As part of our ongoing service to clients, we provide the opportunity of an annual review. This is a scheduled meeting with your adviser that takes place either face-to-face or online.
Sometimes circumstances that are entirely beyond your control, such as changes to legislation or other national or global events, have the potential to impact investments and the decisions made around them. Having an annual review meeting with your financial adviser is not only important for staying on track with your financial goals, but it also helps ensure you are maximising opportunities, such as investing any surplus income and utilising annual tax allowances where appropriate.
So, how can you make the most out of your annual review with your financial adviser? Here are a few tips…
Preparation
In advance of the review, your adviser will prepare a current valuation and past performance reports, which enables a look back at the past year and assesses the progress of your invested portfolio. It is also an opportunity to review the underlying asset allocation and investment funds.
Before you meet with your financial adviser, it’s important to take time to reflect on the past year and think about any financial changes that have occurred. Ideally you should collate any relevant information and have this to hand – for example cash savings, details of expenditures, income sources, and what you expect these to be in the coming year. Make sure you have a list of any questions or concerns you may have so that you can discuss them during the meeting. By taking the time to prepare for your annual review, you can ensure that you’re making the most out of your time with your financial adviser.
Be open and honest
During your annual review, it’s important to be open and honest with your financial adviser. A lot can happen during the course of a year, such as salary increases, job changes, or other life events that may have an impact on your finances. If you have any plans for significant expenditure in the year ahead that could impact your ability to invest, it would be a good idea to discuss these. By sharing as much detail as you can, you can help your adviser to provide you with the best advice to meet your circumstances and work towards your long-term financial goals.
Review your goals
The annual review is a good opportunity to take stock and review your financial goals and objectives. It may be that you wish to invest more money, plan for a certain retirement date, or want to have a specific withdrawal amount in the future. By reviewing your goals, year on year, your adviser can provide you with the best options for staying on track.
Consider who attends the meeting
Depending on your personal circumstances and the point you are at in your financial plan, it might be worth considering having your partner/spouse or adult children attend the meeting. For clients that are investing as a couple, joint attendance helps to ensure that each person has a good grasp of their financial situation. Whilst parents may not wish to share full details of their finances with their adult children, meeting with a financial adviser can help to instil the principles of planning and investing for the future; therefore, helping to ensure the longevity of hard-earned family wealth in the long-term.
An annual review is an important part of the financial advice journey. With the right preparation, you can utilise the time with your adviser, allowing it to be a productive process to ensure you are on the path to achieving your financial goals.