Frequently asked questions

No, this meeting is at our expense and typically preceded by a short phone call to learn what drew you to make your enquiry.

The initial meeting usually takes no longer than 45-60 minutes.

Just yourself. If you are a couple, then ideally we need to see you both together. This is a ‘get to know you’ type meeting where we establish whether we can work together, are the right fit for each other, and if we can improve your current position.

We will talk about you and your universe: your family, career, hopes, dreams, ambitions, likes and dislikes, as well as a brief look at your current financial arrangements. We will then explain our services pertaining to your needs, and the basis of our fees and the likely costs to you. Following the meeting, we will write to you with a formal quote for the planning and advice work agreed on at the initial meeting. We will do this before progressing.

Yes. We do prefer the initial introductory meetings to take place face-to-face, however these can be preceded by a short pre-meeting call by telephone or video call on Zoom or Teams. Once the relationship has become established, although face-to-face meetings are preferable, we are happy to meet over a Zoom or Teams call (or even a good old-fashioned phone call) for occasional conversations on particular matters.

In short, we charge bespoke fees for a bespoke service. These will be determined by the complexity or simplicity of your affairs and the nature of the service required.
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If we need to arrange new or transfer and manage pre-existing investments or pensions, or arrange any other financial product, such as a life assurance policy, a fee will be payable.
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An ongoing fee will be charged for ongoing services and advice, costed on a percentage basis or potentially subject to a fixed minimum fee. We will guide you on the service and fee option that will best suit your needs and provide you with value for money.

Fees can be funded from you own pocket (i.e., bank account) or from your investments / pensions.

This is governed by the services selected. It will typically include an annual review and forward planning meeting, along with interim meetings where necessary. All new clients receive an interim 6-month review meeting in the first year in order to ensure things have bedded-down, that they are happy, and to provide an opportunity to ask questions.

Sometimes life events or other pressing matters may mean that we need to meet or speak more frequently for a period of time.

Additionally, throughout the year we will be proactive to ensure that matters that need addressing are addressed, or in reaction to outside events such as any tax implications arising from the Budget or a change of government.

We are fiercely independent in status and in the truest sense. No insurance company, bank, or investment house has any vested interest in our business.

An appointed representative (AR) is a firm or person who carries on a regulated activity and under the responsibility of a firm authorised by the FCA (the principal). In appointing an AR, the principal assumes responsibility for the regulated activities the AR carries out.

In essence, Canonium Wealth Planning operates under the ‘umbrella’ of the ValidPath network who provide support services which include: the FCA reporting, Professional Indemnity insurance cover, research and technical support, compliance oversight, fees reconciliation, and a suite of IT applications. This allows Canonium Wealth Planning to concentrate on advising its clients while many of the non-client related aspects of the business are delegated to ValidPath.

Our clients have often reached a point in their life where they need professional help and advice. This could be because they are time-poor and so need someone to act as the family’s chief financial officer. Or they just do not have the inclination or confidence to adopt a DIY-approach to the important task of family finances.

They are often successful in their field or have achieved success and are now seeking to escape the ‘rat race’ or simply live life at a more leisurely pace. In practice, this means that a typical client first approaches us when they are aged 40 – 65.  Although some are younger and some older.

We work in partnership with our clients, sharing a mutual respect. We provide a highly personalised service that will help, guide, and advise you at your pace, fitting around your lifestyle. We do this while not letting you forget that certain things might need addressing by certain times if your plans are to remain on track. In doing so, we aim to deliver peace of mind.

Typically, we do this from a range of portfolios managed on a discretionary basis, i.e., so that we do not need to contact you when small revisions to the portfolio are needed.

We don’t subscribe to the ‘active versus passive’ debate for fund management, instead preferring to use a blend of both within portfolios in the appropriate proportions. This is especially so when geographical factors mean that one type of fund management style may be more effective than the other.

Passively managed funds are cheaper. But costs are not the sole factor that determine how secure your investments will make you.

NB. We do not recommend crypto currencies, non-fungible tokens, off-plan hotel developments, palm oil plantations, or other exotic ‘investments’.