A Story for the New Year

I met with a client (Oliver) recently who received their Pension retirement options from a major Financial Institution. They were given two options and weren’t particularly happy with either of these options. Luckily they contacted me to see if there was anything else they could do and indeed I was able to discuss a third option.

Oliver:

“When I went into the bank to discuss my Pension retirement options, the direct sales staff member was very friendly but I didn’t fully understand the Pension options they had discussed with me. After the meeting, I spoke with my brother in law about my disappointment at the options I had been given and he passed me on Oran’s number who he said was very thorough in his business dealings.

When I sat down with Oran, I showed him what I had received from the bank. During our meeting I discussed my concerns and we discussed my options in depth. Afterwards, I felt much more confident in my understanding of the options available to me. Better still, I was surprised to learn that there was another option that I could explore that had not been discussed with me when I was in with the bank adviser.

I am extremely happy that I was able to discuss my concerns with Oran. I really feel like I have a professional adviser I trust and whom I feel is looking after my best interests.”

It is important to remember that Direct Agents of large banks and Life & Pension Companies are only able to advise you on the products and services they can sell. These agents are not obliged to discuss alternative or potentially cheaper/better options. As a result, in some cases, I have spoken with people who have not received the advice or policy they really wanted.

This story is relevant for Life Assurance, Investment and Pension products that can differ from company to company. As we enter a New Year, with all our New Year promises still (hopefully) intact, maybe it’s a good time to consider if you are getting good value on your policy or receiving the best advice for your financial situation.