If you’re thinking about safeguarding your assets, boosting your portfolio, or optimising your pension plans, an international wealth management firm, such as the Arlo Group, can be a powerful ally. Here are eleven of the most important questions to ask:
1) Minimum Asset Required
Always work with an international wealth management firm that is aligned with your financial demographic. Ask about the average net worth of the organisation’s clients, and avoid companies that ask for minimum assets that are suspiciously low.
2) Years Of Experience
When it comes to financial security, experience is everything. Look for investments with a proven track record of success during periods of economic turbulence, such as the Credit Crunch, and expect evidence of how experience translates into performance.
3) How Long Clients Stay
Wise financial strategists make solid arrangements that last a lifetime. If your provider has long-standing relationships with clients, it’s a sign of consistency and success in delivering returns on investment over long periods of time.
4) Fiduciaries
Fiduciaries are legally binding agreements that give investors greater security. To act as a fiduciary, companies need to demonstrate integrity and reliability, which are reassuring attributes in the context of international financial management.
5) The Consideration Of Risk
While there are a handful of generally-accepted principles, when it comes to financial risk management every investor has their own instincts and ideas. Being able to discuss your risk preferences with an investment specialist who is sensitive to your needs is essential. An experienced wealth management firm will be able to present a range of investment options within your risk bracket, explaining the likely returns from each scenario, and being proactive in helping you attain your long-term goals.
6) Cost Minimisation
It’s important to make sure that the organisation you are working with is transparent about their fees. FCA-regulated companies are required to be transparent, whereas non-FCA-regulated companies may be more likely to have hidden fees and can be paid commission by the product providers that they work with. Transparency, honesty and integrity are key when working with a financial adviser.
7) Personal Points Of Contact
A personal point of contact is crucial in wealth management. Having one individual who acts as an expert on your dealings ensures that all decision-making is informed, personalised, and reflects your individual preferences.
8) International Location
Asking whether the company has operated in your country is important. Legislative and cultural differences can have a significant influence on financial management, so working with a team that has experience and understanding of your environment matters. Ask particularly about experience in country-specific pension plans and investment opportunities.
9) Fee-Based Or Commission Based
There are generally two ways in which you can pay for financial advice. These are either commission-based, or fee-based. Commission works by having a lengthy lock in period (typically 5-10 years) where you are contracted to pay a percentage fee each year over the duration of that period, if you leave early you will still be required to pay the balance. On the other hand, fee based advice is more transparent and takes an upfront fee with no lock in period or penalties should you decide to leave, move to another product or work with another advisor. In an ever-changing financial world, the ability to be flexible is a great advantage.
10) Are There Any Lock-In Periods Or Surrender Penalties?
Make sure to check if there are any penalties for switching out products, moving to a new adviser or withdrawing your funds early. Ideally what you want with investments is flexibility. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should invest for the short term, but if you need to withdraw your money or decide to move to another provider, you want to avoid the requirement to pay a surrender penalty. If you have complete flexibility it’s more likely the advisory will work hard to ensure you receive the service you deserve.
11) Do You Have An Investment Or An Insurance License?
Make sure you check which licence the company you work with operates under. When it comes to investment management, insurance licences are generally flimsy and restrict the product range that you have at your disposal. An investment licence means the company has the correct permissions to provide investment advice. Believe it or not, many international wealth managers in Europe have insurance licences not investment licences.
What Next?
Money matters, and asking the right questions can make all the difference to the returns you get from your investment portfolio. For more information about how Arlo Group can safeguard your future, please get in touch with one of our wealth management specialists today.
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