FAQs

Meetings usually take place at your home or place of work.

No. Initial meetings are held at our expense and come without any obligation

We will collect background information from you at this meeting. Current details of your income and assets would be useful, and statements on any existing policies.

Usually, an hour to an hour and a half.

No. This meeting is purely to gather information. A summary of our fees and services, personalised to your own needs, will be provided after the meeting for your consideration.

By contacting Ben directly, either by phone or email. Use the contact form at the bottom of the page, or get in touch by email at ben@consolidarewealth.co.uk or call Ben on 07795 565143.

Yes, and we always have been.

Yes, we are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. You can view our profile on the FCA Register here.

No. We have chosen not to apply for the required regulatory permissions.

I usually get sunburnt. As a result, I am usually in too much pain to take your call and will therefore contact you upon my return.

It depends on the level of work involved. Most initial fees will be based on an hourly rate and the number of hours required to complete the financial plan. A bespoke quotation will be provided after the initial meeting.

Most of our initial work is based on an hourly rate to produce a fixed fee. In some instances, a percentage fee may be charged instead, but this will be disclosed within your quotation. Ongoing advisory services are charged on a percentage basis and deducted monthly.

Only where the advice needed is for protection advice, such as arranging life assurance or critical illness. Again, full disclosure is provided following the initial meeting, and you have the option of paying by way of a separate fee instead.

No VAT is charged on any fees.

Yes, we provide independent financial advice. This means our recommendations are based on your needs and can consider a broad range of suitable products across the market. We explain the scope of our service and any limitations before we start work.

Yes, we are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This means we must meet regulatory standards around advice, conduct, and client protection. Our FCA registration number is 823017.

Yes, you can meet us in person or by video call. If you are based locally, we usually prefer to meet face to face, but we can arrange video meetings when that is more practical. We will agree the format with you in advance.

Face-to-face meetings are usually held in the Folkestone area, or at another agreed location depending on where you are based. If travel is not practical, we can meet by video call instead.

Parking arrangements depend on the meeting location and can be confirmed when your visit is arranged. If parking is a concern, we can offer a video meeting as an alternative.

We have been providing financial advice since February 2019. Our adviser also has 19 years of experience as a regulated independent financial adviser.

We are based in Folkestone, Kent. We serve the surrounding area and also work with clients across Kent and Essex.

Our adviser has been a Chartered Financial Planner since December 2012. They have also been a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society for 10 years.

Our adviser holds the Chartered Financial Planner designation, which is an individual professional status. If any firm-level Chartered status applies, we will confirm this clearly in writing.

We can confirm any CISI accreditation that applies to our firm or adviser in our client documentation. Where we reference an external accreditation, we explain what it covers and what it does not cover.

Yes, we have video testimonials available on our website. You can also view written reviews through our VouchedFor profile.

We take a personable, one-to-one approach, so you deal with the same person throughout. We aim to deliver a punctual and efficient service that covers the areas of financial planning you need.

Our FCA registration number is 823017. You can use this number to find our details on the FCA Register.

We are based in East Kent and work with clients across the whole county, as well as Essex. Where it makes sense, we may also be prepared to travel further afield at our discretion.

Initial meetings are arranged directly with our office at a mutually convenient time, either in person or by video call. We confirm the date, format, and what to expect in advance.

No, initial meetings are held at our expense and come with no obligation. It is an opportunity for you to understand how we work and for us to understand what you want to achieve.

We will let you know what information is helpful, but it usually includes details of your income, outgoings, and any existing pensions, investments, or protection policies. The more complete the information, the more useful the discussion can be.

In the first meeting, we introduce our firm and explain how we work. We gather information to understand your aims and assess whether we can help. With your permission, we may request information from existing providers at no cost.

Most initial meetings take around an hour, but we will confirm the expected length when it is arranged. If your circumstances are more complex, we may suggest allowing a little longer.

No, there is no obligation to proceed after the initial meeting. If you choose to go ahead, we will agree the next steps and confirm fees before any work starts.

We do not currently have a female financial adviser. We keep our team structure under review as the business develops.

If your adviser is away, we will let you know how to get support through the office for anything urgent. We will respond as soon as possible and keep you updated on timescales.

How often you hear from us depends on the service you select and the service we offer you. If you use our ongoing review service, we arrange an annual review meeting, and you can access your adviser throughout the year. We confirm the service level in the written summary after the initial meeting.

Yes, we can include cashflow forecasting as part of our financial planning work. It can be built into initial advice and may also form part of an ongoing review service, where appropriate.

If your circumstances change, it may affect your plan and the suitability of existing arrangements. We can review what has changed and explain whether any updates to your plan are needed, including any costs involved.

Yes, we are prepared to work alongside other professionals you use, such as your accountant or solicitor. We coordinate information to help keep your planning joined up, with your permission.

Yes, we can provide information to your mortgage adviser when they need it. We will only share information with your permission.

If your adviser were to leave, we would tell you and explain how your ongoing service will be handled. We would also make sure you understand who your point of contact will be going forward.

Yes, we can share a representative example to show the structure and level of detail you can expect, with personal information removed. Your own plan will reflect your objectives and the recommendations we make for you.

In many cases, you can view investment values and transactions online through the product or platform provider. The features available depend on the provider, and valuations can go down as well as up.

Portal access can be made available to clients who use our ongoing review service. This can help you view your investments online, depending on the provider and the products you hold.

If you use our ongoing review service, we arrange annual meetings, usually around the same time each year. Meetings are often held in person and will be scheduled to suit your availability.

No, we do not advise on mortgages. If you need mortgage advice, we can still coordinate with your mortgage adviser when information is required, with your permission.

No, we do not advise on equity release. If equity release is relevant to your situation, we can explain the limits of our service and discuss how this might fit alongside your wider financial planning.

Yes, we advise on personal pensions. We can review what you already have and make recommendations based on your objectives and attitude to risk, where appropriate.

Yes, we can advise on occupational pensions in certain circumstances. The scope depends on the scheme rules and the type of benefits, and we will explain what information we need to assess your options.

Yes, we can review and assess whether consolidating multiple pensions could be suitable for you. Transferring pensions is not right for everyone and you could give up valuable guarantees, so we carry out a full suitability assessment before making any recommendation.

Yes, we will explain your pension withdrawal options and build a plan around the income you need and what you want to achieve. Tax treatment depends on your circumstances and pension, and tax rules can change, so we keep assumptions under review.

Yes, we advise on ethical and sustainable investment strategies. We will discuss what ethical or sustainable means to you and reflect this in your investment approach. Investments can go down as well as up.

Yes, we can create a financial plan to help you invest an inheritance in line with your needs and objectives. We consider factors such as time horizon, access to money, and risk tolerance when making recommendations. Investments can go down as well as up.

Yes, we can advise on the use of Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). We will recommend a SIPP only where it is suitable for your objectives and circumstances. Investments can go down as well as up.

We can advise on transfers from Final Salary or Defined Benefit schemes where this is appropriate and within our permissions. This is a complex area, and a transfer can mean giving up valuable guarantees, so we carry out a detailed suitability assessment before making any recommendation.

We may be able to advise on long-term care planning and later-life financial decisions. Any recommendations depend on your needs, available resources, and the options open to you at the time.

Yes, we can help you build a financial plan around your estate planning objectives, your assets, and your wishes. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and tax rules can change, so we keep the advice general and evidence-based.

Yes, we advise on investment ISAs. We will recommend an ISA only where it suits your goals, time horizon, and attitude to risk. Investments can go down as well as up.

Yes, we provide protection advice tailored to your needs, such as life cover, critical illness cover, and income protection. We help you balance the level of cover, cost, and policy features, and we explain key exclusions and limitations.

Yes, initial meetings are held at our expense and come with no obligation. It is a chance to discuss what you want to achieve and understand how we work.

Our initial work is charged on a fixed hourly rate, and we provide a bespoke quotation after the initial meeting with an estimate of the hours required. Ongoing advice, where agreed, is charged as a percentage of the assets under management.

Our minimum fees depend on the type and complexity of the advice you need. We confirm any minimum fee in your personalised quotation before any work starts.

The cost of a financial plan depends on the work involved and will be set out in your personalised quotation. We base initial fees on an hourly rate and provide an estimate of the hours required before we start.

For initial work, we charge on a fixed hourly rate based on the time required to meet your financial planning needs. For ongoing advice, where agreed, we charge a percentage of the assets we manage for you.

Any commission arrangements that apply to a recommendation will be explained to you in advance and confirmed in writing. Where commission is available on a product, we consider how this affects value and transparency as part of our advice.

We will confirm whether VAT applies to any fee and show this clearly on quotations and invoices. If VAT is payable, the amount will be stated separately so you can see the total cost.

We provide a clear quotation showing how we charge and what work is included, so you can compare like for like. We are happy to explain what is covered and what is not covered, so you can judge overall value.

We provide a clear quotation so you can compare our fees like for like with other firms. Independent guides to typical advice costs, such as those published by consumer organisations, can also provide helpful context.

We explain fees at the initial meeting and then provide a bespoke quotation based on your requirements. This sets out how we charge and what is included before you decide whether to proceed.

Yes, we can build a financial plan to explore whether early retirement could be achievable for you. Any projection depends on assumptions and future returns, and investments can go down as well as up.

Yes, we can develop a financial plan to help you prepare for retirement and understand your options. Planning involves assumptions and uncertainty, and investments can go down as well as up.

We work with clients of all ages and backgrounds. Many of our clients are at or near retirement and want help with retirement planning and estate planning.

Yes, we work with younger professionals who want support with building wealth over time. We can help you set clear goals and choose a strategy that fits your time horizon and risk tolerance.

Yes, we work with many business owners, including company directors and self-employed clients. This can include planning tax-efficient ways to build pension provision and advising on investment strategy after a business sale, where appropriate. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and can change.

Yes, we have significant experience supporting clients who are approaching retirement or already retired. We focus on helping you plan for income needs, manage risk, and keep your wider objectives in view.

Yes, we can build a financial plan tailored to your objectives for inherited money. We consider your priorities, timescales, and risk tolerance, and investments can go down as well as up.

Yes, we can help you plan around a business sale, including investing for income and estate planning where relevant. Recommendations will depend on your objectives, tax position, and timescales, and investments can go down as well as up.

Yes, we can support clients following a bereavement, taking a careful and practical approach. We can help you understand existing arrangements and plan next steps at a pace that feels manageable.

We often work with people at or near retirement and with business owners, and we also advise younger professionals who are building wealth. The common focus is helping you make clear, joined-up decisions across retirement, investment, and estate planning.

Our advice is UK regulated and is usually designed for UK residents. If you live abroad or are not UK resident, whether we can help will depend on your residency status and the location of your assets.

Yes, we can provide an impartial review of existing investments or pensions you hold elsewhere. With your permission, we can make enquiries with providers after the initial meeting at no cost, so we can base any advice on accurate information.

Typically, the minimum amount of investable assets is £100,000. This helps ensure the advice remains cost-effective relative to the work involved.

Eligible investments are typically covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) if an authorised firm fails, subject to rules and compensation limits. We explain what protection may apply to the products and providers we recommend before you proceed.

If something goes wrong, we follow a formal complaints procedure and will investigate your concerns promptly. If you cannot resolve the complaint with us, you may be entitled to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

We treat your personal information as confidential and handle it in line with data protection law. We use secure systems and only share information with third parties where it is necessary to deliver advice and with your consent.

Yes, we have professional indemnity insurance in place. This is part of the regulatory requirements for providing regulated financial advice.

You can check our authorisation on the FCA Register using our firm name or FCA registration number 823017. The register shows our permissions and contact details.

Yes, we have client stories available as videos on our website. These provide real examples of why clients chose to work with us and what they value about the service.

We issue client surveys periodically to assess the quality of our service. We use the feedback to improve processes and maintain the high standards we aim to deliver.

Our adviser is a Chartered Financial Planner and a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society, which are professional accreditations. We also share client feedback through independent review platforms where available.

Yes, we are featured on VouchedFor. You can view written client reviews there alongside our profile details.