealth and how much you can afford to take to target your wider goals.
Based on this detailed understanding of what the money is for, we will recommend an investment allocation and approach, leveraging the expertise of Stonehage Fleming, an investment business with £10bn under management.
Retirement may be an opportunity to do more as much as a time to do less. A core part of any plan is ensuring that you have the income to enjoy your retirement however you chose it.
Pension legislation is complex and likely to remain so, but it remains a key pillar in any tax efficient retirement plan. Planning your contributions effectively can reduce your effective tax rate and maximise the size and flexibility of your retirement income. Equally important is how and when you start to draw down from your pension.
We are able to advise across all pensions structures including consolidation of money purchase schemes, pension transfers and final salary schemes as well as offshore structures.
Protecting yourself from unexpected events is critical to both your peace of mind and to your family’s long term wealth.
We are able to facilitate large case life cover for family protection and IHT planning.
We work with you, not just as an individual but on an inclusive basis with your partner and wider family to understand the risks, model the financial impact of death or illness and recommend appropriate strategies.
You will have concerns and views on what should happen after you’ve gone. Effective planning can ensure your wishes are followed and that family and beneficiaries are supported.
Generational planning is about understanding your wishes for future generations and mitigating concerns around access and control. Tax efficiency may also be important to you and we will consider the role of pensions, business property, trusts and other structures to develop a coherent plan.
We strive to build relationships across the generations, to educate and to facilitate. Solutions can range from junior ISAs for younger family members to more complex advice around charitable structures. From pre-nups to family constitutions.
Investment Philosophy
DESIGNED TO MEET YOUR FAMILY'S ASPIRATIONS
Investment Philosophy
DESIGNED TO MEET YOUR FAMILY'S ASPIRATIONS
There is much talk of investment risk. We believe the most important risk is that of not being able to meet your wider goals.
So we start by identifying those goals and aim to get a deep understanding of how much risk you can weather – emotionally and financially.
Whilst your investment allocation will be unique to your circumstances and your preferences, our advice will be based on a clear set of principles.
our 4 investment principles
The chart shows how costly it can be to pick the wrong time to switch in and out of the market. By remaining fully invested from 1986 to 2016 your investment would have grown by 7.6% but by missing just the best 10 individual trading days your gain would have reduced to only 5.0% – and if you missed the best 90 individual trading days you would have lost 4.8%. This past performance is not an indication of future returns.
This chart shows how the performance of various asset classes has changed in recent years using a representative index for each asset class. Past performance of an asset class is no guide to future performance and the performance of different asset classes will vary substantially over time.
In the example shown, £1million invested at 6.5% over 20 years would grow to £3.5million. Fees of 1% would reduce that by £640,000 and fees of 3% would cost you over £1.5million.
Our Core portfolios aim to deliver market-based returns across the agreed asset classes with a degree of certainty, maximising the use of low-cost funds and minimising the risk of under performance. We favour passive funds to achieve this objective. For certain asset classes however, we recognise that active management can add value and we carefully combine these strategies as required. To provide an opportunity for out performance – and for those clients with the right risk profile – a proportion of the overall portfolio could adopt a more active strategy, searching out the select group of managers who excel.
Our People
TAKING CARE OF YOUR WEALTH - PERSONALLY
Our People
TAKING CARE OF YOUR WEALTH - PERSONALLY
Every client has a dedicated adviser who looks after 20-40 families depending on complexity.
Through our team based approach, that adviser has access to an unrivalled breadth and depth of technical expertise and practical experience.
Susie Hillier
Partner - Head of Wealth Planning
Matthew Brown
Director - Wealth Planning
Kate Boswell
Partner - Wealth Planning
Rachelle Lewis
Director, Wealth Planning
Hattie Graham
Associate Director
Julian Vydelingum
Senior Financial Planner
MARK ADAMS
SENIOR FINANCIAL ADVISER
Matthew Bruce
Assistant Financial Planner
Alison Malton
Consultant
Patrick Lynch
Business Manager
Anna Wetherell
Client Services Manager
Susie Hillier
Partner - Head of Wealth Planning
Susie sets our high standard of technical regulated advice delivery - she is widely recognised in the market particularly in the complex area of UK pension provision. Susie joined the team in 2012 having spent themajority of her career advising private clients from within the professional consultancy environment at City Chartered Accountants Deloitte, Andersen and RSM Robson Rhodes.
Back to the team
Matthew Brown
Director - Wealth Planning
Prior to joining the Group, Matthew spent 12 years working for the Wealth Planning team at accountants BDO LLP which was sold, via a private equity buy-out, to Thomas Miller & Co a 140 year-old city institution.
Back to the team
Kate Boswell
Partner - Wealth Planning
Kate joined the team in 2019 following over 7 years at Handelsbanken Wealth Management, where she headed up the Private Office – North team. Prior to this, she trained as a Chartered Tax Adviser, spending the majority of her time at Deloitte LLP, London. She holds a Law & Business degree from the University of Warwick and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Securities & Investment.
Kate is also a trustee of Envision, a youth social action charity based in London, Birmingham and Bristol.
Back to the team
Rachelle Lewis
Director, Wealth Planning
She has over 10 years’ experience within financial services and brings strong technical expertise to bear across the relationships with a particular focus on retirement planning, offshore solutions and generational re-structuring.
Rachelle joined the Wealth Planning team in 2015 having spent the majority of her early career working within the Wealth Planning department of two separate Investment Houses.
Back to the team
Hattie Graham
Associate Director
Hattie is a Chartered Financial Planner and Chartered Wealth Manager with over 12 years' experience helping individuals and their families to structure all aspects of their finances. She brings her strong technical expertise to bear across our client relationships with a particular focus on pension, protection and generational planning.
After graduating from Birmingham University, she spent several years working in financial journalism before joining international accountancy firm Mazars to complete her training. Hattie joined Wealth Planning in 2015.
Back to the team
Julian Vydelingum
Senior Financial Planner
Before joining the Wealth Planning team in early 2019, Julian spent a number of years in Dubai providing fee-based wealth planning advice for non-UK residents from the offshore branch of Killik & Co and also advised high net worth clients while working at HSBC UAE. He is a Chartered Financial Planner, a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society and a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments.
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MARK ADAMS
SENIOR FINANCIAL ADVISER
Prior to joining the Wealth Planning team in 2018, Mark spent his early career with SG Hambros Private Bank, and most recently 3 years with a Surrey based firm of Chartered Financial Planners.
Back to the team
Matthew Bruce
Assistant Financial Planner
Matt joined the Group in 2016 having achieved a First Class Honours degree in Economics from the University of East Anglia, and is currently working towards the Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning.
Back to the team
Alison Malton
Consultant
Alison joined the team in 2011 having gained her experience in a variety of senior management and consultancy roles including as COO of Barclays Private Bank and Schroders Private Bank. As an independent consultant she has worked for a range of clients from large private banks to boutique asset managers and IFAs.
Back to the team
Patrick Lynch
Business Manager
Prior to joining the Wealth Planning team Patrick worked at Barclays UK & European Private Bank, Accenture Capital Markets and most recently as Project and Business Manager at C Hoare & Co. in the Wealth Management division.
Back to the team
Anna Wetherell
Client Services Manager
Prior to joining the Wealth Planning team Anna worked at Ingenious Asset Management and most recently as Client Services and Business Manager at Tilney Asset Management.
Back to the team
Our Insights
KNOWLEDGE IS BEST WHEN SHARED
Our Insights
KNOWLEDGE IS BEST WHEN SHARED
The Insights below share some of our views and updates on matters of interest to our clients and network.
Please contact us at any time to find out more.
6th March 2019
Introduction to Stonehage Fleming Wealth Planning
25th February 2019
Two minutes with Susie Hillier
1st November 2018
The Budget 2018
7th October 2016
Welcome to Stonehage Fleming Wealth Planning
1st June 2016
Another View on the EU Referendum
21st April 2016
Spring Investment Update
18th March 2016
Budget: A Search for Light in the Budget Gloom
Clients
DISCOVER THE VALUE OF WEALTH PLANNING
Clients
DISCOVER THE VALUE OF WEALTH PLANNING
Personal testimonies are difficult in a private client business. We take satisfaction that many of our clients are referred by existing clients. Many are people just like you.
Our client unfortunately died after a period of ill health. Through his relationship with us that spanned over 10 years, he had made the commitment to ensure that there was someone else – Wealth Planning – that understood the family finances, that knew his wishes and most importantly that his wife and grown up children knew and trusted.
Prior to his death, we were able to put in place effective planning working with his lawyers to ensure that the wills reflected his wishes and that assets were held as tax effectively as possible. At death, we were there to ease the inevitable flow of paperwork. The death coincided with the new pensions freedoms and we were able to work with the pension trustees and lawyers to ensure a more effective transfer of pension assets to the next generation.
Typical of many family run businesses, our client had little intention of retiring but was starting to think about what would happen when he was no longer up to the role of running the family business and by extension the family wealth. Across business, property and investment assets, the family wealth totalled around £20million but much of it held in illiquid assets and inextricably tied up with the business.
We were asked to consider a strategy for inter-generational transfer. Our first point was to understand the wishes and needs of different generations within the family and to work to a shared understanding of the longer term goals. Secondly, we looked at the cash flow under different scenarios to understand how best to meet future income requirements and potential liquidity needs. And finally, we were able to develop a strategy incorporating effective tax planning and crucially support for the next generation.
Our client realised £4m from the sale of his business – quite a change after earning very little as the business was built. In his early forties and with a young family, we were able to work with husband and wife to build an understanding of what that money could – and could not – achieve and what the next stage of their life might look like.
We arrived at a relatively cautious strategy to protect the family wealth while he considers longer term business plans. Effective long term planning was put in place with pensions and ISAs for all family members. Some monies were retained for future house purchase and a portion invested for long term growth. After a couple of years, the client is now embarking on a new venture and has realised part of the portfolio to seed that business.
Our client was facing the uncertainty which inevitably arises following the upheaval that divorce can bring. Her ex-husband had been the primary earner and had dealt with the majority of financial matters. She has been offered a lump sum settlement and maintenance for the children but is now a bit unsure of where to turn and after a number of meetings with investment managers felt more confused.
Our starting point was to present a simple cash flow model which showed her projected expenditure and looked forward considering inflation and different scenarios for investment growth. It helped the client understand that she could afford her desired lifestyle but needed to take some risk to protect herself against inflation. Furthermore it helped understand how much she could look to spend on a property. The strategy was then implemented and regularly reviewed to give the client the peace of mind and support through this difficult time.
Our client’s main focus in recent years has been the investment of excess income. We have worked with the client to maximum fund pension pots and have also recommended EIS and VCT investments and recently helped arrange a charitable trust account.
Now approaching his late fifties and planning to retire within the next 12 months, we have re-worked the long term cash flow to develop the strategy for how he and his partner’s lifestyle will be supported post retirement and to fully understand the extent that they can help their children and wider family. The client is fortunate to benefit from multiple sources of income and the plan considers both tax efficient income in retirement as well as beginning to look at inter-generational planning.
In her late thirties, our client is now starting to earn well, feeling settled in her career and seeing a period of the next 10-15 years when she can put money away for her family’s future. With a large mortgage and young family however, the pressure is certainly not off.
We initially completed a financial review including a full ‘health check’ and cash flow modelling. We put in place some additional protection and have an agreed strategy for paying down debt and longer term investment into pensions and ISAs, utilising tax allowances for the whole family. With a demanding job, time is precious and we now provide a relatively low-touch service, advising on investments for growth and checking in annually to ensure everything remains on track.
In her late thirties, our client is now starting to earn well, feeling settled in her career and seeing a period of the next 10-15 years when she can put money away for her family’s future. With a large mortgage and young family however, the pressure is certainly not off.
We initially completed a financial review including a full ‘health check’ and cash flow modelling. We put in place some additional protection and have an agreed strategy for paying down debt and longer term investment into pensions and ISAs, utilising tax allowances for the whole family. With a demanding job, time is precious and we now provide a relatively low-touch service, advising on investments for growth and checking in annually to ensure everything remains on track.
Our client’s main focus in recent years has been the investment of excess income. We have worked with the client to maximum fund pension pots and have also recommended EIS and VCT investments and recently helped arrange a charitable trust account.
Now approaching his late fifties and planning to retire within the next 12 months, we have re-worked the long term cash flow to develop the strategy for how he and his partner’s lifestyle will be supported post retirement and to fully understand the extent that they can help their children and wider family. The client is fortunate to benefit from multiple sources of income and the plan considers both tax efficient income in retirement as well as beginning to look at inter-generational planning.
Our client was facing the uncertainty which inevitably arises following the upheaval that divorce can bring. Her ex-husband had been the primary earner and had dealt with the majority of financial matters. She has been offered a lump sum settlement and maintenance for the children but is now a bit unsure of where to turn and after a number of meetings with investment managers felt more confused.
Our starting point was to present a simple cash flow model which showed her projected expenditure and looked forward considering inflation and different scenarios for investment growth. It helped the client understand that she could afford her desired lifestyle but needed to take some risk to protect herself against inflation. Furthermore it helped understand how much she could look to spend on a property. The strategy was then implemented and regularly reviewed to give the client the peace of mind and support through this difficult time.
Our client realised £4m from the sale of his business – quite a change after earning very little as the business was built. In his early forties and with a young family, we were able to work with husband and wife to build an understanding of what that money could – and could not – achieve and what the next stage of their life might look like.
We arrived at a relatively cautious strategy to protect the family wealth while he considers longer term business plans. Effective long term planning was put in place with pensions and ISAs for all family members. Some monies were retained for future house purchase and a portion invested for long term growth. After a couple of years, the client is now embarking on a new venture and has realised part of the portfolio to seed that business.
Typical of many family run businesses, our client had little intention of retiring but was starting to think about what would happen when he was no longer up to the role of running the family business and by extension the family wealth. Across business, property and investment assets, the family wealth totalled around £20million but much of it held in illiquid assets and inextricably tied up with the business.
We were asked to consider a strategy for inter-generational transfer. Our first point was to understand the wishes and needs of different generations within the family and to work to a shared understanding of the longer term goals. Secondly, we looked at the cash flow under different scenarios to understand how best to meet future income requirements and potential liquidity needs. And finally, we were able to develop a strategy incorporating effective tax planning and crucially support for the next generation.
Our client unfortunately died after a period of ill health. Through his relationship with us that spanned over 10 years, he had made the commitment to ensure that there was someone else – Wealth Planning – that understood the family finances, that knew his wishes and most importantly that his wife and grown up children knew and trusted.
Prior to his death, we were able to put in place effective planning working with his lawyers to ensure that the wills reflected his wishes and that assets were held as tax effectively as possible. At death, we were there to ease the inevitable flow of paperwork. The death coincided with the new pensions freedoms and we were able to work with the pension trustees and lawyers to ensure a more effective transfer of pension assets to the next generation.
CONTACT US
A PERSONAL INTRODUCTION
CONTACT US
A PERSONAL INTRODUCTION
Our offices are in the heart of London near Trafalgar Square.
Please contact us on the details below to find out more and we will be please to arrange an introductory meeting.