This examination enhanced general pension knowledge, particularly in pension transfers and opt-out business.
Dip PFS - Personal Finance Society Diploma (PFS)
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To achieve DipPFS individuals must achieve 140 credits. At least 80 credits must be at Diploma or AFPC level.
ACII - Associateship Examination (CII)
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Associate members are those who have gone on to secure more advanced qualifications by completing the Advanced Diploma in Insurance or its predecessor the Associateship. This shows a commitment to continuous professional development.
What our clients say
The work with retirement age options and the computer programme which shows every month how it will pan out.
It is reassuring to know that someone is listening and helping in such a personal way.
His team are always willing to help and support
Chris Vale, Wales
John is a friendly, straightforward type of guy who provides all the information and options to best utilise my pension fund and savings. Together with Sam's excellent support he is helping me and my family maximise our assets. Additionally, and very importantly in a financial advisor, I trust him implicitly.
Bryn Goulding, Wales
Small easy to communicate with team, not some faceless organisation where everything handled by a huge back office. The personal touch in effect.
Chris Lare, Wales
He has helped us massively and we are now semi-retired at 45 and able to travel to see the world. I don’t think this would have happened without John’s help.
Mark Burtson, Wales
They are very responsive when you need them, but do not hound you for unnecessary business, they are also excellent at prompting and reminding when activity needs to be finalised, and will always offer to help to complete on your behalf.
Adele Cahill, Wales
“I wish to simply thank you for your excellent delivery of service and advice to date as well as to recognise the superb manner in which you conduct your business.
Previous encounters with financial planners have always left my partner and me not only frustrated but also very sceptical about the benefits of a financial planner. We had left every one of these meetings feeling like we’d just been ‘sold to’ and unsure as to whether or not our best interests had been the motivation of the person we had met with.
However, I am thrilled to say that you have most definitely broken that mould and, since engaging your services more than 12 months ago, we are continually pleased with the outcome of the meetings we have had.
Your approach is friendly, polite, informative and concise. Your attention to detail is excellent and your follow up to our meetings is always very timely. There is never a hint of any ‘hard sell’ and we always feel that you are acting only in the best interests of our financial future.
It is such a relief to have found someone we can trust and talk to openly about our financial matters and for this, we cannot thank you enough.
I would wholeheartedly recommend (and indeed already have!) you and your colleagues to anyone we know and very much look forward to continuing our working relationship with you long into our future.”
Hazel Hannant
Hazel Hannant, Newport
A result of suffering a life threatening injury leaving me with permanent Disabilities. I am also covered byIncome Replacements from three Insurance Companies who pay me whilst I am not working.
John assessed my profits yearly and increased my cover accordingly so in the event of any such illness I was paid relatively to my yearly income.Whilst in Critical condition John took my wife through all the stages of the form filling procedures and was always able to offer consistent supportand advice whilst she herself was struggling to come to terms with our situation.
Johns thoughtful and diplomatic advice, warmth and assertive manner has allowed me to get the reassuranceI need to carry on as normal a life with no financial pressures."
Andrew and Vanessa
Andrew Westlake, Cardiff
"I have for many years had a pension plan with Standard Life, on a contracted-out of SERPS basis. This has accumulated a fair amount, as I have actively looked at the performance of the funds and made some changes from time to time.
I have for some time wanted a solution which incorporated active fund management on a regular basis. I asked John to look at the current plan and come up with some alternatives for me.
John conducted a detailed fact find, incorporating my attitude to risk, my needs and objectives and came up with a range of alternatives for me. In the end I chose a provision which means my plan now gets an active review every quarter. In real terms I now have the professional services of a fund manager who does this every day and has his fingers on the investment pulse all the time.
The cost was relatively low for the initial and ongoing service and I have no doubt that the return will far outweigh the cost of this advice and active management.
I would therefore recommend John's service, advice and recommendations to you all, and I am sure that I will now go to him, whenever I have a financial services need of any kind in the future.
The service and professional way he went about his business was excellent and I should know, I was and IFA myself, up until 2003.
Excellent work, of a very high standard."
Nigel Adams, managing Director, Severn Bay Corporate Solutions Ltd
Nigel Adams, Cardiff
About us
We start with you. What do you like doing? How much of it will you want to do in retirement? What other things will you fancy? Travel? Hobbies? Sport? Maybe even a part-time business?
Do you know how much your assets are worth now and when you could retire, based on the lifestyle you want to enjoy?
We use a method called Lifestyle Financial Planning to give you all this information so you can make decisions about how soon you want to stop doing what you do now. We'll even work out your "date".
Our services
We help people in their 40's, 50's and 60's work out when they can stop work and start doing something else. We start by finding out how much fun they want to have, then we work out how much their assets are worth.
Next, we run the numbers to see how soon they can stop working. In short: You do the plan - we do the numbers!
We use a methodology called Lifestyle Financial Planning to compute the projections.
Download our free guide to finding out when you can retire. Just paste this link into your browser: <url hidden>
Where to find us
Head office address: Henstaff Court, Groesfaen, Cardiff, CF72 8NG
Fairstone incorporates one of the largest Chartered financial planning firms in the UK and is the number one rated wealth management house on Trustpilot.
Makemsons is an Independent Financial Advice firm operating out of South Wales. We have supported hundreds of individuals and families over the last two decades we've been trading, and we would love to help you.
Independent, Chartered financial planning firm, as well as our normal face to face meeting we are offering online and telephone advice, in response to Coronavirus. We’re here to support you.
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