Individuals & Families

Lifetime Financial Planning

As financial planners, we are devoted to helping clients achieve their life goals through the effective management of their financial resources.

We work with our clients to develop a plan specific to their current and expected future circumstances to meet financial needs and objectives.

Our holistic approach allows us to develop a financial planning strategy that is closely tailored to you. This plan is reviewed on an ongoing basis – at least annually – to ensure continued suitability.

Our financial planning recommendations centre around your existing financial resources, current and future needs and longer-term objectives.

Pensions & Retirement

Retirement planning means different things to different people. The methods by which you can plan for retirement are wide and varied, but one thing is certain – it must be planned for well in advance. Generally, the sooner you start putting plans in place, the greater the level of flexibility you will have and the more likely you are to enjoy a comfortable and well-funded retirement.

From how much you invest during your working life to the manner in which you access your pension in retirement, there are many options and routes to follow, the choice of which could dramatically impact whether your pension will be sufficient to see you through the entirety of your later years.

The vast majority of people benefit in later life from having private pension provision in place, allowing them to maintain a lifestyle similar to that enjoyed whilst working.

Choosing the right vehicle in which to save will vary from person to person, depending on their individual circumstances. Taking advice from an expert financial adviser in this area can make all the difference. Gresham Wealth Management can advise on the following types of pensions:

• Defined Benefits Pensions (for example, final salary & career average earnings schemes)
• Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP)
• Small Self-Administered Schemes (SSAS)
• Executive Pension Plans
• Occupational Pension Schemes
• Pension transfers

Accessing Your Pension

Major legislative changes were introduced in respect of pensions in 2015 providing more options for retirees when accessing their pension funds. Retirees now have the flexibility to use their personal pensions to provide ongoing income or ad-hoc lump sums.

It is, however, imperative that care be taken when drawing from a personal pension plan to ensure that income tax is minimised. Strategic planning in this respect is essential in maintaining the longevity of pension assets. This is an area in which the involvement of a financial planner can make a significant difference to the standard of living that you enjoy throughout retirement.

Family Protection

Many of us fail to appreciate the financial risk associated with ill-health, incapacity or death. It is often the case that, for those of working age, our ability to work (that is, our human capital), is our largest ‘asset’.

What would happen, for example, if one person in a couple became unable to work as a result of ill-health? How would the family cope financially? The consequences of, for example, not being able to meet mortgage repayments as a result of lost income may be significant.

Our team are able to advise across the three types of insurance protection policies that can be used to ensure financial stability and manage risk, including Income Protection Insurance (IPI), Critical Illness Cover (CIC) and Life Assurance.

Investment Management

Investing is at the core of our service. Without a strong investment proposition, the benefits of a strategic financial plan cannot be realised.

The investment process operated by Gresham Wealth Management is conducted in-house by the GWM Investment Committee. Our team have a long history of effectively managing investment portfolios that provide different risk-return characteristics. Investment portfolios are managed on an ‘advisory’ basis, meaning that clients have complete oversight of the ongoing investment recommendations.

By constructing portfolios in-house, we seek to minimise the fees incurred by the end investor whilst delivering sustainable investment returns.

Inheritance Tax & Trust Planning

Estate planning concerns the effective distribution of accumulated assets to beneficiaries and the mitigation of inheritance tax (IHT). Many clients do not consider inheritance tax planning until later on in life. If it is left too late, the options available to those looking to minimise the impact that IHT has on the estate can be limited.

Estate planning is of particular importance to clients who have complicated estates or if couples have chosen not to get married or have been married more than once.

The methods by which your estate planning needs can be achieved are wide and varied. Your individual asset and income position will be a primary factor in determining the appropriate and most effective strategy in achieving your estate planning goals.

Our team can advise on the following strategies and legal structures: pensions, trust planning, effective utilisation of available exemptions, allowances and reliefs and where appropriate, Family Investment Companies (FIC’s).

Divorce/Matrimonial Settlements

Family solicitors encounter ever more complex situations in which they have to advise. Our team can provide advice to both legal advisers and their clients in relation to the following areas:

• Mortgage Capacity Advice – property purchase after divorce will require specific advice as to the amount which can be borrowed, and the rate of interest that will be charged.
• Investment Advice – Investment advice for recipients of lump sum divorce settlements is essential to provide long term growth and replacement of lost benefits.
• Pension Advice – We can help speed up the process of accurately valuing assets, including investments and pensions. Also, we can assist in interpreting actuarial pension reports and recommend suitable vehicles for pension credits. Finally, once the divorce has been settled, we can advise you clients on the investment and management of the assets they are left with in accordance with their individual requirements.
• Life Insurance – With the break-up of a family, insurance requirements can change. Existing policies may have to be replaced with new ones to cover the change in circumstances.
• Business Assets – Gresham Wealth Management have links with Forensic Accountants who can assist and ensure on accurate valuations of Business Assets