How We Work
Initial Meeting – Are we the right advisers for you?
We offer an initial meeting, without charge or obligation. We can meet with you at our office in Broadstairs, our meeting facilities in Maidstone or via Zoom if that is more convenient for you.
Once we have established how we can help you, we will inform you of the costs associated with the work involved before proceeding.
What do you get for your money?
Once we have agreed to work together, the typical advice journey can be broken down as follows:
Preparation
A further meeting will be arranged to gather all personal information about you, your family and your assets, so we can fully assess your circumstances, objectives and goals.
If you have existing investments or pensions, we will obtain your permission to request information on these, so that we can fully understand your current financial position.
A second meeting may be required to talk through your existing plans and policies, and the various options you have available, so we can agree together the option that suits you best.
Planning
Once we have all the necessary information, we will carry out the research and analysis to allow us to put together a comprehensive written personal recommendation for you. This will be sent out in the post with all the accompanying documentation you require to make an informed decision.
Proceeding
When you have had an opportunity to read through your personalised recommendation and discuss any queries you may have (which can be face to face, by email or phone), and you are happy to proceed, we will take care of all the paperwork required to implement your plan.
We will then take responsibility for making sure all the required parties act on your instructions in a timely manner.
Progress
We will keep you informed as we progress your plan and confirm once we have concluded this for you. We will ensure that you have received all the paperwork required for your records.
Our Fees
We are one of the very few IFA practices that detail our fees on our website, as we believe in being open and honest. We feel that you should have the opportunity to shop around and compare costs involved before engaging us.
We strive to ensure that our fees remain competitive, but most importantly, that we always offer good value in exchange for our cost.
Initial Charges: Percentage based or Fixed fee?
Much of our work relating to investments and pensions is based on the sums of money that we are working with. Our standard charge is 2% of the amount being advised on (subject to certain minimums).
However, we do understand that if larger sums of money are involved the level of charges can become excessive in relation to the amount of work required in some instances. We always review the fee payable in relation to any work being carried out and where we feel the charge is excessive for the work involved, we will offer a reduction.
Sometimes we are approached for a specific or bespoke piece of advice, or for a calculation to be prepared. In this instance we are happy to work on a fixed fee basis (which is calculated based on how much time is involved) and we will be able to inform you of the cost before proceeding.
Ongoing Charges
We offer an ongoing service which is optional (we will never place any obligation on you to sign up to this and if you do sign up there is no notice period should you wish to cancel).
The majority of our clients find our ongoing service invaluable as it means we are on hand should assistance be needed, and we can meet with you at regular intervals to ensure peace of mind that your plan is working as it should.
Our standard charge for offering an ongoing service is 0.75% of the amount being advised on, (subject to minimums), but as with our initial charge we will offer a reduction where larger sums are involved, and our time can still be covered.
If you feel that our ongoing service would benefit you, we will discuss the costs involved and detail the service level available to you.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.”
Mark Twain
Our Services
Retirement
Have you considered everything that could impact on your retirement planning?
Investment
We advise on all types of investments and tax wrappers.
Later Life Planning
Later Life Planning is a unique requirement for each & every client we look after.
About Us
Meet Sarah Greely & Maxine Powell
Green Lane Financial Planning is run by Maxine and Sarah, offering an independent financial planning service tailored to your individual needs. We have been working together since 2013 and our vision for our own company started to take shape in 2015 when Green Lane Financial Planning Ltd. was initially set up.
We take the time to understand your financial values and goals and then help you to put your money to work for you to achieve the future life you want.
We aim to be approachable – we have made a clear decision to move away from the stereotypical grey suits of the financial services industry and offer a more relaxed and accessible service to everyone.
What Our Clients Say
From my initial telephone conversation and subsequent zoom meeting with Sarah, she knew instantly what I had hoped to achieve. I was more than happy to proceed after receiving a detailed review along with reasoned recommendations tailored to my risk profile. After only a short few months the investments that Sarah has recommended have so far outperformed many times over the fees involved. I am also making use of the ongoing service which was offered along with yearly reviews, so I have the peace of mind that my investments are in safe hands.
My husband and I have had 2 or 3 advisers prior to Maxine and my experience was usually mild bafflement as I tried to grasp what they were recommending and why. When we moved to Maxine, it was the first time I had really understood what was going on. She is very patient with the likes of me but also very professional. Her advice has proved to be first class and her support during the illness of my husband, and subsequent death, has been enormously helpful. She definitely ‘went the extra mile’ and continues to be someone I trust completely.
