Consumer Protection

The regulation of financial services is designed to protect customers at every stage. 
We will work on your behalf (rather than for any insurance company or bank) and aim to ensure that products recommended are suitable for your needs.

What protection do I have?
We will always endeavour to ensure the products recommended are suitable for you. A summary of our internal complaints handling procedures for the reasonable and prompt handling of complaints is available on request.

When we are advising you on regulated products (including investments, insurance and mortgages) you have the protection of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

If you are unhappy about the advice or service you have received you should firstly contact us outlining your concerns. This gives us the chance to put things right and/or to provide our own version of events. Should you remain dissatisfied you might be entitled to refer your complaint to the FOS who will investigate the complaint independently and make a ruling. The FOS work with customers and financial advisers to resolve a complaint, and when they do have to make a ruling it is binding upon the firm. Full details of how to contact the FOS together with information about how to complain are available from their website – www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk or by telephoning 0800 023 4 567.

If you try to contact a firm with a complaint and the firm is dissolved, or unable to meet its obligations, you may have recourse to the FSCS. This service is funded by levies on firms that are authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to protect customers where firms have closed or gone into liquidation.

Anything else I should know?
Some financial advisers do give advice on products that are not regulated by Financial Conduct Authority – such as buy-to-let mortgages or general taxation advice. We will explain to you when you are receiving advice on an unregulated product. It is important you are happy with the advice as you may not have the added protection of the FOS or FSCS when dealing with unregulated products.

 

THE FINANCIAL CONDUCT AUTHORITY DOES NOT REGULATE TAXATION ADVICE AND SOME FORMS OF MORTGAGES.

YOUR HOME OR PROPERTY MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.