Frequently Asked Questions

At Equilibrium, we offer a comprehensive range of financial planning services, from investment management and retirement planning to tax planning, estate planning, and protection advice. Whether you’re building your wealth, approaching retirement, or simply want to make sure your finances are working as hard as you are, we’ll create a plan that’s entirely tailored to you.

If you’ve ever looked at your finances and thought ‘I’m not sure I’m making the most of this’, then you probably do. A financial planner isn’t just for the ultra-wealthy. If you have savings, a pension, a mortgage, or simply goals you want to achieve, a planner can help you get there more confidently and efficiently than going it alone.

The terms are often used interchangeably, but in practice, financial planning tends to focus on the full picture of your finances, budgeting, protection, tax, pensions, and goals, while wealth management typically refers to investment management for higher levels of assets. At Equilibrium, we blend both: we look at your complete financial world and make sure every part of it is working together.

Getting started is simple. Just get in touch and we’ll arrange an initial conversation, no pressure, no jargon. We’ll take the time to understand your situation, what you’re hoping to achieve, and explain how we can help. From there, if it feels like the right fit, we’ll outline the next steps and begin building your personalised plan.

We work with clients across a wide range of wealth levels. While we don’t set a formal minimum portfolio size, in practice this is typically around £100,000. That said, we’re always happy to have an initial conversation, as it’s each individual’s current and future financial position that determines whether we can add meaningful value, rather than portfolio size alone.

We’re happy to work with anyone where we believe we can genuinely add value. That said, we most often support professionals, retirees and those approaching retirement, business owners, and families planning for the future.

Absolutely – it’s one of the cornerstones of what we do. Whether retirement is 30 years away or just around the corner, we’ll help you understand what you’re on track for, what you might be missing, and exactly what steps to take to retire on your terms. We look at everything: pensions, ISAs, property, state entitlements, and tax, so nothing slips through the cracks.

Yes. We work closely with clients to make sure their wealth passes to the people they care about in the most efficient way possible. That means looking at inheritance tax, trusts, wills, and gifting strategies, and alternative estate planning solutions, making sure your estate plan keeps pace with changes in your life and in legislation.

Tax planning is woven into everything we do. From making the most of your ISA and pension allowances to capital gains tax planning and income tax efficiency, we’re always looking for ways to keep more of your money working for you. We work alongside accountants and solicitors where needed to make sure every angle is covered.

Yes. Whether you’re thinking about school fees, university costs, or simply wanting to give your children a financial head start, we can help you plan ahead and invest in a tax-efficient way. The earlier you start, the more options you have, so it’s never too soon to have that conversation.

Protection is a core part of the financial planning service we offer at Equilibrium, covering personal, family, business and estate planning needs. Our dedicated protection specialist works alongside your financial planner to ensure that the right cover is in place to protect you and your financial plan.

Life rarely goes exactly to plan, and your financial plan shouldn’t be rigid either. If your circumstances change (a new job, a change in family situation, an unexpected windfall or setback), just let us know. We’ll review your plan and adapt it accordingly. That’s the whole point of having an ongoing relationship with us.

There is no charge for any meetings before you decide to become a client.

We will review all of your pension provisions as part of your overall portfolio. We will only consider consolidating your pensions where it is in your best interests.

This will vary depending on when you were born and, in some cases, on the specific terms of the pension.

We create investment strategies built around your personal goals, time horizon and attitude to risk. This typically involves blending our five funds to reflect your needs, preferences and tolerance for risk, combining both passive and active approaches and underpinned by rigorous research and our in‑house investment expertise. The result is an investment strategy designed specifically for you, with the flexibility to support you today and adapt as your circumstances change.

We believe in long-term, evidence-based investing. That means we focus on what history tells us works, diversification, cost efficiency, and staying calm when markets get choppy. We don’t chase short-term trends or make knee-jerk reactions to the news. Our job is to keep you on track towards your goals, not to predict the unpredictable.

Risk management starts with understanding you. We assess your attitude to risk, your capacity for loss, and the timeframe you’re working to. From there, we build a portfolio designed to balance the potential for growth with a level of risk you’re genuinely comfortable with, and we revisit this regularly to make sure it still fits as your life evolves.

As part of our ongoing service, your portfolio is monitored continuously, and we conduct formal reviews at least annually. We also rebalance when necessary to make sure your investment mix stays aligned with your goals. And if something significant changes in your life, we won’t wait for the annual review to act.

Yes. If investing responsibly matters to you, it matters to us too. We can build portfolios that align with your values, whether that’s avoiding certain industries, prioritising companies with strong environmental and social credentials, or a combination of both. We’ll make sure your money works in a way you feel good about.

There are many factors to consider when deciding where to invest. We will take into account your risk needs, tolerance, and desire, alongside your financial goals, tax position, and aspirations. We will also consider any specific areas in which you would prefer to invest along with your current investemnst and whether they can achieve what your goals.

Generally, you can access your money within two weeks. However, there may be some investments where this is not possible and/or where penalties may apply. We will ensure you are made aware of any such restrictions before committing to an investment.

You will have access to the Equilibrium portal, which provides daily valuations. We will also review your investments annually and discuss their performance as part of your review.

We charge fees rather than commissions, so we’re paid by you, not by product providers, usually directly from your portfolio. This keeps our advice fully impartial. Our fees are agreed and explained upfront where they will be taken from, before any work starts, so you’ll always know what to expect. In most cases, this involves an initial planning fee and an ongoing service fee based on a percentage of the assets we manage.

With fee-only advice (like ours), you pay for the advice you receive which is normally taken directly out of your investements. Commission-based advisers, on the other hand, may receive payments from the product providers they recommend, which can create a conflict of interest. At Equilibrium, our fee-only approach means our recommendations are based entirely on what’s right for you, full stop.

No. Transparency is something we take seriously. Before we start working together, we’ll give you a full breakdown of all costs, including any platform or fund charges that sit outside our own fees. If it ever costs you money, you’ll know about it in advance.

You get a dedicated financial planning relationship, not just a product. That means a personalised financial plan, regular reviews, proactive tax planning, and a team that’s there when life changes (because it always does). Our goal is to make sure you feel confident about your finances all year round, not just at your annual review.

Yes, we will clearly outline all the fees we receive and the services they relate to. These are detailed in our letter of engagement.

The underlying investment management costs are built into the funds themselves and are taken automatically by the fund manager. You don’t receive a separate bill and there’s nothing you need to pay manually.

Yes. Equilibrium is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This means we’re held to the highest professional and ethical standards, and you have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) if you ever need them.

We are fully independent. That means we can recommend products and providers from across the whole of the market, not just a selected panel. Our only obligation is to find what’s right for you.

Equilibrium has been helping clients take control of their financial futures for over 30 years. We’re proud to have built lasting relationships across generations of families, and to have been regularly recognised in the Times 100 Best Companies to Work For. We think a happy team means better outcomes for our clients.

All of our financial planners are fully qualified to Level 4 and above, the minimum required by the FCA. Many are Level 6 Charterered or Certified Financial Planner status, which represents the gold standard in our profession. We invest heavily in the ongoing development of our team so you can always trust you’re in expert hands.

We have been awarded the Cyber Essentials Plus certification, meaning our security controls have been independently tested and verified. This ensures we are actively protecting our systems against the most common cyber threats and that we meet a nationally recognised, government‑backed security standard.

As a minimum, we’ll meet formally at least once a year to review your plan and make sure everything is still on track. But we’re always available in between, by phone, email, or in person – if questions come up or something changes. Our goal is for you to feel supported throughout the year, not just at review time.

You’ll have a dedicated financial planner who’ll get to know you and your goals properly. You’ll also have access to our wider support team, and potentially a client manager, so there’s always someone available to help. We believe in long-term relationships built on genuine understanding – not passing you from person to person.

A Client Manager at Equilibrium is client‑facing and co‑owns the relationship with the Financial Planner, overseeing the ongoing plan and ensuring clients feel supported, understood and proactively looked after.

We provide clients with access to an online portal where you can view your portfolio, track performance, and access key documents at any time. If you ever want a clearer picture or have questions about what you’re seeing, we’re just a call away.

We take continuity seriously. If your financial planner ever moves on, we’ll make sure the transition is handled smoothly, with a proper handover to another experienced planner who’ll take the time to understand your situation before taking anything forward. Your plan and your relationship with Equilibrium won’t be starting from scratch.

When you contact us, our Front of House team will warmly welcome you and take the time to understand what prompted you to reach out. They’ll then introduce you to a relevant adviser who will have an initial conversation with you to understand your needs and explain what the next steps could look like, at a pace that feels right for you.

• Your meeting confirmation, including the date, time and location (or joining details if your meeting is virtual), along with contact details should you need anything beforehand.
• Our ‘Help us to help you’ questionnaire, which gives you the opportunity to share what matters most to you so your adviser can prepare for a more personal and meaningful conversation.
• A personalised welcome guide, created especially for you, to help you get a feel of Equilibrium ahead of your first meeting. It introduces you to your adviser, explains what to expect, outlines how we work, and includes practical details such as directions to our office and insights from other clients about their experience with us.

All of this is designed to help you arrive feeling confident, comfortable and clear about what will happen — allowing the meeting itself to focus on you, your goals and what you’d like to achieve

Before your first meeting, we’ll ask you to complete a short questionnaire. This helps us understand your goals, concerns and what matters most to you, so your meeting feels relevant, personal and focused on you — not generic advice.

We believe your time is valuable. Gathering information in advance allows your adviser to spend the meeting listening, exploring your goals and answering your questions, rather than collecting basic details.

Our prospect journey is intentionally structured around three meaningful meetings, but we will have as many as is required until you feel confident to make a decision. Each one has a clear purpose, giving you time to reflect, build confidence and make informed decisions at your own pace.

The first meeting is all about you. We focus on understanding your life, values, goals and concerns, rather than jumping straight to solutions or products. This helps us build a plan that genuinely supports the life you want to live.

After our initial meeting, you’ll receive a clear and concise summary of everything we discussed, along with agreed next steps and confirmation of any upcoming meetings. We’ll also begin gathering relevant information, including product details and any required statements, so we can explore suitable options for you. We’ll share tailored information based on your circumstances, giving you time and space to reflect before moving forward.

If you choose to work with us, we’ll take care of the transition and welcome you into our client journey. You’ll receive a personalised welcome and clear communication about what to expect in your first few months, including how we’ll work together and how we’ll keep in touch. Helping you feel supported, informed, and comfortable from day one.

Personalisation is at the heart of everything we do and is guided by our Live, Love, Legacy philosophy. We take time to understand what matters most to you — not just financially, but how you think and feel about money and the life you want to live. From tailored communication and thoughtful meeting experiences to the way we support your decisions, our focus is on making a genuine, positive difference to your life. Our aim is to create moments of confidence, clarity, and care at every stage of your journey with us.