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Investment Quorum is not responsible for the editing, content or accuracy of material on certain external web links found within this section. 13th January 2012
A fantastic bit of news to kick off 2012. We have just learned that we have been shortlisted for two awards in this year's Professional Adviser Awards for 2012. This is the first year we have been selected for the shortlist so we are pleased to have come to the attention of the judges for both the Small Adviser of the Year and Investment Adviser of the Year categories. We trust this continues to demonstrate how willing we are to have our processes and client care operations subjected to external scrutiny. We will let you know how we get on. 23rd November 2011
Five in a row! We had a cracking evening yesterday at the Houses of Parliament when we were honoured to be awarded our fifth successive Gold Standard Award for Independent Financial Advice. It was presented to us by Lord Hunt of the Wirrall, a long time champion of the highest standards in financial services. Widely accepted as one of the toughest financial services Awards to achieve, the Awards are aimed at financial services companies and take into account financial strength and assess attributes such as capability to conduct business, fair value, as well as service standards clients can accept. They are only awarded to companies which can demonstrate, in the opinion of the highly respected cross sector judging panel, the absolute highest standards in the sectors within which they operate. We are very proud. If you would like to see more about the awards and hear from judges and winners the video below will be of interest.
1st November 2011 A close run thing! Unfortunately we did not take top slot in the Spear's Wealth Management Awards in the Best Boutique Wealth Manager Category but we were singled out for some useful praise by the judges and read out by host Ross Westgate of CNBC News. We were described by the judges as "a young firm setting new standards in wealth management." The full list of shortlisted firms and the winners can be found at the link below. Spear's Wealth Management Awards 2011 31st October 2011 Another live TV slot for Lee. Lee comments on Reuters TV on current market and asset allocation conditions and the European Debt Package. To see more click on the link below. 27th October 2011 Investment Quorum CEO Lee Robertson is invited on to Al Jazerra Europe TV to discuss live the European Debt Package. To see more click on the link below. Al Jazeera live interview (via YouTube)
20th October 2011 The good news just keeps rolling in this year! We have learned that we have been shortlisted by the highly influential Spear's Wealth Management Awards for UK Boutique Wealth Management Firm of the year. Fingers crossed for this year as we narrowly missed it last year so we are hoping to take top slot this year. We are incredibly proud to have been shortlisted again this year and hope you are too.
29th September 2011 A third successive win at the Aberdeen UK Platform Awards! Fantastic news on the night when the team attended the black tie dinner at the Grosvenor Square Marriott Hotel when we were honoured with our third successive trophy and named UK Leading Adviser. This really is a testament to the hard work and effort we put in on behalf of our clients and it is great to see our committment to 'going the extra mile' recognised in this way. Nick Cann IFP CEO, Hugh Evans, Head of Sales and Marketing, FNZ, Lee Robertson, CEO, Investment Quorum and Kate Silverton on the night. To see the other winners click here: Aberdeen UK Platform Awards 2011 Winners
6th September 2011 Investment Quorum CEO, Lee Robertson, presented at the Aberdeen Asset Management 'Adviser Intelligence' Conference at the Grocers Hall in London. This series is aimed at bringing together advisers and experts in their field all with the aim of helping advisers understand the whole industry in which they operate. This is a joint initiative with the Institute of Financial Planning.
25th June 2011 Another second year in a row! Coming hard on the heels of our second years appearance in the FT Wealth Management Survey we have just been informed that for the second year in a row we have been assessed as one of the leading twenty five independent financial advice firms in the UK by PAM Insight. As financial planning leads our client service offering we are obviously extremely pleased to have received this fantastic accolade again. 18th June 2011 Fantastic news! Investment Quorum featured for the second year in the influential FT Private Client Wealth Management Surey. The 2011 edition detailed around forty of the leading wealth managers in the UK and we are extremely proud to have been included again but also to demonstrate top quartile performance. As the smallest company featured it really is a privilege to fly the flag for the boutique end of the wealth management industry. Our CIO, Peter Lowman, is obviously extremely pleased to have demonstrated his considered approach to investment is matching, and in many cases exceeding, long-standing investment names.
16th May 2011 At a glittering night at The Savoy sponsored by Investment Quorum the twenty fifth University of Surrey Food and Wine Society was held. The event is attended by many top hoteliers, restauranteurs and society members. Peter Hancock of Pride of Britain Hotels was the keynote speaker. Our CIO, Peter Lowman, and Director Private Clients, Petronella West and our new non-executive director Barry Hancock along with some clients attended a fabulous night. Peter's son Mark is the current Chair of the University of Surrey Food and Wine Society so we were very pleased to invite some clients along to support this event.
12th May 2011 Lee spoke at the first ever Investor in Customers conference at the home of the Magic Circle. As the only firm to have achieved 3 stars at every time of measurement it was felt that Investment Quorum had a lot to offer other delegates. We were also very honoured to receive a special award rewarding our achievement in having the highest client loyalty scores of any company assessed by Investor in Customers. The pictures below show a very proud Lee receiving the award on behalf of Investment Quorum from John Moret, Chairman of IIC and Lee presenting to the assembled delegates. May 2011 Investment Quorum are proud sponsors of youth rugby at Hove Rugby Club and Lee attended the club to present awards to the outstanding players of the season.
10th March 2011 A new board member joins the team. We are extremely proud to announce the appointment to the board of an additional non-executive director, Barry Hancock. Until recently Barry was Managing Director, Head of Corporate and Government Ratings EMEA at Standard and Poor’s. He is a highly respected individual within the financial world and brings extensive professional experience to the board encompassing analysis, banking and financial regulation and new business growth. This appointment is an extremely important one for the company as it is designed to strengthen the management team as the company manages its growth with a risk professional which is becoming ever more important to the company, the regulator and most importantly, private clients. With over thirty years of detailed and extensive experience of financial markets and institutions we are sure Barry will be a huge asset for the firm as we continue to mature as a wealth manager. His appointment is one we are delighted to make as his drive and determination to scrutinise and validate our client facing activities is extremely welcome. 3rd March 2011 The whole team went along to the 2011 PAM Awards for a great night out. We didnt make the shortlist this year, our first year of entry, but a great night was had by all. The picture below shows Petronella, Lee and Katherine Budd from PAM.
10th February 2011 A near miss - again! At the Professional Adviser Awards held at London's Hilton Park Lane we were up for a gong in the IFA client website category. We took Highly Commended so a creditable second place. This is the second year in a row that we have been honoured in this way. 4th February 2011 Kris Garwood has decided to seek opportunities in private client wealth management elsewhere. We would take this opportunity to wish him well in whichever role he decides upon.
2nd February 2011 Lee attended the Portfolio Adviser Fund Awards at The Savoy to see who had won their categories from within the great and the good of the fund management industry. Lee had served as a judge for the first time so took a particularly keen interest in how the voting had actually gone. To see the winners and highly commended fund groups just follow this link.
13th January 2011 Lee and Petronella again attended the Citywire New Model Adviser conference to hear regulators, economists and investment providers discuss the issues surrounding the provision of wealth management. A real plus was to find that we had again been shortlisted for New Model Adviser of the Year (London and Home Counties). This was the third time we had been nominated and although we didnt quite take top slot it is great to be so regularly so close to the top of the tree. Better luck next year we hope! 12th January 2011 We are pleased to announce that we have been shortlisted for 'Best Adviser Website' at the 2011 Professional Adviser Awards. We were also shortlisted in 2010 so are all hoping to take top slot this time around.
25th November 2010 At a reception held at the Houses of Parliament Lee, Kris, Jeremy and Caroline attended the Incisive Media Gold Standard Awards. Everyone was delighted that we won our fourth successive Gold Standard Award for Independent Financial Advice. We trust that this demonstrates that we remain very willing to have our client services and approach to wealth management constantly reassessed for validity, value and expertise. The team here are really chuffed and hope you are too.
23rd November 2010 Lee and James attended the Spear's Wealth Management Awards at the Saatchi Gallery yesterday evening to rub shoulders with the great and the good of the private client wealth management world. We were actually shortlisted for two awards, 'Boutique Wealth Management Firm of the Year' and 'Asset Management Firm of the Year for High Net Worths'. This was the first year we had been nominated and were hugely proud to make the shortlist for one, never mind two, awards at such a prestigious event. We didnt take top spot in either category but are hugely proud to have been described by the judges as dynamic, innovative and a firm that delivers first class service to our clients. The worthy winners have been around longer and are more established but we are really happy to pushing them hard. Spear's Wealth Management Awards Website
16th November Wow, the good news just keep rolling in this year. We have just found out that we have been shortlisted for an extremely prestigious award from Spear's Wealth. Lee was honoured earlier this year to be assessed as one of the UK's top 50 Wealth Managers by Spear's and now Investment Quorum has been placed amongst the finalists for 'Boutique Wealth Management Firm of the Year' at the Spear's Wealth Management Awards 2010. Described as the "Oscars of the financial world" by the Evening Standards, the Awards, which are now in their fourth year, recognise the top firms and individuals in the private client world. The shortlist is based on recommendations by Spear's readers, benchmarking firms, industry peers and the team at Spear's. We look forward to the Awards ceremony at the Saatchi Gallery on the King's Road to see the outcome of all of the research and deliberations. Whatever the outcome, we are just thrilled at the listing. We hope you are too.
30th September We are 10! At a fantastic party at The Barbican Conservatory we were privileged to be joined by many of our clients and friends to celebrate our tenth anniversary. Judging by the feedback and the comments on the night it was a roaring success. We were able to support two fantastic small charities which do great work - Kidsgloves and Street Child of Sierra Leone with over £2600 raised to be split between them. Entertainmentment was supplied by Aphrodite who really did pull out all the stops to great acclaim from clients with classical and pop opera sets and here are some photos to remind you all of the night. We also had chamber music and magicians to complement the food and wine. A huge thank you to all our guests for contributing to the success of the night and for helping us support the charities.
28th September 2010 We are over the moon! At a gala dinner last night at the Marriot, Grosvenor Square in front of an audience of our peers, fund management groups, platform and technology providers and pension companies we were invited to the stage to be presented with yet another award by no other than Kate Silverton of the BBC News. For the second year running we have been assessed as the UK's Leading Adviser Practice in the Aberdeen UK Platform Awards. This is a huge result for us, to win once was great, to win two years in a row is truly fantastic. Once again we had a table at the awards and it was great to have so many of the team there to see our success. We have always felt that as well as inviting feedback by clients we should be prepared to be weighed and measured by our peers and our industry and this really is a great achievement for the company. The summation of the judges was truly humbling but was superb as it really did recognise how we put our clients at the heart of everything we do. We look forward to raising a glass with clients on the 30th September at The Barbican to toast our sucess. 20th to 22nd September 2010 It must be conference season. Straight after our sessions at the PFS Lee and Petronella drove over to Celtic Manor to participate in the annual conference of the Institute of Financial Planning. A hugely enjoyable, informative and education event with a great chance to network with industry leaders and peers. 20th September 2010 Lee and Petronella were both speaking at the Personal Finance Society annual conference. Petronella's session on cash-flow modelling was heavily oversubscribed with standing room only in the end. Lee presented on Adviser Charging and getting ready for the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) which was then followed by a panel session with questions from delegates.
5th August 2010 'Fingers crossed' The good news just keeps coming this year. We have just learnt that we have been shortlisted for an award at this years UK Platform Awards. Clients will recall that we won our category last year so we are all hoping to repeat this success on the 28th of September when the announcement is made at a gala dinner. The award category is for advisory practices of up to 10 advisers and centres around the best use of platform technology for clients.
10th July 2010 'Small but beatifully formed' Following on from the FT coverage Investors Chronicle has picked up on the FT Survey and done a much larger piece on the UK wealth management scene. Lee is highly amused to be called 'small but perfectly formed' by the magazine. Much was made of how well smaller boutiques are out-delivering much larger well established players and it is humbling to be cited as a leading organisation in this area.
4th July 2010 Investment Quorum features for the first time in the Financial Times Private Client Wealth Management Survey. Appearing amongst much larger and much longer established names is a real achievement for a boutique of our size and we are very proud to be listed in the top quartile of performers amongst such heavyweights.
1st and 2nd July 2010 Lee was very pleased to be invited to present on the subject of 'Remember Retirement' at The Investment Network which is a forum of senior financial industry professionals. This was a challenging two days with high level presentations across the pensions spectrum and we were very pleased to be chosen as a leading wealth manager to represent the 'coal face' of private client wealth advice. 19th June 2010 Lee, Petronella and Peter hosted a small group of clients and professional connections at Lords to watch a 50 overs match between Middlesex and Australia. A great day was had but we were all very grateful that we had the facilities of a hospitality box due to the bitter wind. It was also a charity day for Afghanistan Heroes so we were very pleased to make a donation.
18th June 2010 A hearty congratulations to Jeremy Davies our mortgage specialist. Jeremy has been busy over the last couple of years studying and taking exams all aimed at achieving his Diploma from the Personal Finance Society. This is a QCA Level 4 qualification which will become mandatory in 2012 so it is great to know that the team are well ahead of schedule in achieving forthcoming regulatory requirements. 16th - 18th June 2010 Petronella is currently all at sea! She is attending the prestigious PIMS conerence on board the cruise ship Arcadia. Dont think for one moment that this is all wining and dining, it is a hugely intensive conference where only 300 of the UK's leading financial intermediaries and service providers are inivited to tackle current issues and ensure that they remain totally up to date with matters affecting private clients and their financial affairs. Petronella is very proud to represent Investment Quorum at this event for the first time as one of only 190 intermediaries invited. 17th June 2010 Lee attended the FTAdviser.com awards at The Science Museum as a guest of 7IM, our preferred custody and trading platform partner, to see them pick up an award for their online offering. It is encouraging to see our choice of partner recognised in this way for online excellence. 25th May 2010 Lee and Petronella attended a cocktail party at Bonhams hosted by Private Client Practitioner Magazine celebrating the top 25 IFA companies in the UK. We were hugely impressed with our very smart trophy as proof that we are numbered amongst the said 25. 13th and 14th May Lee attended the Solicitors IFA (SIFA) conference where he ran a workshop based around the different investment strategies available for private clients. A great event with lots of interaction from the various groups who attended the workshop throughout the day. 5th May 2010 Fantastic news! We have just been told by Private Client Practitioner Magazine (PAM Insight) that Investment Quorum has been listed as one of the UK's top 25 IFA firms in their 2010 survey. This is great news for the team and is a great reward for all of their hard work on behalf of clients. They work extremely hard to ensure that we deliver the best possible service to clients and to be recognised in this way by such an influential magazine is great news. Coming hard on the heels of Lee's listing in the Spear's Wealth High Net Worth Top 50 Wealth Managers this really is the icing on the cake.
29th April 2010 Lee attended the Institute of Financial Planning (IFP) London Conference and was a speaker during the day with the topic of adding discretionary investment to a financial planning business. A challenging audience with lots of searching questions made for a really enjoyable day. 6th April 2010 Lee was honoured today by Spear's Wealth Magazine. Spear’s Wealth Magazine (it has been termed the ‘Bible of the investment fraternity’ and ‘a European rival to Forbes’) produce the authoritative, comprehensive and (above all) client-focused guide to their top 50 UK High Net Worth Wealth Managers and I am extremely proud to have made the list for 2010. Appearing amongst real luminaries and highly respected veterans from the investment and wealth management spectrum is a real achievement for Lee and is, more importantly, a credit to the whole team at Investment Quorum. 25th March 2010 Lee attended the Money Marketing Financial Services awards as a guest of Money Marketing. Lee was a judge on the marketing awards and joined numerous marketing professionals to bring his industry experience to the mix. A great night with Alistair McGowan as the MC ensuring a fun as well as rewarding time was had by all who attended. 17th March 2010 Lee and Peter attended the Citywire Wealth Manager conference held at Claridges to hear excellent presentations from leading speakers on investment themes including India, structured products and the shifting of economic power from west to east. This really was a great morning and was deemed to be of real benefit in our continuing search for investment knowledge and insight. 2nd March 2010 Lee presented an assembled audience of financial planners and wealth managers at the Institute of Financial Planning (IFP) London Branch meeting along with John Porteous from Macquarie bank on building scaleable business and the opportunities ahead. A lively Q&A followed on what was an excellent evening. 21st January 2010 As per the previous post we were nominated for the Best IFA Website at the Professional Adviser Awards. We didn't quite take the top prize but are very proud to say that we did win 'Highly Commended' in this award. We hope this demonstrates how hard we work to ensure that we continue to offer an interesting, relevant and useful web portal to our clients. 19th January 2010 Fingers crossed! We have been informed that we are a finalist for IFA Website of the Year 2010 at the Professional Adviser Magazine Awards. We will know this Thursday if we have been successful and that our web offering is deemed worthy of being described as the best site in the UK. We will obviously let you know. 14th and 15th January 2010 Petronella and Peter attended the Citywire New Model Adviser Conference. As ever, IQ attended to contribute and to share ideas and best practice. This year Petronella featured in the opening film and details of this will be uploaded shortly to our news page. 4th January 2010 We are very pleased to announce a new addition to the team with the appointment of Kris Garwood as our new Client Relationship Manager responsible for our clients and professional connections in the South of England outside London. Kris will be based in Chichester to ensure we maintain a regional presence in this area in order that we continue to offer an excellent service to our clients in this location. Formerly, Kris was a stockbroker with Edward Jones but was attracted to us by our client-centric approach to doing things. 15th December 2009 Its a hat-trick in more ways than one. Its official. We have won our third successive Investor in Customers Award at 3 Star level. This is our third national award this year and builds upon our third successive Gold Standard for Independent Financial Advice last month. We value this award hugely as it is predicated on responses from you, our clients. So from the whole team - Thank You! 11th December 2009 Aurora Group The December meeting of The Aurora Group took place today and was the usual lively exchange of ideas, best practice and ideas to improve the service the member firms provide to their clients. We were also joined by George Ball, commercial director for Citywire who was able to bring his many years of experience to the discussions. 10th December 2009 Financial Services Forum Lee presented and took part in a platform discussion entitled, "Not all boutiques are the same" for the Financial Services Forum at Standard Chartered Bank. Lee represented the smaller boutique and was joined on stage by board members from Heartwood Wealth and The Family Investment Office. A lively discussion took place with many questions from the floor. Lee is very proud to be the only 'micro-boutique' chief executive member of the FSForum. 9th December 2009 Shortlisted again! We have just been informed that we have been shortlisted for another award. Professional Adviser magazine has put us in the finals for 'Best IFA Website' at their forthcoming awards in February 2010. We are very pleased to receive such recognition and will, of course, let you know how we get on. 3rd December 2009 Citywire 10th Birthday Party Lee was invited to the Citywire 10th birthday bash along with fellow Aurora founder member, James King of Price Bailey Private Clients. 27th November 2009 Henry Stewart SIPP Masterclass Conference Lee shared the podium with SIPP providers, a senior FSA pensions regulator and other practitioners at this technical pensions conference. 26th November 2009 Personal Finance Society Dinner Lee attended the PFS awards dinner as a guest of leading SIPP provider, Suffolk Life, and was entertained by the MC for the evening, Jeremy Vine of BBC2 Newsnight. Lots of networking and catching up with other leading advisers and suppliers. 25th November 2009 IQ Wins Third Successive Gold Standard Award for Independent Financial Advice Investment Quorum are very proud to have done the hat-trick! Amongst other leading companies in their field such as J.P. Morgan Asset Management, BlackRock, Fortis, Friends Provident and Santander Asset Management, Investment Quorum are among this year’s 16 Gold Standard Award winners. The Awards aim to identify financial services companies that demonstrate a strong structure and excellent customer-orientated practices. As the financial services landscape changes with initiatives such as Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) the shift towards a greater sense of partnership between providers of financial products and services and consumers will gather pace. Those companies that can demonstrate robust structures and focus firmly on customer needs will not only be able to operate in this changing landscape, but be well placed to offer a better proposition to their clients. Now in their seventh year, the Gold Standard Awards are one of the toughest Awards to achieve. The Awards take into account financial strength and assess areas such as trust, fair value, service as well as capability to conduct business. They are designed to identify companies that not only have strong structures and procedures in place, but are going above and beyond standard business practices to restore faith in the financial services sector generally and offer clients the best possible products and services. Commenting on the Awards chair of the judging panel, Deborah Benn, says, "There has never been a more appropriate time for fund mangers, insurance companies, banks and independent financial advisers to show that they are serious about restoring public confidence. "These Awards are not easy to achieve as they require companies to display detailed information and demonstrate their capability in not just one, but all aspects of their business. It takes a lot of time and effort, so companies that enter should be commended as it shows they are certainly willing to go the extra mile." Entrants are asked to answer a rigorous series of questions formulated specifically to assess the areas of capability, trust, fair value and service and provide evidence in line with their responses. The baseline for all responses and evidence supplied is based on standard requirements to conduct business. However, only those companies that can clearly demonstrate they go above and beyond standard requirements are considered for a Gold Standard Award. The Gold Standard Awards are run by Investment Week's parent company Incisive Media, in association with TCF Index, a company that helps financial firms progress towards the FSA's Treating Customers Fairly targets. The winners and highly commended entrants were honoured at a ceremony at the House of Commons on Wednesday 25th November attended by Lord Hunt of Wirral. Petronella, Lee and Paul in the Strangers Dining Room at the House of Commons having won the award.
23rd November 2009 IQ CEO attends Pershing's European Client Conference Amongst other Aurora members IQ CEO, Lee Robertson, attended the annual Pershing European Client Conference for the first time. This invitation only event brings together some of the very best IFAs, Private Client Wealth Managers and Institutional investors for a day of learning, interaction and mutual support. Lee's day started with a roundtable led by Mark Tibergien, MD & CEO of Pershing specially hosted for Aurora Group members where a useful discussion took place covering many of the issues we face on a day to day basis. There were further presentations and round table meetings during the day and it was all rounded off by a great motivational presentation by Sir Clive Woodward. 13th November 2009 Advocates Breakfast Club Another very successful Advocates Breakfast Club was attended by many clients where they heard a great presentation concerning gold as an investment asset class by BlackRock. If you want to come along, email Lee at lee@investmentquorum.com. October 2009 IQ CEO participates in a 'Wrap Round Table Discussion' hosted by Macquarie Bank and Financial Planner Magazine Lee was very pleased to represent Investment Quorum at the above event hot on the heels of the recent win for IQ at the Logica UK Platform Awards. Always keen to contribute to the debate on the direction of the wealth management industry he found the topics and conversation amongst other leading advisers great fun and very stimulating. A full description of the round table was carried in the November issue of Financial Planner Magazine. 23rd September 2009 IQ proud to receive another award For the first time IQ has been awarded the Logica UK Platform Award 'Leading Platform Based Adviser Practice (Up to Ten Advisers) Award'. We received this at the London Waldorf amongst many luminaries from our profession and the financial press. We feel that this is further validation of our commitment to a transparent and highly client-centric approach to financial planning and investment management. The whole team went along to the awards dinner for the nail-biting awards presentation by Justin Urquart-Stewart of 7IM, a regular financial commentator on Bloomberg and the BBC and Paul Lewis the presenter of Moneybox on BBC Radio 4. For more information on this please follow the links below.
17th September 2009 Lee speaks at Dutch advisers' conference Rounding off a hat-trick of speaking engagements this month and following on from a talk earlier in the year Lee was invited over the Holland to speak to the growing movement of Dutch IFAs who wish to transistion to a fee-based client centric approach to financial advice. Having been introduced to the dutch as a leading exponent of this approach by Citywire, the financial ratings and news agency, Lee is now much in demand as a speaker in this area. The day went extremely well and Lee was joined by two other highly regarded speakers from the UK, Adam Young of Dragonfly Planning and Mike Godfrey of Bluefin. It was a great day and the desire of the dutch advisers to move to a client focused approach is fantastic to see. 10th September 2009 IQ CEO speaks at the opening session of Citywire Brighton Retreat 2009 The second Citywire Brighton retreat took place over the 10th and 11th of September and Lee was proud to be one of the three pracitioners asked to present to the assembled audience of high quality, fee based advisers. The three sessions covered were Client Service Propositions, Paraplanners and Lee's subject, the addition of discretionary investment management to an advisory practice. The sessions were very well received and overall the two days were a fantastic opportunity to interact with investment managers, pension providers, financial journalists but most importantly some of the best boutique wealth managers in the UK.
9th September 2009 The Institute of Financial Planning Midlands Branch was the scene for a 'two hander' with John Porteous of MacQuarrie Bank and Lee Robertson of Investment Quorum presenting to a group of local IFP members on the ongoing Retail Distribution Review and the changes likely to be necessary within advisory firms to accomodate the radical changes which are being proposed by the regulator. A lively question and answer session followed with branch members not shy to quiz the two presenters on their subject matter. A great day and a fantastic opportunity to trade ideas and knowledge. 9th June 2009 Lee amongst a group of leading UK advisers addressing Dutch Advisers in London A group of forward thinking Dutch Advisers travelled to London with the assistance of Citywire to hear from leading UK advisers on how they could deal with the transition from commissions to fees and building 'new model' businesses. For more follow this link 15th January 2009 IQ shortlisted as New Model Adviser of the Year, London and Home Counties, by Citywire For the second time in four years, Investment Quorum is extremely proud to announce that we were again shortlisted for the above award. We feel that this is tremendous recognition of our commitment to service and excellence in financial planning and investment management. To have been shortlisted twice shows huge consistency on our part from the many hundreds of firms which were analysed and assessed. 9th December 2008 Lee Robertson speaks at Financial Services Distribution Summit Always keen to spread the message to product manufacturers and larger players of the very definite requirements and style of boutique wealth managers Lee provided an inspiring insight into the modus operandi of Investment Quorum and the work done on behalf of clients. The talk was so well received that Lee has been invited to speak on the subject again at a larger conference in 2009. 17th November 2008 IQ retains Gold Standard Award for independent financial advice Adding a second Gold Standard Award to our second 3 star Investor in Customers award in 2008 has left us all a little giddy with pride and excitement. These awards are extremely difficult to achieve and we are proud that the rigourous judging process has deemed it appropriate that we retain this award. In difficult times it is always pleasing to know that our attention to clients and customer service, integrity and standard of investment and financial planning is worthy of recognition. Lee with Incisive Media Awards Chair, Deborah Benn
11th November 2008 IQ shortlisted as IFA of the Year by Shares Magazine We were honoured and delighted to attend our first Shares Magazine awards ceremony. We were shocked but very pleased to see that we had been shortlisted as IFA of the year by Shares Magazine amongst five national sized companies. Carrying the flag for the 'boutique wealth manager' we awaited the results with trepidation at the black tie dinner at the Grosvenor on Park Lane. Sadly, it was not to be this year but we are all extremely proud that so many clients had voted for us without our knowledge. 11th and 12th September 2008 Lee Robertson participates in Citywire NMA retreat Lee attended the first Citywire New Model Adviser retreat in Brighton which drew many of the UK's leading wealth managers and financial planners to discuss the issues facing clients and advisers at the moment. Lee also participated as a delegate on stage during an occasionally heated debate about investment management and the role of the wealth manager. 22nd August 2008 IQ retains 3 star Investor in Customers award for second year We are all hugely pleased and humbled to have been awarded a second successive 3 star award from Investor in Customers. This means that not only we were the first ever wealth manager to receive the award at the top level but the first ever to retain it. We would like to say thank you to all thoser clients who chose to respond and keep us leading the way in customer service. 30th June 2008 Out of Pocket Seniors (OOPs) Changing demographics, the decline of the final salary pension and ever increasing longevity are all issues faced by the public and are highlighted by IQ on a regular basis. This attention to the needs of those approaching and reaching retirement by IQ has been commented upon by WhatINVESTMENT. 26th June 2008 Investment Quorum appears on BusinessWeek We are very privileged to learn that the professional contact details of Investment Quorum and its key personnel have now been listed by BusinessWeek. To see more please follow the link. 25th June 2008 OOPs discussion picked up for pre and post retirers by financial website IFAbonus, a financial website, has very kindly picked up on a retirement isses theme paper issued by Investment Quorum dealing with the financial and pension issues facing those approaching or at retirement. To see the comment on the website please follow the link below. 19th June 2008 Jumping into the unknown Our former marketing wizard, Amy Bennett, is doing a parachute jump for charity in August. The MS Society is a very deserving cause and we are very pleased to sponsor her for her jump into the unknown (well Salisbury Plain if we are honest!). She will be jumping from ten thousand feet and free-falling before, all being well, landing safely to collect her sponsor monies. 17th June 2008 SIPPs, Portfolios & Debt Lee Robertson was requested by Citywire, the specialist investment research and information providers, to supply some consumer guides to their new Personal Investor website. These include advice on building the right sort of portfolio, Self Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) and a brief guide on debt. They can all be found at the following link; 15th June 2008 Congratulations to our pensions specialist, David Young, who completed the London to Brighton bike race yesterday (albeit with a few cuts and bruises due to a spill). He was riding in aid of the British Heart Foundation. He wishes to pass on his thanks to all who were kind enough to sponsor him. 11th June 2008 Petronella West is to speak at the Personal Finance Society conference in London at the Chartered Insurance Institute on 10th July. This conference is primarily aimed at practitioners and how they implement Treating Customers Fairly into their business. At this conference Petronella will be joined by other leading lights from the wealth management and IFA profession and representatives from some of the larger product providers and our regulator, the Financial Services Authority. 14th May 2008 Are you ready to mix investments? Investment Quorum contributes to thisismoney.co.uk on investment matters. 12th May 2008 Are brokers adding to the confusions (IQ news release carried in various financial journals and on websites) Brokers could be confusing the very people they want to help, said a leading adviser this week, and it's all down to what they see as lenders leapfrogging the middle man and offering special deals direct to borrowers. Lenders have always had special rates and schemes that they only offer to direct applicants, and they have always had schemes that only brokers can access, said Jeremy Davies of Investment Quorum, the intelligent wealth managers. 'Claiming that this reduces options for borrowers is a moot point,' he explained. 'Suggesting that brokers are being denied access to certain attractive mortgage schemes is effectively promoting the idea that better deals are more likely to be available by going direct to one lender, and that could mean that people won't stop to consider what might be available across the whole market. From an independent point of view, most good brokers - if they are truly independent and well connected - will still be able to offer a mortgage that's better than just going direct to one lender.' Investment Quorum has long argued that taking middle to longer term view is as important in mortgage planning as it is in other areas of personal wealth creation and protection. 'That doesn't necessarily mean staying with one lender long term, but it does mean projecting further ahead than the current special offer and implementing a strategy to become mortgage free,' said Davies.
May 2008 SIPPs, Citywire, Credit Crunch - all on film Lee Robertson was amongst leading wealth managers requested by Citywire, the specialist research and information provider, to comment on film about issues affecting clients and other wealth managers in the current climate. See his short film clip at the following link; 27th March 2008 Unlocking locked up funds (IQ news release carried in various financial journals and on websites) Substantial numbers of investors may have money languishing in closed funds when it could be working harder elsewhere, and it’s time to get advice, said a City expert this week. ‘These endowment funds might still be making projections of growth that bear absolutely no relation to what they have been achieving historically, and there’s no prospect of their doing anything,’ said Lee Robertson, CEO of intelligent wealth managers Investment Quorum. He explained that there were options available – such as checking the policy to see if you can get out free from penalty on certain dates – and that it was a mistake to write off any lost growth. Taking advice from an independent expert will be an investment in itself, he said. ‘It’s important to get an up to date statement from your product provider to ascertain performance over the last 12-18 months, for example. Then consider whether to transfer, but you have to be mindful of transfer penalties.’ Estimates put the figures currently tied up in closed funds as £85 billion, invested in equities, fixed interest and managed or pooled investments, cash and property. In comparison, firms that were still open to new business had funds under management of £300 billion. ‘There may be better suited investments out there, particularly if you have a long time to go before you want to get at the money,’ said Lee. ‘Advances in technology mean that there is a much wider investment market and more choice. There’s a greater depth of information, which allows better assessments to be made.’ But he warned investors thinking of changing to be careful of tax implications: changing the status of a plan could mean that the tax status may also change. 26th March 2008 Is now the time to pull money out of banks? (IQ news release carried in various financial journals and websites) Amid rumours, counter rumours and reassurances, banks are going through a troubled period and investors are becoming increasingly jittery. But simply stashing savings under the bed is not the answer says Lee Robertson, CEO of Investment Quorum. ‘Now more than ever a balanced approach to investments is essential,’ Robertson advises. ‘There are banks where money will do very well. Some of the smaller banks might not be the right choice, prudence may dictate limiting amount committed to smaller or lesser-known banks. And not having all your money in one bank would be a smart move, if only to keep cash on deposit at banks below the deposit protection scheme upper limit. But there are other better performing investments to consider that can blend accessibility with security and growth.’ Investment Quorum pioneered what it calls Intelligent Wealth Management, where sophisticated cash flow modelling clearly shows the decisions needed to enable people to meet their financial objectives – from the immediate to the long term, and stages in between. ‘Doing this exercise once, reviewing the blend and balance of investments and even doing things like unlocking flat investments in dormant funds can have an almost life changing effect,’ says Robertson. Its own approach to intelligent wealth management has brought Investment Quorum major accolades in recent months. The company became the first ever organisation to attain the highest level of award – the three star - after its Investor in Customers assessment, and it also received a Gold Standard Award for Independent Financial Advice, acknowledging excellence across the board in terms of service and ability. 24th January 2008 Pension changes need intelligent management (IQ news release carried in various financial journals and websites) If you’re expecting a big tax free present from your pension plan for your 50th birthday in the next two years, it’s time to look closely at that plan because the rules are changing, warned a top intelligent wealth manager this week. Taking the right advice now could mean you’re still in line for the payout, even if you’re in a company pension scheme, said Lee Robertson, CEO of City-based Investment Quorum. At the moment, people can take retirement benefits from their pension as a cash free sum when they reach 50. But in just two years’ time that age limit is rising to 55 – which could involve big six figure sums for some people. As an example, Lee said: ‘If someone is 50 on February 21st 2010, he has a six week window in which he will be able to take retirement benefits. He could take income, cash or a combination of both. But what if he is in a company pension scheme? ‘It might be that the tax free cash could be up to £100,000, which could be very useful! A good advisor will be able to get him out of his employers’ plan and into a private pension plan environment where he would be able to take advantage of the ‘window’ - rather than waiting until February 21st 2015. ‘Anyone who is not yet 50 but who will be before April 6th 2010 should be considering similar action,’ he advised. ‘There are death benefit implications too, particularly where big sums are involved, and also not forgetting that such early retirement could impact on retirement income, so people do need to take good advice on what to do.’ 8th January 2008 Caffeine highs can lead to financial lows (IQ news release carried in various financial journals and websites) Coffee is often on our ‘must cut down’ list for the new year – but did you know that simply saving the money you spend on a daily cup of coffee on the way to work could pay for a luxury holiday in a year or two? Or a brand new car in a few years more – and over 35 years you could save the equivalent of around a years’ salary. That’s quite a pension. And all you’ve missed is one cup of coffee a day. The calculations have come from award-winning wealth manager Lee Robertson, CEO of City-based Investment Quorum, who thinks that small intelligent savings like this are a kind of ‘wealth by stealth’ plan. ‘Coffee will make you poor,’ he said. ‘Not having coffee – or at least having one cup of coffee less per day – can certainly make you wealthier if you manage that saving intelligently.’ Investment Quorum is a specialist in intelligent wealth management, and Lee is often called upon to give talks that include his ‘coffee will make you poor’ example of how easy it is to waste thousands of pounds over just a few years. Using as an illustration the purchase of a £2.35 cup of coffee from a London coffee bar five days per week, he says: ‘That’s £47 per month you can save simply by NOT buying that cup of coffee. If you then invest that money at a five per cent interest rate you will have £592 at the end of a year. After two years that will be £1,214, and after five - £3,272. In 30 years you’ll have a substantial sum of £39,345, and hang on another five years and it’ll be £53,487 tucked away ready for your retirement.’ So it might be worth thinking: do you REALLY need that big bucket of coffee in a cardboard cup – or can you wait ‘til you get to the office? Lee added: ‘It’s important to look at the power of compound interest; look at how the return escalates as the years pass. I have used an interest rate which is fairly reasonable and I have not even used an investment rate of return. I have kept the cost of coffee the same during the period – not something a coffee vendor is likely to do! If these premiums were put towards a pension the tax relief would massively increase the returns.’ August 2007 Investment Quorum bags customer award City-based Investment Quorum has captured the first ever three-star Investor in Customers Award reports Citywire. November 2001 Investment Quorum director, Petronella West, comments on industry matters in High Net Worth Review which is published by the Financial Times.
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